fandomhighdorms | Second Floor Common Room [Late Morning]

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Second Floor Common Room [Late Morning]

After his first class, Ned had come back to the dorms without much in mind as to what to do to pass the time until his class later in the day.

After talking himself into and out of it several times, he'd finally gathered up some things he'd purchased over the weekend and trundled everything down the hall to the common room. It was empty for the time being.

Before he could talk himself out of it once more, he started baking for the first time in years. A pie, of course. A simple apple pie but it felt good to be baking again. It'd been awhile.

[Open CR is open. He'll share, of course.]

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"Everyone's been nice," he assured her with a nod. "I guess I've been lucky. I haven't met anyone really with a mean streak."

"There's not too many of those 'round here," she assured him. "I mean, you've got personality conflicts all over the place but when push comes to shove most people here are pretty nice and helpful."

"Which is good," Ned said, tucking his hands under his arms. "I've met too many people who just liked being mean."

Awwww.

He was a bit like a puppy really. "Anyone tries that here, you tell me, okay?" Ino said. "I'm up in 504, and I'll totally take care of anyone who tries to bother you."

If she was being impulsive... well, Ino. She did mean it though.

"You won't get hurt yourself, right?" Ned asked, a little concerned.

There was a good possiblity of hurtage all things considered but...

"Nah," she said confidently. "I'm a ninja. I can totally handle it."

"You're a ninja?" Ned asked, only looking shocked because he thought they only existed in movies. "Wow, really?"

That got a grin. "Totally really," she nodded. "On active duty for the last two years, started training when I was five."

Well, officially training since she was five. Dad had taught her a few things before that.

"Did you go to like...ninja school?" Ned asked, eyes wide.

"We call it the Academy, but yeah. Ninja-school." She nodded.

"I would do terrible at ninja school," Ned said, shaking his head. "I'd put myself in the hospital."

She laughed. "That's why we start young," Ino said, "so we learn not to do that. And for a lot of us, it's a family tradition, so we show up already knowing a fair bit."

"Too bad for me," Ned said, reaching in to pull out the pie. "Ned the Ninja had a really neat ring to it."

That got another laugh.

"It does, a bit, yeah," she said, giggling. "But generally it's a really bad thing if people know your name when you're off on missions and stuff."

"Ooh, so I'd have to be stealth," Ned said, cutting a piece of the pie and placing it carefully on a waiting plate. "Would you like a piece?"

"Yes, please," Ino chirped. "And totally, yes, stealth is a good thing."

A beat.

"Most of the time."

"I'm not stealthy any of the time so I think I'll leave it to the experts," he said and handed Ino a plate. "It's hot."

"Thank you!" she said brightly, taking the pie with glee. "My hero and all that, for sparing me having to cook."

"Aww." He blushed and looked down to hide that. "I'll just be Ned instead of a hero. Too much responsibility with being a hero."

"You could be a pie hero?" Ino suggested, snagging up a fork and sticking it neatly in the pie. Mmmm, pie. She'd just, like, wait a few minutes for it to cool slightly. Because, ow. "Because, really, you already are. At least to me."

"Pie hero," he said, trying it out. "I don't have to wear a cape or anything?"

"No cape or anything." A beat. "Maybe an apron if you felt like it though? But all you'd have to do is... continue making pie. That's a pretty good hero gig, I think."

"And it's one I can do without freaking out," he said, nodding. "It's a good job for me."

Ino considered various responses to that: Did he freak out a lot? Why? What made pie making different from other freakoutable jobs?

What she asked though, because Ino wasn't in the mood for Serious Talk of any sort was: "So, would you rather be referred to as Pie Hero Ned, or Ned, the Pie Hero?"

A beat.

"Or just Ned?"

She suspected that that last would be his choice even though it was the most boring one to her.