The Roof, Friday Afternoon

[intraspective]

Ino hadn’t accomplished a whole lot so far today.

Well. She’d gotten up at four, eaten and done so properly, left Her a call, and done some training. Now, she was taking a break.

In a way, though, this was training too. She was curled up on a blanket she’d dragged from her room, sprawled out on her stomach, and reading the very first medical scroll she was supposed to have started with.

And humming along with the small battery powered radio she’d brought up too. But that, Ino figured, was allowed so long as she concentrated more on her work.

[Open!]

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[first-guardian.livejournal.com]

He glanced over his shoulder at her. "What was wrong with the other one?" he asked. "I mean, not that this one is bad, just the other wasn't bad either."

[intraspective]

"It's a reminder," Ino said eventually. "That I need to be better."

[first-guardian.livejournal.com]

He watched her for a moment and the next question seemed obvious, but he didn't ask it. Maybe because it hit too close to home. He looked back at the trees. "Going back reminded you of that?"

[intraspective]

"Mmm." She rolled over onto her back. "Dad didn't let me start growing my hair out 'til I was nine. Before that, it was short like this."

[first-guardian.livejournal.com]

Huh. "So what? You have to earn it back again?"

[intraspective]

"If I had kept it long," Ino elaborated. "Dad wouldn't have said anything about it. But it was a lie, and I knew it, so I cut it off."

[first-guardian.livejournal.com]

Ichigo frowned and finally turned his back on the view and leaned against the railing. "Why are you so convinced you disappointed him?" And herself, he figured that was probably the biggest part of it.

[intraspective]

She shrugged, and tried to decide how honest she wanted to be.

"Because, since being here," she said slowly. "I've been here a year now, you know, I've changed. I look, and act more like a civilian. I'm 'daddy's princess' now, instead of 'daddy's little warrior'. And I don't want to be a princess."

[first-guardian.livejournal.com]

He was right then. "It looks good."

[intraspective]

He was.

"You said that already," she reminded him.

[first-guardian.livejournal.com]

"Yeah well," he turned back again, almost as if he was restless. "I don't give compliments every day, so you should take advantage of it."

[intraspective]

"You can compliment me again," she offered generously. "I won't complain."

A beat.

"Everything good with you?"

[first-guardian.livejournal.com]

"Why? Complimenting you means there must be something wrong?" he asked.

[intraspective]

It was, possibly, an indicator.

"You just seem out of sorts," she said, shrugging. "Restless."

[first-guardian.livejournal.com]

"Huh. Hmmmm," that shouldn't make him want to fidget. "Just bored, I guess."

[intraspective]

She eyed him dubiously.

"Bored. Here?"

[first-guardian.livejournal.com]

"Tasting like oranges isn't exactly entertaining for much longer than the first five minutes?" he suggested.

[intraspective]

...

...

"...what?"

Yeah. Guess who completely missed out on the oddness of yesterday?

[first-guardian.livejournal.com]

"Everyone tasted funny," he waved it off. "I tasted like oranges, Jack like banana and Katina like tequila. I think. She's annoying and wouldn't answer."

[intraspective]

"Seriously?" That got a bit of a laugh. "Oh dear."

[first-guardian.livejournal.com]

"Yeah." He eyed her. "You didn't?"

[intraspective]

"Nope," she said. "I was just plain old me, all day."

[first-guardian.livejournal.com]

"With short hair," he helpfully supplied.

[intraspective]

"I had noticed," she said, dryly. "But still, just plain old me."

[first-guardian.livejournal.com]

"It's annoying," Ichigo decided. "I don't have anything with me to throw at you."