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]

It was either bored (again) or he'd missed being on the roof of houses. He was going with the first, as being on the roof was a silly thing to miss. Hearing the radio, he almost turned back but then decided he didn't care and moved onto the roof.

"Hey," he greeted as he noticed Ino lying on the ground.

[intraspective]

She glanced over her shoulder and grinned a bit.

"Oh," Ino said teasingly. "It's you."

[first-guardian.livejournal.com]

"Don't sound so enthusiastic," he paused, tilted his head and his eyes narrowed as he studied her. "Did you do something with your hair?" Yes, he had to ask.

[intraspective]

...

"No," Ino said, trying not to giggle because apparently he was a moron. "Absolutely nothing. You're seeing things."

[first-guardian.livejournal.com]

He eyed her, studying her and trying to picture Ino the last time he'd seen her and now. "It's nice," he finally said, moving to the railing to look over the edge of the roof.

[intraspective]

Her grin widened. "A compliment?" she said lightly. "From you?"

[first-guardian.livejournal.com]

"What?" he asked, shrugging a shoulder and he placed his feet on the lowest bar of the railing so he could lean further over it. "Don't sound so surprised."

[intraspective]

"I am surprised though," Ino told him, setting her scroll to the side and looking up at him. "But pleasantly. Thank you."

[first-guardian.livejournal.com]

He mumbled something unintelligible that probably weren't words to begin with and moved on foot back on the floor. He leaned his elbows on the railing, his attention on the view for the most part. "Why the change?"

[intraspective]

She fiddled with one of her earrings. "Wanted to, I don't know, change my image a bit."

[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."

[laidanegg.livejournal.com]

Dick's recent time back in Gotham reminded him that he hadn't spent nearly enough time on rooftops in Fandom. He decided to change that today.

"I don't know why I'm surprised to see somebody else on the roof," Dick said. "This is definitely a hanging out on the roof kind of town."

[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]

"Where I come from," Ino said, smiling. "We're totally on the roof a lot. Hey, big little brother."

[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.