The Roof, Tuesday After Classes

[intraspective]

After getting Kabuto’s letter last night, all hope Ino had of writing out what was bugging her fled and she’d spent most of the night alternating between ranting at Kusanagi (who hadn’t cared at all) and sleeping fitfully.

Stupid stupid Kabuto.

Either way, it was a relief to be up on the roof and waiting for Cassandra. She wanted to hit someone, and Cassandra was the perfect one to try and hit.

Because Cassandra totally got it.

[Locked to Cassandra! And up early for SP throughout the day.]

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[iseewhatyoumean.livejournal.com]

Cassandra arrived not long after Ino, walking out onto the roof and giving the other girl a nod. Apparently it was one of those rare days when she didn't wear long sleeves and the dozens of scars along her arms were clearly visible.

She offered Ino a wave, "Hey."

[intraspective]

The scars were noted, but otherwise went unremarked. Scars weren't much as long as you were alive after all. That Cassandra had them, and survived, was merely another example of her strength.

"Hey," Ino said, making sure her hair was pulled back tightly.

[iseewhatyoumean.livejournal.com]

Ino got a careful look up and down before Cassandra smirked, "You look like you could use this."

[intraspective]

"I want this," she said. "During training with Liir on Sunday, I had to stop the spar because I didn't want to stop." Had just wanted to hit things, and Liir was no match for her.

[iseewhatyoumean.livejournal.com]

Cassandra tilted her head to the side and popped her neck. "Then we won't."

She fell into a stance.

[intraspective]

Ino slipped into a stance.

"Don't kill me," she said seriously, "but don't go easy on me either, alright?" Ino was sick and tired of people going easy on her.

[iseewhatyoumean.livejournal.com]

The only answer was Cassandra's sudden rush forward into a leaping kick.

[intraspective]

Ino ducked down, having almost--hoped?--expected something like that, and lashed out in a kick of her own.

[iseewhatyoumean.livejournal.com]

Cassandra twisted in mid-air, hand snapping down to grab the toes of Ino's kicking foot. She used her handhold as a fulcrum to spin down and around, directing a punch at the other girl's arm.

[intraspective]

Stupid! Ino winced at the punch but knew better than to stay still, not with her foot still trapped by Cassandra--though she doubted that it'd be left that way for long and had to be fast, went down, hands on the ground for balance and using Cassandra's momentum to lash up with a kick from her other leg.

[iseewhatyoumean.livejournal.com]

The kick came up and Cassandra let it catch her, absorbing some of the impact with her arm and rolling letting go of Ino's foot to push herself away to absorb the rest. She rolled across the ground and came back to her feet, waiting for Ino's next move.

[intraspective]

Ino twisted, still on her hands, and pushed off so that she could get back on her feet and get closer to Cassandra all at once. Then, lunged forward, quickly, into a punch.

[iseewhatyoumean.livejournal.com]

Cassandra leaned just far enough out of the way for the punch to brush her before whipping back with a punch of her own.

[intraspective]

That hurt, she was so going to be so bruised by tomorrow, but not enough to keep her from bringing her elbow up and lashing at Cassandra with it.

[iseewhatyoumean.livejournal.com]

The elbow wasn't a surprise, but that didn't mean it felt good. Cassandra grunted as it took her in the ribs, but ignored the pain in order to counter with a knee aimed at Ino's hip.

[intraspective]

Dodging faster was something she needed to learn. Ino managed to twist enough that it didn't hit her hip dead on but the impact still made her grit her teeth in pain.

Which totally explained the punch heading for Cassandra's face.

[iseewhatyoumean.livejournal.com]

Cassandra tilted her head, feeling Ino's fist push her hair back as it barely missed. Then she twisted, reaching up to grab Ino's extended arm and shift into a throw.

[intraspective]

Yeah. Greaaat.

Ino pulled against the grip, knowing she was light enough that being flung would get some serious distance, and kicked at Cassandra's knees hoping that that would disuade her from the throw.

[iseewhatyoumean.livejournal.com]

Ino's weight wasn't enough to stop the throw, but the kick to the knee forced Cassandra to adjust her stance and in doing so she lost the leverage she needed. She sprang back, holding onto Ino's arm just long enough to pull the girl into a knee.

[intraspective]

Ow. Ow. Fuck, she almost thought that she would've preferred the throw.

Her arm free though, Ino elbowed at her again, before pushing away and trying to put a bit of distance between them.

[iseewhatyoumean.livejournal.com]

Cassandra lets Ino open the space a bit. She's willing to let her opponent have a moment to breathe.

[intraspective]

Okay that? Pissed her off.

She was glad for the space, glad for the moment to breathe--but you didn't do that if you weren't... going easy.

"I said," and the words came out a bit raspy, stomach hits were never fun, "don't go easy on me."

[iseewhatyoumean.livejournal.com]

A tiny smirk touched the edge of Cassandra's mouth. "Okay."

And she stopped going easy. Full speed, full power. The quick series of jabbing punches she threw were intended to leave some nasty bruises.

[intraspective]

Ino was going to hate herself tomorrow.

Really, she was rather hating herself right now. But at the same time was glad about the pain because that meant...

That meant Something.

In between the punches Ino managed a kick at Cassandra's feet.

[iseewhatyoumean.livejournal.com]

Because Ino had insisted, Cassandra wasn't holding back anymore. She watched the way Ino tensed and shifted, seeing the kick coming. As Ino's foot lashed out, Cassandra's own foot was sweeping out to simultaneously dodge the kick and clip Ino's other ankle.

[intraspective]

Cassandra's foot connected with her ankle and she went down, lashing out with a punch as she forced herself into a roll away from her.

[iseewhatyoumean.livejournal.com]

Pressing forward meant that the punch hit, but before Ino could get full extension. It didn't hurt nearly as much as it might have. It also kept Ino from getting too far away, allowing Cassandra to throw a quick kick.

[intraspective]

The kick clipped her shoulder, which totally upset her roll, and it was a moment longer than she might've liked to get her feet back under her and pressing forward.

She'd asked for this. She wasn't just going to run.

Ino went for a kick to Cassandra's face.

[iseewhatyoumean.livejournal.com]

Cassandra's arm whip up to cross in front of her, taking the kick on the wrist. Then, in a repeat of an earlier move, she shifts to grab Ino's kicking foot and shove it upward to throw her off balance.

[intraspective]

This time she was knocked off balance--starting to get tired and that dulling her reflexes just enough that she couldn't stop it. Ino went down, but lashed out viciously at Cassandra's ankles as she did.

[iseewhatyoumean.livejournal.com]

Cassandra was already stepping forward as Ino's strike landed so the shot landed. But by closing the distance Cassandra managed to take the hit from higher up on Ino's calf, robbing it of a lot of it's power.

Still, the other girl hadn't wanted her to go easy, so she kept pressing: dropping to one knee to take a punch at Ino's thigh.

[intraspective]

Owwww.

Ino hated her stupid big mouth right then and there because, seriously, ow. That didn't stop her from trying to kick Cassandra's head though with her other leg.

[iseewhatyoumean.livejournal.com]

Cassandra admired the drive to keep fighting, and the truth was Ino was doing extremely well considering her age and areas of expertise, but this one was Cass'. She rotated in place to slam her elbow into Ino's kicking leg just above the knee in a move intended to use Ino's own attack against her.

[intraspective]

The drive to keep fighting wasn't one that she'd ever lacked. Seriously. That, however, didn't mean she was going to even come close to winning this.

This fight was so Cass'.

Shit. That hurt and a cry of pain made it past her lips and she forced herself to curl and twist away from Cassandra, before she let herself focus on the pain.

[iseewhatyoumean.livejournal.com]

Moving as fast as she was Cass barely stopped her next punch short of the side of Ino's neck. She frowned at the girl for a moment, then nodded and stood up.

"You don't cheat enough," she criticized.

[intraspective]

Ino was... just going to lay on the roof for a bit. Owwww, she hurt.

That comment, though, got a bit of a laugh. Ow. "I'll try more cheating next time?"

[iseewhatyoumean.livejournal.com]

"I'm serious," Cassandra said. Seriously.

"I cheat all the time. It's how I win."

[intraspective]

"I wasn't laughing at the idea," Ino clarified. "But I think you totally win just 'cause you're way better than me."

[iseewhatyoumean.livejournal.com]

"Because I cheat," Cassandra repeated. "I can see what you're going to do before you do it most of the time. It's why I'm good at this kind of fight. You do other stuff better, so you should fight that way. Sneaky, and... that wall-sticking stuff."

Fighting out in the open on the roof was a bad place to cheat for Ino.

[intraspective]

Ino forced herself into a sitting position. "Yeah," she admitted, "probably. But you've got to get good at stuff you aren't good at either."

[iseewhatyoumean.livejournal.com]

Cassandra considered this and shrugged. "Only if you need it."

[intraspective]

"You never know what you'll need," she offered.

[iseewhatyoumean.livejournal.com]

Cassandra just offered a noncommittal shrug. If Ino wanted to get herself beat up, well... that was up to her. Steph had been like that too, so Cassandra didn't really mind.

[intraspective]

Ino just sort of grinned and shrugged. What could she say?

She hurt, she was going to hurt even more later, and she didn't mind at all.