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]

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.