Corner of the Gardens, Sunday Evening

[intraspective]

There were only a few places that Ino wanted to be, one of where she was supposed to be—Fight Club—and none where she could get away from stupid things like her boyfriend leaving so he could fight a war on his world and the awful fact that he wasn't coming back.

He wasn't. Coming. Back.

And, again, she'd been left behind. She curled up under one of the stupid trees Dor had put in her garden, and stared moodily over her green domain. (No, Ino didn't care that it was technically the school's domain.)

Ugh.

[Establishy, though open if your character would be in the gardens during the evening/call her for some reason, I suppose.]

Comments

[likes-chicken.livejournal.com]

Hurley scooted a bit closer, so he could hug her properly.

"I kinda know... a lot of how you feel," he said.

[intraspective]

She hugged back, glad for the contact. "How so?" Ino asked, looking up at him.

[likes-chicken.livejournal.com]

"My dad kinda... walked out on my family," Hurley shared. "Left and never came back."

[intraspective]

Ino blinked once, slowly, at that. "People shouldn't just disappear."

It was hypocritical--she was a ninja, she helped make people disappear.

"Not when they've--got a choice."

[likes-chicken.livejournal.com]

Hurley could really agree with that. "Yeah," he said. "So, like... how about I promise never to just disappear? Ever. Cause I think I can make that."

[intraspective]

She glanced at him dubiously. "No one can promise that."

[likes-chicken.livejournal.com]

"Yeah, well... I'm not gonna go off to fight any wars or just quit on Fandom or go off to England to marry some idiot nobleman," Hurley said. "I'm, like... I'm good old reliable Hurley, you know?" He kinda wanted to be that.

[intraspective]

She sighed, touched despite herself. "Nothing wrong with being reliable," Ino admitted. "I just don't think people will stick around."

[likes-chicken.livejournal.com]

"Is... Ichigo not the first to leave on you?" Hurley asked.

[intraspective]

She shifted, leaning back against the rough bark of the tree. "Kabuto disappeared into thin air," Ino said, staring up through the branches. "And Michael left because I wasn't good enough to help him. Cable-san is so busy these days that he doesn't ever talk to me, and I don't see Tyler-sensei when he's not teaching; my fault, but I don't know what to say. Shikamaru and Chouji left me behind when I wasn't strong enough to be of use."

"I'm always being left behind."

[likes-chicken.livejournal.com]

Hurley's stomach was in a lot of knots, listening to all that. "Well... you don't have to worry about that with me. I swear."

[intraspective]

Her lips trembled.

"I'm t-tired of it."

[likes-chicken.livejournal.com]

"Yeah," Hurley said. "It never doesn't suck. And you always, like... wonder why they're leaving you. What was wrong with you and stuff."

[intraspective]

"Even if nothing is wrong with you," she added blandly, "at least, that's what everyone else says."

"It doesn't really help, does it?"

[likes-chicken.livejournal.com]

"It doesn't," Hurley said. "Cause if nothing was wrong, they'd still be around."

[intraspective]

"Nevermind what else they had going on. Logic means little to the heart."

Ino shook her head.

"We're all so self-centered."

[likes-chicken.livejournal.com]

Hurley sighed a little. "Yeah," he said. "I guess we kinda are. But sometimes you gotta be, when it seems like you can't count on anyone."

[intraspective]

"I think it's healthy," she said. "To be a bit self-centered. It's no better to not think of yourself at all, than to think only of yourself."

[likes-chicken.livejournal.com]

"Yeah," Hurley said. "You're totally right. Cause otherwise you're totally at everyone's mercy and stuff."

[intraspective]

"I actually think that would be harder," she admitted. "To care more for others than yourself in everything."

[likes-chicken.livejournal.com]

"I guess we just gotta... keep a balance," Hurley said. "And look out for each other."

[intraspective]

"Your honey will probably seem to work better than my vinegar," Ino commented. "But I am who I was born to be, and so were you."

She liked her sharp, bossy tongue.

[likes-chicken.livejournal.com]

"And you're still awesome," Hurley said. "Cause let's face it, too much honey just makes you sick."

[intraspective]

Ino leaned against him. "I don't feel awesome right now."

[likes-chicken.livejournal.com]

"Yeah," Hurley said, leaning back. "I just had to say it, anyway."