Ino ignored the way that made her heart twist--what was wrong with her?--and went to go and talk to the first person she saw.
The next few hours--Reno had probably not expected her to take as long as she had--proved to be a learning experience.
She got yelled at. She got called names that she hadn't ever had applied to her before. She got people trying to hit her (in that, they didn't really succeed because, well, Ino might have been tiny but she was trained and the people she was talking to weren't).
Ino persevered, though.
Even as her temper rose steadily, almost on par with the weird feeling of accomplishment she got whenever one of them finally conceded that she wasn't--doing this out of pity or some such thing.
Why would I pity you? she'd demanded of one livid man twice her age. You're alive. You're still here. What the hell is there to pity when you're that strong?
She'd won that round. Won being a paltry thing when a victory on her part meant that the 'loser' would get to be warm. Get to have vitamins.
The parents were easier and harder to deal with all at once. She didn't know what would possess anyone to have babies in Edge. But all the same, they were there, mothers and fathers with young children--not even old enough to walk in some cases. Babes in arm, mothers-to-be with big bellies and hollow faces, fathers carrying children who didn't have their mothers anymore. People her age who weren't children in any sense of the word, taking care of their little siblings whether they were siblings by blood or not.
Easier to get those people to take things. When it wasn't for them. When it was for the people in their care. Then they could sacrifice a little more of their pride. Ino grew steadily paler even as she wrapped her temper around her in defense.
Why? Her voice had been sharp-edged while dealing with a narrowed eyed girl who had to be a year younger than she was. Why? You look around and ask that? If you won't take it for yourself then what about them?
Her head hurt. She kept getting the stupid urge to cry. Ino hid in her temper. It was easy to get angry at people who didn't want her help. Who didn't want it even for the people in their care.
Who didn't want it for free because free always came with catches. Free couldn't be trusted.
A few times Ino wound up bargaining with particularly stubborn people. Trinkets. Bits of jewelry. Scrounged up Gil. All of that was paid to her for the heating pads. For the vitamins.
Ino would cave; take what they offered, and then when they went to leave, sneak it back into their pockets and things. She didn't need it. If it took them a while to figure out what she'd done—well, they already had what she could offer them. Ino would call that a job well done.
With more hard blinking. She wasn't going to cry.
Some of them stayed to talk with her for a little. Asking for news about how things were going—and she didn't know how to answer them.
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timeasmymeasure
no subject
Date: 2010-02-21 07:48 pm (UTC)Ino ignored the way that made her heart twist--what was wrong with her?--and went to go and talk to the first person she saw.
The next few hours--Reno had probably not expected her to take as long as she had--proved to be a learning experience.
She got yelled at. She got called names that she hadn't ever had applied to her before. She got people trying to hit her (in that, they didn't really succeed because, well, Ino might have been tiny but she was trained and the people she was talking to weren't).
Ino persevered, though.
Even as her temper rose steadily, almost on par with the weird feeling of accomplishment she got whenever one of them finally conceded that she wasn't--doing this out of pity or some such thing.
Why would I pity you? she'd demanded of one livid man twice her age. You're alive. You're still here. What the hell is there to pity when you're that strong?
She'd won that round. Won being a paltry thing when a victory on her part meant that the 'loser' would get to be warm. Get to have vitamins.
The parents were easier and harder to deal with all at once. She didn't know what would possess anyone to have babies in Edge. But all the same, they were there, mothers and fathers with young children--not even old enough to walk in some cases. Babes in arm, mothers-to-be with big bellies and hollow faces, fathers carrying children who didn't have their mothers anymore. People her age who weren't children in any sense of the word, taking care of their little siblings whether they were siblings by blood or not.
Easier to get those people to take things. When it wasn't for them. When it was for the people in their care. Then they could sacrifice a little more of their pride. Ino grew steadily paler even as she wrapped her temper around her in defense.
Why? Her voice had been sharp-edged while dealing with a narrowed eyed girl who had to be a year younger than she was. Why? You look around and ask that? If you won't take it for yourself then what about them?
Her head hurt. She kept getting the stupid urge to cry. Ino hid in her temper. It was easy to get angry at people who didn't want her help. Who didn't want it even for the people in their care.
Who didn't want it for free because free always came with catches. Free couldn't be trusted.
A few times Ino wound up bargaining with particularly stubborn people. Trinkets. Bits of jewelry. Scrounged up Gil. All of that was paid to her for the heating pads. For the vitamins.
Ino would cave; take what they offered, and then when they went to leave, sneak it back into their pockets and things. She didn't need it. If it took them a while to figure out what she'd done—well, they already had what she could offer them. Ino would call that a job well done.
With more hard blinking. She wasn't going to cry.
Some of them stayed to talk with her for a little. Asking for news about how things were going—and she didn't know how to answer them.