Room 504, Friday Afternoon

[intraspective]

It was probably a teensy bit rude how loud she had her music up—especially as Japanese pop was a bit of an acquired taste—in the morning, but Ino wasn’t really inclined to turn it down. (Unless asked. Or someone called her. Or... something.)

She’d left her door wide open and was sprawled on her stomach on her floor rug, going through her notebooks while absently practicing the mental shield work her father had set her to studying.

One page of notes and her shields were unraveling. Another page and she was pulling them back up. Down again, up again. Until it was like breathing. Ino frowned at her notes, having to stop and take a moment when her shields tangled over each other. Sigh. She smoothed them over and began again.

Okay, eventually it would be like breathing. Right now it was a bit too much of a stutter-stop sort of process than anything quick. She rubbed her eyes and rolled onto her back.

Maybe she’d take a break for a bit. Even if it was good training.

[Ooopen door, open post.]

Comments

[intraspective]

Ino was totally tempted to call him on the fact that he didn't particularly convince her with that.

"Uh huh," she said, smirking slightly. "Well, I'm glad I could help then. What've you been up to? Oh! Did you ever do the letters you said you might?"

[therewaslife]

"I did actually," said Bod, grateful for the subject change so he didn't have to think too much on things he wasn't sure about. "I wrote two of them. I haven't heard back, and I doubt I will, but it was nice to relay some of the things that I've experienced to them."

[intraspective]

"Long letters?" she teased, tapping her notebook idly. "Bet you had loads to say 'bout around here."

[therewaslife]

"They were fairly long," he confirmed with a nod. "I didn't write everything down but I think I hit the important and interesting points."

[intraspective]

"You got a lot of interesting going on in your life?" she teased because she couldn't help it. "I'm sorry, that's mean of me."

She didn't sound super sorry though. Maybe a tiny bit apologetic, but she was grinning.

[therewaslife]

"Interesting is a relative term, isn't it?" asked Bod, snickering and not taking offense. "What's interesting to me might me mundane to you but it might be worthwhile to tell someone else. All a matter of perception."

[intraspective]

"True," she said, "but I'm supposed to find everything interesting, you know?"

[therewaslife]

"And do you find everything interesting?" he wondered curiously.

[intraspective]

"Eventually most of it becomes interesting," she admitted. "But at first? Nope."

[therewaslife]

"You're optimistic," Bod observed easily. "I don't know if I've met anyone who expects everything to become interesting eventually. That's a tall order."

[intraspective]

Ino stared at him.

Then laughed.

"I don't think anyone's ever said I'm optimistic before," she said, bemused.

[therewaslife]

"Well, that sounded very optimistic and open minded," said Bod, snickering. "It was the appropriate word."

[intraspective]

"Oh you," she said, rolling her eyes but smiling. "I guess it could sound optimistic that way."

[therewaslife]

"I get that reaction a lot," he said, snickering. "I'm used to it."

[intraspective]

"Are you an optimist?" she asked, smiling.

[therewaslife]

"I've never really thought about it," he admitted. "I might...be more of a realist?"

[intraspective]

"Not so big on dreams of how things can be made better?"

Ino was, in fact, an optimist that way. Not that she really cared to admit it, but...

[therewaslife]

"Not really, no," he admitted, shaking his head. "And that's not due to seeing the world in any gloomy sort of way. It's more because I'm trying to experience things as they are right now. If I'm thinking too much on how to change them, I might miss out on the experience."

[intraspective]

"You think so?" she asked, tilting her head. "You don't think things like 'and next time, we'll make this even more awesome'?"

[therewaslife]

"What happens if there isn't a next time?" he wondered.

[intraspective]

...

"...don't you think that's a bit depressing?"

[therewaslife]

"...perhaps," he allowed, wincing. "I just...I want to experience everything I can. I just don't want to get ahead of myself in how I think."

[intraspective]

"I don't think a little bit of wishful thinking is a bad thing?" she said, smiling softly. "I mean--how else is anyone to have any dreams, right?"

[therewaslife]

"My way of thinking shouldn't be like anyone else's," he answered, skipping around the actual question due to just...not having an answer. "It's unusual, I know."

[intraspective]

"No no," she said, holding her hands up. "It's just--okay, it's unusual to me but I get told I'm pretty one-track sometimes, so..."