Konohagakure no Sato, Saturday Afternoon (Fandom Time) / Feb. 15th (Konoha Time)

[intraspective]

Really, it had been a month and a half now and Ino had to admit that she was—feeling better. Between her father teaching Zack (and water walking had proved to be quite a hilarious thing to watch) and her father teaching her, she was feeling useful and busy without it being anything too taxing.

She hadn’t seen either of her previous teammates, which stung, but Ino stomped down firmly on that as she disentangled her mind from her father’s and ignored his look. It wasn’t the first time she’d avoided… whatever it was he’d wanted to talk about.

And she doubted it would be the last.

“That’s enough for now,” he said, after a moment. “How about you go and get some air?”

It was phrased as a suggestion, but Ino was well used to her father’s orders. With a quick kiss to his cheek, she left the room, went down the long, dark hall and out into the sunshine. It was a lovely day—February, already, which made her head hurt if she thought too hard about the days and how they related to Fandom—but, Ino thought, as she leaned against the balcony and pulled out her phone, hitting speed dial, maybe all that time had been what she’d needed.

And, across universes, her phone call reached…

[For ze raspberried one. Mwahaha. NFB.]

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[intraspective]

His voice, cutting through her work like a blade. Ino could feel her control begin to slip on the steady influx of images she'd been sorting, on the orders that had been on her lips, as blue eyes blinked open and stared.

What was he...?

"Zack?" And she sounded confused. Her father's hands still on her shoulders, her mind still half entangled with his. There was still work to be done.

[puppy_fair]

Zack... probably could have cried out of relief as he tripped over to her, his shoulders rising and falling. He'd run himself so desperately around Konoha that even he had to catch his breath.

"You're okay," he murmured, his own blue eyes so wide that the mako glow behind them could almost cast shadows. "Thank the gods, you're okay..."

Zack's priorities: 1) Ino. 2) Ino. 3) Ino...

[intraspective]

Ino reached up to him, unable to not do so when he was so obviously freaked (and, in truth, the only reasons she was as calm as she was were because she was being useful and her father was right there).

"I'm okay," she replied, the words very gentle. "I'm absolutely okay."

[puppy_fair]

Zack was almost oblivious to Inoichi's presence as he moved forward, wrapping his arms around Ino, not about to let go. Never going to let go...

But he was only going to lose himself in that embrace for a heartbeat, before leaning back enough to look at Ino, at her father.

"What can I do?"

He wasn't one of them. He knew that. But if he wasn't allowed to fight here, to tap into his DMW and tear bloody hell against the invading force, at the very least he could make himself useful with Potions and Curaga.

[intraspective]

Ino was smiling faintly as Zack asked his question of her father and kept her arms around him for the moment. It was reassuring her as much as it was him, she thought, as her father thought, his knowledge expanded by her knowledge of what Zack could do.

And where had he gotten the vest?

"Aid in the evacuation," and it was Inoichi's orders but in Ino's voice as her father stared at nothing and saw everything. "Section--" Ino shook her head and the orders changed slightly. "Go west four blocks. There's people who can't evacuate because of the rubble. Get them out."

[puppy_fair]

Zack nodded, backstepped slightly, and then hesitated for just one moment more.

"How many Potions do you have?"

They'd been out in this longer than he'd been. He'd started today with all he could carry. He still had plenty to spare. For his own peace of mind, admittedly. He'd stock Ino up, it would only take a moment, and then he'd run. Four blocks west. He'd be there in no time.

[intraspective]

"I'm okay," she said, crossing her arms over her stomach and missing being close to him already. "Still got--fifty or so."

That would be enough, wouldn't it?

[puppy_fair]

"That should be plenty," he agreed, taking another two steps, and then backtracking again. "Take this, too."

He reached into his pocket, pulled out a spare Blizzaga, and set it in her hand.

In the face of all of this fire, a bit of ice might come in handy.

"I'll be back soon, promise."

And then he was turning on his heel and running.

[intraspective]

Ino's smile showed nothing of the twisted feelings in her chest as she watched him run off, then slipped the materia into her armour.

"Ice," she said, in response to her father's silent question. "To battle the fire."