Room 504, Thursday Early Evening

[intraspective]

Ino was currently sitting cross-legged on her bed, already in her pajamas, and brushing her hair out. Scattered on her bed were several other combs and various clips and hair ties.

It had been a pretty awesome week. All her classes were fun and now she was pretty much free until Monday to do whatever she wanted. At the moment though Ino was pretty content just to be brushing her hair, humming under her breath, while idly wondering if A.J. would show up like they'd arranged on Saturday.

The door was open.

[Open!]

Comments

[intraspective]

"Not funny," Ino told him, even though she couldn't help but smile. "Though it does mean I've got my Dad wrapped around my finger." Except when it came to boys, of course. "Now, you take the left strand and cross it over the right, while bringing the middle one up and over the left."

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"Left...strand," A.J. repeated as he followed the instructions. "Cross over the right. Bring the middle...up and over....err..." There was a pause. A slight moment of confusion. "Over the left. I see now. Got it! And wrapped around your finger, huh? See? Girls have it so much easier sometimes, I swear."

[intraspective]

"Learning how to get our way is genetic," Ino agreed, "and Dad's are espeically suspectable to this for whatever reason. Then you bring the right strand over the middle, and continue on. Are you seeing the pattern yet?"

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"I...think so," A.J. said, biting his lips as he followed the directions and held the strands. "So, since the right's over the middle, then the right becomes the middle and the middle becomes the right, yeah? And now I move the left?"

[intraspective]

Ino started to nod her head, then stopped. "That sounds about right. Correct. Whatever. You know what I mean." She paused. "And it's not a big deal if you mess up, it's just brushing it out and starting over."

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Chuckling slightly but still managing to placidly continue braining Ino hair, A.J. admitted, "It's not so much a brushing out sort of mess I'm worried about. I keep getting horrible visions of just an terrible tangled mess that a brush just isn't going to fix."

Although, as it stood, he was really doing quite well.

[intraspective]

"If you managed to do that while trying something as simple as a braid I'd never let you near my head again." Ino told him. "A few tangles are one thing, that's quite another."

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"I think, in some ways," A.J. pointed out, "that would almost be impressive."

[intraspective]

"It'd get you pink hair." Ino threatened. "For at least a month."

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"Oooh," A.J. enthuseded with a chuckle. "Then Anemone and me can match."

[intraspective]

"It suits her better than it does you." Ino told him. "And I'd make it an awful shade of pink, not like hers."

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"All shades of pink are pretty awful," A.J. reminded her. "And how do you know it suits her better? You've never seen me in pink hair."

There was a pause.

"And you never will, so I guess the point is kind of moot."

[intraspective]

Ino liked some shades of pink. She wrinkled her nose, "Is that a challenge?" She asked, "Because I could totally break into your room and dye it while you were helpless and sleeping."

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"No, you wouldn't," A.J. stated, "because that would be mean, and you're not mean. Most of the time."

[intraspective]

"Mmmmm." Ino said, laughter starting to creep into her voice, "You keep almost insulting me like that and I'll totally do it."

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"Maybe that's what can be my invention for class," A.J. commented. "An Anti-Ino device for my door, windows, and probably a considerable amount of the walls. Also? I think I got it. Hand me a hair tie or something."

[intraspective]

"Then I'd just get someone else to help me," Ino said, pulling an elastic - a bright blue one - off her wrist and offering it over her shoulder. "I'm cute enough that getting help shouldn't be a problem at all."

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"No argument there," A.J. agreed as he took the elastic and started to wrap it around the end of the braid. "I guess I'll just have to watch myself and not tangle up your hair, and avoid the whole problem all together. Don't think I need to worry, anyway." His hands left the end of Ino's hair and flattened a part of the braid against her back. "I think I did pretty good. It's kind of...well, I'll need some practice, it looks really loose, but it's definitely a braid!"

He picked it up by the tail to flick over Ino's shoulder so she could see.

[intraspective]

Ino glanced down at it, and grinned. "Way too loose - you've got to be firm with hair! But, I admit, I'm glad it's recognizable as a braid."

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"I'm just a beginner!" A.J. argued, laughing. "A mere fledgling! I'll improve. Here. Give that back." He reached over her shoulder to bring the braid back in his hands and into his work area. "I'll try again. The next one will be better."

[intraspective]

"It had better be!" Ino said, "Or I'll just have to accuse you of messing up on purpose to play with my hair for longer."

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"Oh, you love it," A.J. commented, taking out the elastic again and starting to break the braid apart lightly with his fingers. So much, so pretty!

[intraspective]

"I wouldn't be letting you play with it if I didn't love it." She pointed out, while smiling.

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"Well, you could just be really nice, and that's why," A.J. reasoned lightly.

[intraspective]

"Mmmmm. I'm always nice - until someone makes me mad."