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

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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."

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"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."

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"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.

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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."

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"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!

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"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.

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

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"When isn't someone making you mad?" A.J. asked, taking the chance because he had taken up the brush and was brushing out Ino's hair. You couldn't get mad at someone who was so nicely brushing out your hair, right? And, if you could, well, he had a brush to defend himself with.

[intraspective]

"I'm not always mad!" Ino objected, "I spend whole days perfectly happy about everything sometimes!"

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"Oh, really?" A.J. asked, unable to keep from laughing a little. "Whole days? Several at a time, even? I don't believe it."

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"I can so!" She protested, "It just has to work out right!"

And maybe she was exaggerating a little.

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"Now that is a challenge I want to see you take," A.J. commented, setting the brush aside to start on his second braid. "You, being happy...consistently...for a few days in a row."

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...

"How many days?" Ino asked warily, wondering if she could just lock herself up in her room. Anathema wouldn't mind bringing her food, right?

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That? Made A.J. grin. "A few," he said. "So that's three, usually. Four if you want bonus points."

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"Four then." Ino said firmly. "Starting when?"

One day she'd learn to back down from a challenge. Today was not that day.

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"Starting tomorrow, of course."

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Well, she's off to a good start anyway...

"I'll do it," Ino said, then paused. "How do I prove it though?"

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"Well," A.J. said thoughtfully, "you can't. Not really. So I'll just have to trust you to be a good, honest person that wouldn't lie to me. But I will be checking a few sources to see how you're doing. It's not like we all don't have the same friends or anything, you know. They'll let me know if they sense any non-happiness."

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"And there's radio." Ino said ruefully. "I'm so doomed."

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"Mwa ha ha," A.J. did his best evil laugh, which sounded barely evil at all. "We should make up some terms and conditions. What do you want if you win? And what do I get when you totally fail?"