Yamanaka Ino (Iris)

Ino would be lying if she claimed that she hadn't told Reno the wrong time to expect her.

So she had absolutely no plans to actually let anyone know about that tiny insignificant fact. Especially not Reno. Fully armed and wearing leggings and a turtleneck rather than anything like she fought in at home, but that she'd found more comfy for dealing with Midgar's weather, and so had figured the same would apply roughly to Edge's weather, Ino's gaze when she stepped through the portal was scrutinizing. (You try staying warm in the middle of winter in what basically amounts to a short skirt with slits clean up the sides, a tank top, and a bunch of bandages wrapped around your torso and see how long it takes you to find something warmer to wear.)

She had a bit of time to kill. A few hours before Reno would even think to wonder where she was.

Plenty of time to explore Edge on her own. Reno would… probably not approve. He didn't need to know. Making sure she knew which direction his apartment was in, Ino darted off on silent feet.

Edge was, she determined a few hours later, making her careful way to his place, a lot worse off than Reno had told her. Despite the fact that some of the areas she'd snooped through had made her, well, violently ill (Ino had not been prepared for the number of starving people, of homeless people, of hopeless dying people she'd seen living on the streets in conditions she'd only vaguely grasped before), Ino was tentatively calling her snooping a good idea.

Also, mints were amazing things. Shut up. She was a ninja and a Rookie. He absolutely didn't need to know she'd gotten sick over some of what she'd seen. Ino had no intentions of telling him anything at all about that. Need to know basis said he totally didn't need to know. She found the building he lived in and headed up the stairs exuding an air that said she totally belonged here no really.

So, it was a pale (but for the colour quickly pinched into her cheeks) and rather wide-eyed Rookie that rapped smartly on his door at exactly the time she'd told him she'd be there.

[For the Turk expecting her, zoto! NFB due to distance!]

Ino had her stuff packed and was cross-legged on the floor giving the seedlings she'd sent Reno a little while ago a good looking over while waiting for her portal.

She was still… iffy about that whole Fandom Thing, but while being around was fun, she was pretty sure that putting it off would only make it worse.

Zen. She was zen. Okay. As much as Ino ever was.

Which… wasn't very. But alrighty then. Lying to herself was totally healthy!

"So," she said, "you wouldn't whine if I wanted to come kill monsters some more sometime?"

[NFB due to distance and for the red-haired Turk!]

Fandom was smothering.

( It was mid-afternoon... )

She didn't notice when he picked up.

[For the guy on the other end of the line. That Ino got back and was really upset is FB everything else is NFB, please. Warning: Dark/disturbing matters likely to be discussed.]

Kinjo Sae was a tall leggy brunette with a sway to her hips that drew stares wherever she went. Her chest was nice enough, Ino thought, from the vantage point up in a tree that overlooked the garden where Yamada's mistress liked to spend her afternoons, but it was her legs that got most of the attention.

( Warning: Mmmm, possession. )

Everyone she passed saw only Kinjo Sae going about her usual evening, all of them unaware of the ninja wearing the woman like a cloak.

[NFB, NFI, OOC a-okay. Warning: Possession.]

Her phone was ringing.

Ino squinted up at the ceiling and wondered who she'd pissed off enough to have had several days of actual clinic work and then, once she'd finally gotten to sleep, her phone had the nerve to ring.

She picked up on the second ring.

"Yamanaka," she bit out. Almost a snarl.

The person who answered her was unexpected. Her back straightened even though he was in a different world and couldn't see her.

"Yes, Asuma-sensei," Ino said, irritation gone, even as she booted up her laptop to check Portalocity for the times. "I'll be there."

It was the matter of half an hour to shower quickly, brush her hair, grab her bags and—Ino hesitated, then sighed. So what if they were probably too out of it from the last week—she knew she was supposed to even if, with one especially, she so didn't want to—to even care. Ugh. Leaving a few messages, yes, that last one was cheating a bit, but whatever, she tossed her phone on her bed, made sure her plants were good, and raced out the door to catch her portal.

[Estaaablishy!]

Ino ached, and her chakra was too low to even think of healing any of the bruises and scrapes that she’d picked up, so after her shower and changing into the most comfy sleeveless set of jammies she owned (which gave her ample time to study the bruises on her arms oh well), Ino flopped back on her bed and just sort of stared up at the ceiling while contemplating taking a painkiller before mostly deciding it was so totally not worth it.

She could, like, just get some sleep and then deal with the bruises tomorrow. A glance at her calendar made her sigh since she’d manage to miss club, but whatever, hopefully she hadn’t been picked and Ino highly doubted that Tyler-sensei would’ve made her fight while exhausted.

Oh well. She’d apologize next week, if it was terribly important by then. A yawn and Ino considering her open door. Really, she ought to shut it.

…maybe in a few minutes. Really. She’d get up in a few minutes. Her bed was awfully comfy after all; she couldn’t be blamed for not wanting to get up.

[Establishy, but also open if you want.]

Konoha was a warm contrast to the lack of power and heat in the dorms. That wasn’t why she was shivering though, trying not to, as her thoughts spiraled around her head, over and over. She had to stop shivering, chin up, back straight, hands shaking a bit though she had them clasped behind her back so that they weren’t right there for everyone to see. Had to look professional, had to... be a ninja. All over again.

( Baby steps. )

Mission accomplished, then, in more ways than one.

Ino and Cassandra were down at Wellspring Arms for dawn. Slipping inside, taking note of what the other two had cleaned (and wincing at the damage that was still evident) they quickly went about making the place their own sort of ‘base’ for the next twenty-four hours.

She had her gun, and every weapon she’d come to Fandom with, down to the shuriken that Kabuto had given her for Christmas and the wire that had been sitting in the weapons locker for nearly a year.

In relatively short-order, Wellspring Arms became severely infested with booby-traps. Anyone entering was going to get several very vicious surprises if they didn’t knock first.

And if they knocked, well, there’d be very little answer until they’d confirmed the identity of the knocker.

The sign was still on the door and—

Wellspring Arms was very very closed.

[Establishy mainly, though you could have a character come by and react to it being closed. Either way, they won’t be answering you. Cassandra totally modded with permission! Not part of The Plot, just the blondes dealing with the aftermath again.]