Wellspring Arms & Meditation Centre, Wednesday

[intraspective]

Ino was more than a little interested in what was being changed in the shooting range and so it was a very reluctant ninja that was staying out by the front counter because, you know, just because they couldn’t sell anything didn’t mean she was allowed to... not be there.

She kept herself busy by... trying to figure out how to answer Hurley’s e-mail. Which was possibly why she was having so much trouble concentrating.

It was going to take her awhile to figure out a... kinder response than ‘You. Idiot. Stop. That.’

Ino didn’t understand why he’d need a mental hospital. Or what the hell a mental hospital even did when it came to people having issues. Ino was hitting a wall made of complete incomprehension.

... At least she’d figured out by now that her first response to things of the sort Hurley was talking about was wrong? At least to most people on the island. It was a step in the right direction even if it left her absolutely baffled about what she was supposed to say. Sigh.

[OCD-less because I feel like it. And because I am tiiired and busy. *sighs at Ino*]

Comments

[awakestheghosts]

When something happened that you couldn't control and had no idea how soon it would go back to normal, what did a good Rookie do?

Why she went to find her mentor and friend of course!

That would be why the door to Wellspring opened and then closed apparently on its own.

"I-Ino!"

[intraspective]

Even in Fandom it wasn’t every day that the doors opened without someone being there. Ino’s eyebrows had raised, fingers inching for a weapon, when she’d spotted the door and no one (to all appearances) there.

Then Chloe had spoken and Ino felt free to gape at, well, at the door and it’s general surrounding area.

“Rookie?”

Either she was hallucinating or her Rookie was right there. Even while her eyes disagreed.

[awakestheghosts]

"I-it's m-me," Chloe sounded like she was on the verge of tears. Wanting to make sure that Ino would know she was really there she went over to the counter to lift something and then placed it back where she got it. "S-something w-went wrong at the Reserves m-meeting."

[intraspective]

She watched the item move and didn’t bother with piddly little things like going around the counter. Ino went over it instead and landed lightly on her feet.

Then? Then she was going to carefully reach for the space Chloe seemed to be in and try and wrap her arms around her (very invisible) Rookie. She sounded like she needed a hug.

And it distracted Ino from the anger that sizzled up in her mind over Magic Reserves doing something stupid. She knew it was uncharitable: the one she’d really had a problem with was gone. Who was even running it these days? But it didn’t change the fact that her knee-jerk reaction was fury.

“We’ll figure it out,” she said, projecting confidence and letting not a lick of her uncertainty over the fact that this sort of magic was, well, not her strongest point, in her voice. “Can you tell me what happened, Rookie? Take it slowly, okay? I’m not going anywhere.”

[awakestheghosts]

"I s-show up for the S-Support Reserves because I d-don't do magic," Chloe said, letting herself lean against Ino and hug her back, thankful that she could. "T-Tara was doing a demonstration of a spell to hide your magical tools from someone t-that you don't trust or k-know. It s-seemed like a s-simple thing... and then a lot of us just... well t-this!"

Ino can't see you shaking your head, Chloe.

"All s-she d-did was a s-spell to make the magical t-tools disappear from sight."

[intraspective]

Ino’s eyebrows shot up at that.

“I don’t know many spells that’d count humans as magical tools,” she said mildly. It helped, sort of, to know it had been an accident. Definitely not a funny one, not when Chloe was this upset. “Do you remember who else it got?”

Maybe there was a pattern? A reason why some got hit with it and not others?

[awakestheghosts]

"Most of the p-people in the M-Magic Reserves," Chloe responded. "T-Tara, K-Karla, Alex, Raven..."

Probably others that she didn't know the names of right now.

[intraspective]

"Alright," she said, squeezing Chloe tight for a moment. "And it was Tara's magic that went awry, mm?"

With what she knew about magic...

"Did she say anything about if it was a spell meant to hide things for a long while, Rookie?"

[awakestheghosts]

Chloe shook her head, and then remembered that Ino couldn't see her right now.

"No, s-she didn't. It was a spell to quickly hide tools, but there was no mention of a time frame."

[intraspective]

"Okay," she said, and let the word hang in the air for a moment.

"Alright," Ino continued on, "then I'm going to hazard a guess that it's not a long term spell."

[awakestheghosts]

"I really hope not," Chloe said, but it was obvious that she was starting to calm down. "This not being seen thing is not as interesting as the books all make it sound."

[intraspective]

Which was a good thing, indeed.

"Of course it isn't," she said, a bit dryly, but fondly. "You weren't expecting it. It'd be loads of fun if it had been planned and you had something in mind you'd wanted to do."

[awakestheghosts]

And it showed that Chloe had been right to come to Ino right away when it happened and she was freaking out.

But still...

"Can I stay with you until it wears off?"

[intraspective]

"Absolutely," she said, smiling. "That's what I'm for, yeah?"

And she'd better never doubt that.

"You want to sit?" Ino continued, because she was going to fuss. "The chair's pretty comfortable." She'd slept in it before, yes. "I can sit on the counter, so don't worry 'bout that. Water? Tea? I've got some lemon honey on right now."

Because Chloe was freaking out and that meant that Ino absolutely wasn't allowed to freak out at all. Not at the moment.

[awakestheghosts]

"Thanks, Ino," she said, sitting down on the chair. It was easy to tell she had sat down when the cushion moved a little bit.

Nope, Chloe had never doubted it and she had gone with her first instinct.

She was really wishing for something stronger to deal with this, but she hadn't ever had alcohol before, so maybe not a good idea.

"Oh, tea is nice, Ino, but you don't need to go through any trouble."

[intraspective]

Ino would sympathize with the wanting something stronger, absolutely. But tea was going to be it, considering their location.

"Don't worry about it!" she said, smiling. "I was going to get myself a cup of it before you came in." It had been distantly contemplated. "You want yours with milk or sugar?"

[awakestheghosts]

"I've never had tea with milk before?" That sounded kind of good, actually.

[intraspective]

"It's not bad," she chirped as she went to fetch cups and to see what sort of snacks they had. Tea with milk it was!

Of course, the small distance wasn't going to keep her from chattering. "It can be," Ino amended. "Bad, I mean. But only if you add too much into it. And it doesn't work so well with some teas. Honey lemon is pretty safe though."

[awakestheghosts]

"How do you know which ones it works with and which it doesn't?"

Because this was better than freaking out about being invisible, and she really was curious.

[intraspective]

Ino's laugh was a bit rueful.

"You get really bored," she confessed, "and then you're thirsty. Then you go 'hey, I like milk in this one' and from there... experiment."

[awakestheghosts]

That did get a giggle out of Chloe.

"And it doesn't always go well?"

[intraspective]

She piled the tea pot, cups, milk and some cookies (chocolate chip) on a little tray and wandered back over to the counter.

Ino wrinkled her nose cheerfully. "It really really doesn't go well sometimes."

[awakestheghosts]

Yes, she laughed again.

"I can only imagine," she said, sounding a bit more cheerful than she had when she arrived. "One of those things that you learn from mistakes with?"

[intraspective]

"Rookie," she said, perching on the counter and pretending it was totally normal to be talking to what looked like thin air. "Everything can be learnt from."

A beat.

"I don't recommend passion fruit-mango tea with milk, by the way."

That she knew from experience.

[awakestheghosts]

"So this could be considered a learning experience then?" She wasn't sure what she learned from it -- except to go right to Ino when something happened beyond her control.

There was a pause as she lifted the cup and drank some of the tea. "Oh, this is good." There was another pause. "Mango and milk doesn't seem like it would mix well."

[intraspective]

Ino nibbled on a cookie and stifled a giggle.

"It really doesn't," she assured her. "And--you don't think this is one? Quick, name three things you can do visible that you can't while invisible."

[awakestheghosts]

She really couldn't think of anything off the top of her head and the laugh that escaped her was evidence of that fact.

[intraspective]

"No?" Ino looked amused. "You've got to be more careful of danger--so no swimming, say--because if you get in trouble, no one will see you 'less they're super close. You can't change your clothing 'less you want it to be visible and you to not be."

She tilted her chin at Chloe. "I'm assuming," she said, very dryly, "that you're clothed right now." Otherwise she was definitely going to have to facepalm. "But you can pick up a cup and have it be visible. I'd imagine that goes the same for anything else. You can't sit down without having to be aware that someone might sit on you. People can trip over you easier, yeah? So you can't relax, really."

[awakestheghosts]

"Very much dressed," Chloe was quick to say. "That was one of the things they were doing before I -" Ran away. "- came to find you. They were testing hats and extra clothing from people so the invisible ones could have something that would be seen. And yeah, I had to be careful the entire way here."

[intraspective]

Her smile went gentle.

"So you can't say you've never learned anything from this," Ino told her lightly. "Visibility has a great number of upsides."

She could think of a few for invisibility as well, but they probably weren't the sort of things Chloe would need.

[awakestheghosts]

She nodded, even though Ino couldn't see her. "You're right and I never would have thought of anything like that if this hadn't happened."

[intraspective]

"Don't worry 'bout it." Ino sipped at her own tea. "You know now and that's all that matters."

She gave the, uh, well chair a long considering look. "How're you feelin' now?"

[awakestheghosts]

"Better," she said in a calmer voice than she had used earlier. "No longer in a blind panic."

[intraspective]

"That's good," Ino replied. "That's the most dangerous thing 'bout panic: your mind goes into auto-pilot. You did exactly the right thing, coming to me."

[awakestheghosts]

"It was the first thing I thought of when it happened," Chloe said.

[intraspective]

Ino went slightly pink.

It was nice to hear she was doing something right, definitely.

"Does that bother you?" she asked curiously. "Heading for someone else first, I mean."

[awakestheghosts]

"No," she said honestly. "Because it's you and I know that I can trust you and you'll help me or find someone that can." Possibly even she had to beat them. "If I'm in a panic and I know to come to you, I feel safe that you'll make sure I'll stay safe until I am in control of what's going on."

[intraspective]

Yeah, so. That blush of hers? Wasn't going anywhere.

Ino shook her head. "You wanna know a secret?" She didn't wait for an answer. "I've got people I do the same thing to. If I'm at a loss, my feet take me to them without hesitation."

[awakestheghosts]

"Does it ever bother you to go to them first?" She was genuinely curious.

[intraspective]

"Sometimes, yeah," she admitted, making a face. "I don't like bothering people if I don't have to."