fandomtownies | Fourth Dimension Fine Arts & Antiques, Wednesday, 12/ 22

Ino didn't so much as walk in as slink in looking more than a bit--out of sorts. Tired, certainly, and shaken up after what had happened earlier that day and not even sure she really... ought to be here.

But it seemed... weird... to not go?

"Hi, Professor," she said, with a smile that didn't touch her eyes.

"Happy Holidays, Ino," Sophie said, studying her, and automatically pouring her a cup of tea, extra-strong. She looked like she needed it. "It's good to see you. I'm glad you stopped by before I left for my break."

"Yeah?" Ino asked, leaning against the counter. "I couldn't just--not show up."

"You could have called. And said you had a mission." The implication whether or not you had one hung in the air as she handed over the cup. "But I'm glad you didn't. I wanted to hear how things went." She poured a cup for herself, then indicated the usual couch seating. "Let's sit down."

She took the cup, the warmth of it sinking into her hands and Ino smiled slightly as she made her way over to the couches. "How things went?"

Give her a bit, she'd had a long few weeks...

"On your mission," she said carefully. "You were planning on going to Zack's world the last time we talked."

Ino tried to prevent her shoulders from knotting up and wasn't particularly successful.

"Didn't get much of a chance for that."

Flat. Flaaat.

"What happened?" Sophie asked, voice gentle. "Tell me what you think I need to know."

Which might not match up with what she did need to know, but it was a place to start.

My, but her tea was utterly fascinating to look at.

"I... I don't know where to start," she admitted, after far too long.

Sophie let that lie there for a long minute, then said, "Start at your arrival. With what you know. Nothing else. No speculation. Just facts." Something awful must have happened, and Sophie was keeping her concern on a short leash, not wanting to pressure the girl.

Ino sipped her tea carefully, and thought about where to begin.

"We didn't do a whole lot the first day," she said, flushing. "We wandered the city for a bit and went to the--it's pretty much a museum, I guess--and then Zack had to go and work for a bit so I stayed indoors and read. We went for a walk after."

She shrugged a bit. It had been a pretty--lovely--day, really. That one. Talk of joining the family and weddings and all.

"You were happy," Sophie said, stating it as a fact, noting the blush. "And things were going as expected. Nothing exceptional."

She couldn't, and didn't argue that. A nod.

"The next day was pretty much the same," she said, "and then Monday, we found out the portals were down for routine maintenance so we had a free day--we went to see a play and explored the city."

And that had been a lovely day all around barring the fact they couldn't leave.

"Was the fact that the portals were down, significant? Or just routine?" Sophie asked. "And by then you'd spent three days there, with no incident." She took another sip of her tea, thinking that they were coming up on whatever happened. "Do you feel you can continue to explain?"

"Portalocity said it was just routine maintenance," she said, sipping her tea. "So we didn't think much of it, you know? Tuesday... started with the same message from them, saying there's was maintenance going on, and Zack got a job I couldn't go on, so he left and I..."

She... was going to drink her tea for a long moment.

"I went shopping," she said, like that'd make it easier. "And some guys--snatched me as I was."

Sophie drew in a breath, then let it go, slowly. She studied Ino. "Do you know who they were, now?" Simple questions. Leave the emotions until the facts were there. Aside from: "And are you certain you wish to discuss this?"

"No," she said honestly. "But I keep--screwing up. So I..."

Probably needed to?

"Screwing up, how?" Sophie's voice had dipped into professionally soothing; not condescending, just wanting clarity. Willing to wait forever. She leaned forward. "You know I'll keep whatever you tell me confidential."

Ino bit her lip.

"I--I keep freaking out on people," she confessed, eyes lowered. "And I hurt someone today because I weren't able to think."

She'd fixed it, but Ino knew that wasn't the point.

Whatever had happened to Ino had been very bad; it sounded like post-traumatic stress of some kind.

"You weren't able to think-- because you were anxious? Hyper-aware? Something of that sort?"

Lighter words than 'afraid.' Which might sound like an accusation, to Ino.

Ino shook her head. "I just--blanked out," she said, toying with her hair. "I went from thinkin' like a person to full out fighting fury that didn't have thought other than how to eliminate the threat."

Definitely bad, then. "How would your own people evaluate your reactions right now?"

"I... don't think it'd be that bad?" she said, frowning and puzzled. "A lot of ninja are jumpy."

... And lacked therapists.

"But here, in this world, and in your own life-- you're not comfortable with it," Sophie noted. Then her voice became firmer, if quieter. "Why don't you tell me what happened after you were captured."

"Why?" she asked, because though that voice made her want to answer, and she'd come here for something like this, Ino was never the sort to take the easy route. "It won't help."

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