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[dangerouswind]

[Community building one. Fourth floor. Early evening. A door slams.

Once. Twice. Three times, each time with a little more force. Finally, a thud and wood cracking; she's punched a wall. There's a crash inside one of the apartments - ceramic against a wall, then falling to the floor. Temari leaves the apartment, leaves the door open, and stalks away.

She's going for a walk.

Just inside her apartment door, a plant lies neglected in a pile of dirt and shattered ceramic.

She spends some time just outside the village, using a tree as a sparring partner. She, at least, has enough sense to not actually connect with the rough bark, but it makes a good enough target to throw a few punches toward. She wants nothing more than to beat something - someone - to a damned pulp, but what is she going to do but live with it?

It's later - hours later - that she makes her way to the Memory Garden. There, physically weary and emotionally strung out, she sits in front of the plants she's tended for so long. Wildflowers are ringed by bright, fiery desert blooms; in front of the small plot is a stone etched with kanji. Beside the stone, she sets one glass bead: a reminder of Kankurou's (second) time in Luceti. The bead will be blown away by the wind, lost to the elements eventually. She knows it; still leaves it there.

That night, she'll go home. Clean up her mess. Start living life again.]

Comments

[floralogy]

[As the other woman places her hands atop one of hers, Ino hovers her free one above them as a green glow emanates from it. She's silent for the first few seconds, concentrating on easy patchwork, before she looks up.]

What happened?

[dangerouswind]

[Temari doesn't even flinch; healing is healing is healing. She shrugs a shoulder.]

Kankuro's home. [No sense in hiding it or lying about it. It is what it is.]

[floralogy]

[Ino frowns, a fleeting expression of pain, as she empathizes with the other kunoichi. She knows the news but it still stings to hear it from Temari. She might not be close to Kankuro, or as close to the Sand Sibs like she is with her Konoha comrades, but loss of family is still loss of family.]

I'm sorry. [The easy patchwork ends after her words, allowing her to release Temari's hands.] I don't know if I should say he's safer there when we all know about the war. [Even if she hasn't lived through it.]

[dangerouswind]

[Temari's expression shifts from a hard anger to concern. The war. That's what had fueled most of the anger behind Kankuro's departure but when forced to actually think about it, all she can do is worry over him.]

I should be there, Ino. [Who else should watch a brother's back than his big sister?]

[floralogy]

I know.

[She, too, knows she needs to be there especially with the information her teammates told her months ago. Even if she also knows she'll be leaving Riku behind. It's tough how this place breaks your heart over and over again.]

We all need to be there. We're stuck here not knowing what's happening. [Her father's death comes to mind among other things.] I can just imagine how Neji feels, knowing he arrived here fighting the war back home, knowing he's alright, then suddenly receiving news he... died. [If Temari doesn't withdraw her hands, Ino will be taking hold of them, squeezing them because they're all feeling the same fear.] I don't want that happening to any one of us again.

[Wounds she thought had healed are coming undone and Ino tries to be brazen despite this.] But we can't help it. All we can do is have faith.

[dangerouswind]

[She hadn't know that Neji would die back home. It strikes her an unsettling way: she doesn't know Neji well, but hearing of his death makes the war she's never seen that much more real. She stays still, her hands still in Ino's, but barely feels the other girl's gesture of support.

Faith. Faith in what? That they'll be torn from her again? That, she's got.]

Four times, Ino. Both brothers twice. [That's what she's seen while in Luceti. That's what family has come to mean: distance.] And now I'm still stuck here and they're fighting.

[What she's trying to say: I hate this place.

I need my brothers.

And maybe even: I'm lost here.]

[floralogy]

I understand. Believe me, I do.

[They all have crosses to carry. She doesn't know if losing her father for real when she hasn't lived through it yet is worse, or knowing you're going to die is. Or even losing your brothers four times in a row. The fact still stands they all have burdens on their shoulders.]

But like I said, all we can do is have faith that they're fine and that someday, we're going to be able to join them soon. [A beat and another squeeze.] Easier said than done, I know, but it's all we have right now. It won't help if we let this place get the best of us.

[dangerouswind]

[She takes a short, sharp breath, then pulls her hands away. As much as she wants to...

... Well, she doesn't know what she wants to do. Cry. Scream. Beat something.]

I'm not letting it get the better of me.

[floralogy]

[Ino lets her withdraw her hands.]

Good. [A deep breath and a slow exhale. That's her mantra too.] Keep that in mind. And the fact that you're not alone.

[dangerouswind]

[She nods. All you Konoha ninja certainly go out of your way to make a damned point. No wonder Gaara turned over a new leaf.]

Yeah. Got it.

[floralogy]

[A small smile graces her lips. She may not be Naruto, but she's definitely good at snapping people out of their funk too. Call it a gift. Shikamaru did say she's the strongest in their team.]

Alright, I'm glad. Do you want to talk to Shikamaru?

[dangerouswind]

[Talk to Shikamaru? Probably, yeah, in point of fact. It has occurred to her, somewhere between slamming doors and throwing things, to seek out her closest friend here.]

I'll find him later.

[floralogy]

[Her smile widens. Shikamaru might not be the expert in consoling people but Ino knows just how close these two have become, so she thinks Shikamaru might be able to help.]

Here's to hoping things go well. [Both in their talk and in the days to come.]

[dangerouswind]

Yeah. [Sure. Well. As if it could.]

[floralogy]

[The smile softens, this time, as Ino takes a step back.]

I should probably go. Don't stay here too long, at least.