It's been three weeks since the last time she'd worshiped—coincidentally, with Itachi, though she tries not to think about how it isn't much of a coincidence at all—and there's no curse on this stupid island that's going to save her from what she's about to do.
This was always the tricky part, wasn't it? Scrolling through all the names on her device, she couldn't find a single person that she could ask for help—correction: there were many people she could ask for help, but no single person she wanted to ask. Not without causing awkwardness, without pushing the boundaries of friendships, not without opening herself up to weakness or obligation.
Then she alights on Itachi's name, and it occurs to her that he would solve all those problems pretty neatly. No, no—that's a terrible idea. She might not hate him so much anymore, per say, and whatever miniscule amount of anger she holds towards him anymore is muted and tired, but that still doesn't mean she's going to actually seek him out.
Next.
She very briefly contemplates going to a bar to pick someone up—but that's just too pathetic for her to seriously consider, especially when it feels like she's already had enough too-soon hook-ups to last her a lifetime. It's not really her style.
At least Itachi would be the devil she knows, she thinks. And unfortunately, she already knows he won't judge her—or he won't tell her when he's judging her, and that's close enough. He won't ask questions. He doesn't care about her, and if there's anything one needs in an encounter like this, it's for things to not get weird.
(Plus, she can't help reminding herself, he already knows what to do. It would be relatively painless in that regard, at least.)
It's with quickly dawning horror that she realizes she's actually convinced herself to do this, though she ends up pressing call before she can fully process what she's going to say. Or if this is even the best idea at all.
But it's too late now. The other end rings and rings against the furious beating of her heart, and she almost hangs up about four times before she gets to his voicemail message, short and sweet.
Now she really hangs up, panicking a little in spite of herself. If she was lucky, he would never know she called, though she knows it's impossible with caller ID. If she was really lucky, he'd never call her back. ]
[As he rarely keeps his device in his pocket, Itachi misses the call.
When he finds it later, he studies the name across the screen for several heartbeats -- 1 missed call: Ino Yamanaka -- and he's not sure what to do. No message, no indication of what she could have wanted. For all he knows, it was a misdial.
But if not, this is something he should address. They haven't spoken since the last incident spurred by the Twelve. The silence wouldn't last, knowing her.
Itachi presses a button, puts the device to his ear, and waits.]
No, it's alright. Ino decides, in that split second between reading his name on the screen and her finger hovering over the buttons of her device, that this is the right call.
(Or, it may not be entirely right, but it's close enough in the relative scheme of things that she's going to take what she can get.)
She takes a deep, steadying breath and hits answer, not bothering with hello? or who is this?. (Though she still doesn't know what she's going to say.) ]
She isn't screaming about the last incident a month prior, which is a red flag alone. What else could it be? (Even if, deep under, he thinks he already knows.)]
... Yes?
[It's a mild question, puzzled but not meaning to antagonize in any way.]
[ Well, they're off to an okay start already, insofar as nobody has gotten punched in the face yet. Still, this is about as far as she'd planned this conversation in her head, and so there's a too-long pause on her end of the line that makes her cringe. ]
So. [ She draws out the oh, then pauses again, thinking through the best way to word this. Have you fucked anybody else lately? doesn't seem like a valid option. ]
We haven't seen any of those curses in a while, have we?
[Ah. It doesn't take much of a reach, in Itachi's mind, to place her direction. But part of him isn't sure he's reading this right. It's true, their most significant interactions have always been under duress of the curses brought by the Twelve. And the last instance wasn't a complete disaster like the first.
But...]
No, we haven't. [And as a result, Itachi hasn't seen anyone. He's not one to seek company on his own.] Perhaps they expect us to choose on our own this time.
[ Quietly, she breathes a sigh of relief, that she doesn't have to explain things any further; in fact, he's made it pretty easy for her to segue. It's definitely one of the only times he's ever made anything easier on her; if it wasn't for the familiarity of his voice, she'd almost think she had the wrong number. ]
Yeah, that's the thing. [ She resists the urge to laugh, or to forget the whole thing and hang up, though it's by a pretty narrow margin.
She's not the type to ask for help or permission. Instead, he gets: ] I guess I'll have to come over. Later.
[It surprises him, even though it shouldn't. They've danced around this for some time -- and he expected that to continue indefinitely. Resisting, avoiding, until eventually the Twelve forced them to collide again under specific circumstances. It seemed like, out of everyone he'd met so far, Ino is the hardest to escape.]
Is that what you want?
[His voice is at a lower tone than usual. He's asking because he remembers her reaction to the first time. And even if they're each others last choice, there's still a decision here. Itachi understands the consequences.]
[ She swears he's the only one here who makes her doubt herself so easily, even for just a second. Is he really someone she wants to get involved with, even if it's the most elegant way to fix a problem they both share? But what's the point of trying to stay away, when Zodion seems intent on throwing them together for every curse anyway?
Oddly enough, it's the fact that he's even asking if she's sure that sways her a little, in both ways. She'd fallen for this once, this sympathetic act, but the romantic in her appreciates it for what it is.
In the end, though, she's already made her decision. ]
Shouldn't I be asking you that? [ They're in this together, after all. As crazy as that sounds. ]
[It isn't sympathy, so much as the logical, rational side of him being sure to assess her direction and her strength of mind. To assess how much she truly wants to take this route. There's no commitment here -- Itachi himself is incapable of that, and his connections with other people are like gossamer threads threatened by storms on a daily basis. This is to solve a mutual problem, to take the reins of this curse without letting it override their freedom of choice.
This is control, if he agrees.]
Perhaps. [Ino was his first encounter in Zodion. She is a well-known enemy, one he understands better how to handle than others in this place.] You understand this does not change anything.
[Between us. He's crushing that before it blossoms into something he's even less equipped to deal with.]
[ The corners of her lips turn down, just a little, though he can't see it; she's more annoyed with herself, though, that she'd become the type of person that would make him say such a thing. Her track record with him doesn't really inspire confidence.
But this is exactly why she'd chosen him; he, of everyone she knew in Zodion, is the last person to let this become more than what it is. And she thinks she's learned her lesson enough to not be fooled twice, shame on her. ]
Yeah, that's kind of the point.
[ Her tone is slightly clipped, which she immediately regrets. It's probably not the best idea to be hostile right now. ]
Look, Itachi— [ She sighs; there are chases to cut to. ] It's just a one time thing. Maybe—for now. But it's easier this way, right?
[Hostility, he can handle. He expects it in most situations, and to find something else in its absence usually disorientates Itachi.
But her proposition is one he can understand, at its core. In a logical sense, this would erase one large problem -- and potentially raise a new one, but the cost is worth the end result, isn't it?
As long as she's aware. What happened before won't happen again.]
Yes, it is. [There's a slight exhalation on his end of the call.] Fine.
[ Well, she's not about to look a gift horse in the mouth. Not that she thinks Itachi would do anything in relation to her that he didn't want to do, but it's probably better for her peace of mind if she doesn't dig too deep.
She got what she wanted. That's enough for now. ]
Alright. Then I'll see you tonight.
[ Tonight. Somehow, making an assignation like this doesn't sit right with her; it's too businesslike, too formal for something as intimate as sex. She tries to tell herself it's like making a date, except they're going to skip straight to the end.
Or something like that.
That's probably why she adds quietly: ] Bye.
[ She waits a couple seconds, not really expecting a reply, then hangs up. ]
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( message )
It's been three weeks since the last time she'd worshiped—coincidentally, with Itachi, though she tries not to think about how it isn't much of a coincidence at all—and there's no curse on this stupid island that's going to save her from what she's about to do.
This was always the tricky part, wasn't it? Scrolling through all the names on her device, she couldn't find a single person that she could ask for help—correction: there were many people she could ask for help, but no single person she wanted to ask. Not without causing awkwardness, without pushing the boundaries of friendships, not without opening herself up to weakness or obligation.
Then she alights on Itachi's name, and it occurs to her that he would solve all those problems pretty neatly. No, no—that's a terrible idea. She might not hate him so much anymore, per say, and whatever miniscule amount of anger she holds towards him anymore is muted and tired, but that still doesn't mean she's going to actually seek him out.
Next.
She very briefly contemplates going to a bar to pick someone up—but that's just too pathetic for her to seriously consider, especially when it feels like she's already had enough too-soon hook-ups to last her a lifetime. It's not really her style.
At least Itachi would be the devil she knows, she thinks. And unfortunately, she already knows he won't judge her—or he won't tell her when he's judging her, and that's close enough. He won't ask questions. He doesn't care about her, and if there's anything one needs in an encounter like this, it's for things to not get weird.
(Plus, she can't help reminding herself, he already knows what to do. It would be relatively painless in that regard, at least.)
It's with quickly dawning horror that she realizes she's actually convinced herself to do this, though she ends up pressing call before she can fully process what she's going to say. Or if this is even the best idea at all.
But it's too late now. The other end rings and rings against the furious beating of her heart, and she almost hangs up about four times before she gets to his voicemail message, short and sweet.
Now she really hangs up, panicking a little in spite of herself. If she was lucky, he would never know she called, though she knows it's impossible with caller ID. If she was really lucky, he'd never call her back. ]
( call back )
When he finds it later, he studies the name across the screen for several heartbeats -- 1 missed call: Ino Yamanaka -- and he's not sure what to do. No message, no indication of what she could have wanted. For all he knows, it was a misdial.
But if not, this is something he should address. They haven't spoken since the last incident spurred by the Twelve. The silence wouldn't last, knowing her.
Itachi presses a button, puts the device to his ear, and waits.]
( call )
No, it's alright. Ino decides, in that split second between reading his name on the screen and her finger hovering over the buttons of her device, that this is the right call.
(Or, it may not be entirely right, but it's close enough in the relative scheme of things that she's going to take what she can get.)
She takes a deep, steadying breath and hits answer, not bothering with hello? or who is this?. (Though she still doesn't know what she's going to say.) ]
Hi.
( call )
She isn't screaming about the last incident a month prior, which is a red flag alone. What else could it be? (Even if, deep under, he thinks he already knows.)]
... Yes?
[It's a mild question, puzzled but not meaning to antagonize in any way.]
( call )
So. [ She draws out the oh, then pauses again, thinking through the best way to word this. Have you fucked anybody else lately? doesn't seem like a valid option. ]
We haven't seen any of those curses in a while, have we?
( call )
But...]
No, we haven't. [And as a result, Itachi hasn't seen anyone. He's not one to seek company on his own.] Perhaps they expect us to choose on our own this time.
( call )
Yeah, that's the thing. [ She resists the urge to laugh, or to forget the whole thing and hang up, though it's by a pretty narrow margin.
She's not the type to ask for help or permission. Instead, he gets: ] I guess I'll have to come over. Later.
( call )
Is that what you want?
[His voice is at a lower tone than usual. He's asking because he remembers her reaction to the first time. And even if they're each others last choice, there's still a decision here. Itachi understands the consequences.]
( call )
Oddly enough, it's the fact that he's even asking if she's sure that sways her a little, in both ways. She'd fallen for this once, this sympathetic act, but the romantic in her appreciates it for what it is.
In the end, though, she's already made her decision. ]
Shouldn't I be asking you that? [ They're in this together, after all. As crazy as that sounds. ]
( call )
This is control, if he agrees.]
Perhaps. [Ino was his first encounter in Zodion. She is a well-known enemy, one he understands better how to handle than others in this place.] You understand this does not change anything.
[Between us. He's crushing that before it blossoms into something he's even less equipped to deal with.]
( call )
But this is exactly why she'd chosen him; he, of everyone she knew in Zodion, is the last person to let this become more than what it is. And she thinks she's learned her lesson enough to not be fooled twice, shame on her. ]
Yeah, that's kind of the point.
[ Her tone is slightly clipped, which she immediately regrets. It's probably not the best idea to be hostile right now. ]
Look, Itachi— [ She sighs; there are chases to cut to. ] It's just a one time thing. Maybe—for now. But it's easier this way, right?
( call )
But her proposition is one he can understand, at its core. In a logical sense, this would erase one large problem -- and potentially raise a new one, but the cost is worth the end result, isn't it?
As long as she's aware. What happened before won't happen again.]
Yes, it is. [There's a slight exhalation on his end of the call.] Fine.
( call )
She got what she wanted. That's enough for now. ]
Alright. Then I'll see you tonight.
[ Tonight. Somehow, making an assignation like this doesn't sit right with her; it's too businesslike, too formal for something as intimate as sex. She tries to tell herself it's like making a date, except they're going to skip straight to the end.
Or something like that.
That's probably why she adds quietly: ] Bye.
[ She waits a couple seconds, not really expecting a reply, then hangs up. ]