[Deleted]

In a frilly blue dress and sandals and with Kiyoriki perched on her shoulder, Inoyami made her way to the Nara's compound. Her pace was slow, though. She had picked up an assortment of snacks on the way and was now debating whether she needed more for the already-stuffed tote she was carrying.

Then, of course, she got stopped by one of her clansmen, who asked how her brother was doing, and what should've been a five minute conversation turned into twenty. With her mood considerably better for it, though, she just about skipped over to Shikajin's place, buzzing with energy and cheer.

The dress she wore was simple--a knee-length hem, v-neck, and short sleeves. A bit thin for this weather, but she'd picked it because it had a stylized hood built into the back of the collar. When she walked around town, she wore items with hoods a lot because it let her squirrel friend curl up and sleep as she ran errands. Going to her friend's house wasn't truly an "errand," but Kiyo hadn't been out of the house with her in a while and she wanted the creature to get some fresh air.

Inoyami soon stood upon her teammate's doorstep, offering a loud couple of knocks in a distinct pattern that just sounded happy. In her right hand was the tote bag. Kiyo was on her shoulder, watching the door, expecting it to move as doors typically did. The little furball's intelligence wasn't all too high but she'd picked up on the little commonalities between Inoyami's home and other places, enough to be less frightened of them.

When her friend would eventually open the door, the blonde would beam a smile. "Hello! And surprise! Are you free? I thought we could hang out today, with neither of us having an assignment!"

Yeah, she'd dropped by unannounced. If he turned her away, though, that just meant she had a whole bag of food for herself. In truth, the bag she had wasn't only filled with food. There was a box at the very bottom, made of wood so its contents weren't crushed, containing something extra. But she wouldn't give it to him unless she got to stay.

---

Nara Shikajin ❤ HEX: #db9320 ❤ No notes!

[Nara Shikajin]

the worst case scenario is you

Various rummaging and packing would delay the door being answered. If it was truly important they'd wait, and also would have sent word ahead of time. Shikajin hadn't been expecting company, he never was, so there was no telling who'd be at his door. Perhaps someone had mistook his domicile for another in the clan's. The compound housing tended to look alike and those unfamiliar with where exactly they were going did get lost from time to time. No matter, he'd quickly direct them to wherever they needed to go and get back to his preparation.

Slow, unassuming steps would take the chunin towards the door and with a slide Inoaymi would come into view. Almost as a reflex his eyes would travel from head to toe and back up, stopping for a moment at the bag she was carrying. He hadn't been expecting her and if he did she would have known to not be wearing... that. It'd probably get dirty in no time flat. A pack of his own would be sitting just around the corner from the door but surely held very different contents. It was clear that the two of them had very different plans for their off day.

He could have sent the woman on her way to get back to his work, but it wasn't often that they could be around one another without it being under the umbrella of shinobi duties. Whatever. It wasn't like the matters were pressing, Shikajin was just trying to get a head start on things. The deer would still be there tomorrow and he'd be able to take care of them then. As for now.. it looked like he was hosting a guest. "..Yes, come in." He'd reply while moving to the side to allow the woman and her familiar to enter.

The foyer wasn't much of anything to speak of. A small vertical painting and some flowers sitting on a small, thin table to give the entrance some kind of life. Hallways would stretch to the right and left, the former leading to Shikajin's room while the latter led to the kitchen and living room area. He hoped that Inoyami wouldn't be too pressed to see her teammates room. Quite a bit of shuffling around had taken place in the last hour or so to prepare for what Shikajin thought was going to be some deer related tasks, so things were a bit all over the place... more so than usual.

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[Deleted]

A quick look around once she was invited inside told her that her friend was a lot busier than she was today. "I, uh, thought we could..." Blue eyes snagged on the pack. He was going somewhere. Probably somewhere important.

And she was totally interrupting.

Oh, gosh, she should've asked him yesterday about this whole thing first. Of course, some of her most exciting days were impromptu-everything and it had seemed harmless to show up with a bag of goodies and a smile. But Shikajin had his own agenda and she felt now like she was totally spitting on it. What to do...?

"You were heading out, huh?" she guessed. She didn't know the time or what he'd be doing--maybe deer stuff?--but nothing he could say would convince her she hadn't just put a halt to some kind of errand.

"I can come back! Like, later? Or another day. I brought sweets but they'll totally keep a while, no big deal... Sorry." She looked at the door, then him, then the door again. Good intentions or not, she felt it'd be rude to stay.

On her shoulder, Kiyoriki nestled closer into her hair, the animal's eyes darting around the entrance area like she was paranoid something would spring out at any moment.

---

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[Nara Shikajin]

the worst case scenario is you

Inoyami, always the curious type, had spotted the not all that hidden pack that Shikajin had planned on using to collect samples. The same energy that fueled her chipper mood could just as easily be turned into paranoia and a slew of apologies. Granted, she had no one but herself to blame for dropping by unannounced and the Nara would have been more than justified to go about his duties without batting an eye but that would have just made things awkward and he'd never the end of his teammate's apologies.

In fact, the chunin was completely prepared to usher the woman out until she mentioned a bag full of sweets. Dark hues cut to the bag the blonde had been holding. It was decently sized meaning that there must have been a veritable whose-who of confectionery treats just waiting to be tasted. "Yes, but the deer aren't going anywhere." He would answer before making his way to the living room. It was a quaint room with dark green and light brown hues accenting the room while a few paintings and pictures of various sized adorned the walls. In the middle of the room was a decently sized dining table that the chunin would grab a seat at. If Inoyami hadn't gotten the message that she was staying then it was crystal clear now.

"What kind of sweets?" The man would ask while turning slightly in his chair to see if the blonde had followed. Depending on how good the candies were Inoyami may have been spared Shikajin's ire for putting a pause on his day, but they'd cross that bridge when they got to it. Besides, it was supposed to be an off day anyway so it was best to try and enjoy them when available. Between training, missions, shifts at the hospital, and clan duties there wasn't much time for Shikajin to just... be. Well, the nights were, he supposed. Most slept, he didn't.

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[Deleted]

Ino had fully expected to be let out. But...the very thing she'd walked in with was apparently the thing that was letting her stay. For now. She noted her teammate's attention had gone to the tote she was carrying, and then he walked off. She followed, but not before hesitating a moment and then flipping her shoes off near the door. With Shikajin sitting at the table, the blonde would also take a seat, setting the bag down next to her chair.

What kind of sweets had she brought? "Lots!" she assured with a smile, and began taking everything out, one by one, and setting them on the table between them. There were a couple sets of tiny, decorated dango, multiple packs of flavored mystery chocolates, sugary wafers in the shape of animals, a pack of glazed biscuits, a small box of freshly baked cookies from one of the village's bakeries, a pack of truffles, and a mixed assortment of dried fruit slices. It was a lot for two people. Actually, it was a lot for seven people. But she liked coming prepared.

"Take your pick," she said, offering him the first choice on what he wanted. "What did you have planned with the deer?" she asked. "Check ups? Harvest?" It could've been any number of things. Kiyo jumped down from the woman's shoulder, taking up a new perch on the table in front of her, watching the Nara curiously but being too wary to get any closer.

"You... You're sure it's cool if I stay?" she'd ask again at the nearest pause, still worried that maybe she was overstepping. Even with the generous offering she'd made that'd granted her entry, it didn't feel right to keep him from whatever needed doing--even if it wasn't some top priority. Well, for all she knew, it might've been. But he didn't give that impression. Maybe he was just being polite. That's what she would've done.

---

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[Nara Shikajin]

the worst case scenario is you

The Nara had to take a moment to keep himself from breathing heavy at the table as Inoyami unpacked box after box of delectable treat. The thought of kicking her out now that the goods had been laid out quickly zipped through his head but sugar fiend that he was wouldn't stoop that low. A pale hand hovered over the selection, unsure of what grab first. Dried fruit was a simple starter but best used as a palette cleanser between the better options. Cookies were always solid, truffles were fancy and eating anything after them wouldn't compare.

A couple moments of hesitation would come to an end as Shikajin reached for a stick of dango and promptly popped one in his mouth. So good. His teammate would inquire as to the plans she had interrupted. Had she gone blind to the treats that were sitting between them? No, it was still weighing heavy on her mind. Ugh, such a caring type. "A little of everything, but nothing time sensitive." The chunin would answer as he reached for a couple of the animal shaped cookies. In honesty it was Shikajin trying to get a head start on some things given their free time today, so while he had been slightly annoyed at first it had more or less washed away since Inoyami uttered the word 'sweets'. However, if she kept bringing it up that would annoy him.

The Nara had little problem telling people no regardless of who it was and if he hadn't wanted to spend time with his teammate or the treats that she brought then he'd be halfway into the forest by now. Dark hues would rise from the sweets first to the furry freeloader, squirrel, then to Inoyami. He wasn't sure what, if anything, could be said to assure her that her presence was not a nuisance. But the puppy dog routine was souring his sweets. "..Yes. Now eat."

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[Deleted]

Nothing time sensitive? A wave of relief flooded her. Good, she hadn't actually thrown some huge wedge into his day. Just a tiny one. "Right..." He wouldn't have to tell her twice. She was overjoyed to see him actually move right on in to what she'd brought with her, and after his own selection, Inoyami chose one of the cookies from the bakery. Everything was either boxed or wrapped and would keep for a while if it wasn't opened. She planned to leave the extra items with Shikajin. He might complain half-heartedly about the sheer amount of items she'd be leaving him with but there was no way she could stock this much sugar in the snack cabinet at home. 'Yori didn't usually eat sweets and his disapproval was like a knife to her chest. No thanks.

As the first few bites of cookie went down, the blonde wondered if it'd be okay to ask if she could help with his preparations. But then, if it was clan related, he probably had tools and things to pack away that was sort of...secret? Things they wouldn't want outsiders to know about their methods and ways. It was probably better she didn't bring it up. She'd known him for years and all the care paid to the deer was nothing new to her, but she did always wonder just how they went about it. And as his friend she always wanted to help in what ways she could...but maybe for now that was just keeping his stomach happy.

"So my studies are going well," she said. "For the Inquisition. But they keep giving me vague answers about a timeline." She shrugged. "Not sure why." She had zero clue about when she'd be allowed in. It was likely to be some formal procedure and there'd be an induction ceremony, but she'd been denied any insight on the "when" and "how." It would come later, she was sure, but the generic answers from the clan elders did annoy her. It was always "we'll discuss it when the time comes" or something similar.

"I'm usually patient but I'm super eager to get in there," she added. "But some force wants me right here for the moment." Inoyami wasn't this open about her clan frustrations in public. But Shikajin's home wasn't public and it was better to air her concerns about her clan versus the concerns she still had about interrupting his day.

---

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[Nara Shikajin]

the worst case scenario is you

Shikajin had yet to inquire as to just how much, if anything, he could share about their practices with the deer to the two clans that were closest to them. Their families had bonded to the point of making sure their offspring teamed up after graduating the academy and becoming lifelong friends, so in theory it should have been alright to let some information be known. However, the chunin wasn't going to test his hypothesis without some kind of confirmation first. The last thing he needed was to a meeting with the clan elders accusing him of giving out clan secrets.

Had Inoyami not been dressed so... brightly he probably would have taken her out to the forest to see the deer, but either the bright blue of her dress would scare them off or it'd get dirty walking through the trees, and dirtying up the pristine wardrobe of the Yamanaka would sour her day Shikajin assumed. Maybe next time...

He'd listen as the woman spoke about being strung along by her own clan elders regarding the Inquisition. An interesting yet infamous sect of the Yamanaka that handled the necessary and less than savory tasks that both the clan and village needed to continue prospering. It was no secret that Inoyami had become very adapt with her clan's techniques, something that Shikajin had seen many times over the years, but he was a little surprised that such a bubbly girl would be so eager to step into the darkness. He imagined there was only but so much leeway one had in choosing their role once they became a part of the Inquisition and if they assigned her to tasks that she wasn't comfortable with the chances of her breaking free were... slim.

"Old people are always dragging their feet. Just enjoy the normalcy while you can, I imagine things will get... very different when you get in there." Shikajin would reply as he went for another dango. They were really good. "Will you protecting the clan compound or working more in interrogation?" He would inquire. There was a chance all members did a little of everything but if one had exceptional skills in an area they'd probably see more action there to best utilize their abilities. Outward appearance alone would make one assume that Inoyami would want to guard her family in the clan compound, but one didn't garner interest for the Inquisition without the possibility of having to get down and dirty.

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[Deleted]

Enjoying the normalcy while she could... She hadn't really given that much thought. Inoyami was so engrossed in furthering her clan, being there for her clan, being strong for the clan, that just sitting back and enjoying things for what they were didn't strike her as a real option.

Shikajin posed a valid question, though: Which part of the Inquisition's work would she be aiming for? Actually, the clan's authorities would probably dictate that, but she liked to think she'd have enough influence to sway the right people to get whatever role she felt she was best in.

"Well," she said between bites of cookie, "I'd like to follow in 'Yori's footsteps. He's this master with the clan's techniques, you know? He could get a brick to talk. It's spooky. I've seen him work. One of the elders let me watch him question someone once. I had major chills." She got goosebumps, now, just thinking back on it. But it was thrilling at the same time, and her eyes lit up even so. "So if I can do that, too, that's what I want. Maybe I'll interrogate people. Work my way into their heads like he's always done. Maybe I'll guard the compound, too." She shrugged. "If I can be great like him, I'll tear myself apart to get there. It means everything to me."

There was joy in the blonde's tone and expression but a tiny hint of desperation, too. She had grown up with so much of her personal identity linked to her prominence in the clan. She had to be this radiant representation of what the Yamanaka were about. She had to do well in her studies, do well with people, learn everything there was to learn about being part of one of the strongest supporting families in the village. It was so much, so heavy...yet impossible for her to even fathom giving up. She lived for the clan. More than for herself.

---

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[Nara Shikajin]

the worst case scenario is you

Shikajin was honestly surprised to hear that his teammate was leaning towards the interrogation portion of the Inquisition, until she mentioned that her brother was the root of her interest. They were two peas in a pod and Inoyami cared deeply for the man so if he had done that kind of work within the Inquisition then his baby sister was sure to follow. Floating into people's minds, using less than savory methods depending on the severity of the situation, and meddling with the mental aspect of another person seemed uncharacteristically dark for the woman even if her elder brother had been her inspiration; was their connection such that it overpowered Inoyami's sense of morality?

There was also the fact that her brother had, for some time now, been broken mentally and though the Nara didn't know specifically what caused it he was positive that the Inquisition was involved. As much as she cared for him and seen what he was going through did she still not care? Was she not afraid that the same fate would befall her? A valid question but bringing that up would surely sour the sweets displayed before them. It wasn't that Shikajin believed that his teammate hadn't thought things through, far from it actually, but in giving so much for the Yamanaka had she thrown caution to the wind when there was possibly a very real example of the dangers living under the same roof?

"...Remember that every sum is a whole of its parts. Working yourself to ruin is no good if you burn out once you achieve your goal... or worse." A thinly veiled reference to her brother also meant to highlight the self-destructive tendencies in Inoyami's words. There was giving it ones all, the blood, sweat, and tears, etc., but forsaking oneself to reach a goal had a terrible way of erasing the individuality of a person while also disregarding the very real and apparent dangers associated with said goal.

"I won't presume to know what happened to 'Yori, and out of the two of us you know the inner working of the mind much better than I ever will, but intensive practices like those the Inquisition undertake effect the interrogator just as much as the person they're getting information out of." The psych ward in the village hospital received frequent visits from those that had undertaken similar roles for the village, or been the victim of rough interrogation techniques at some point. The memories of those they melded minds with lingered for years --decades even-- and it was the equivalent of trying to heal a wound that you couldn't see. Shikajin didn't want that same fate to befall Inoyami, and while he had no intentions of stopping her from joining the Inquisition he'd at least do his part to make sure she taking the proper time to assess all the risks.

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[Deleted]

Working herself to ruin, is that what he thought she'd do? Ino gave him a look that said "yeah right," but in truth she knew she had a tendency to push herself too hard. She had to live up the expectations of her clan. Someone who had talents like she did, didn't get to just sit around. They had a responsibility to serve the clan and the village. Not holding a prominent role within the clan and not joining the Inquisition would be like spitting on her gifts.

Shikajin went on to warn her about the dangers of that kind of job, specifically mentioning her brother. As if she didn't already have an intimate view of what their line of work had the potential to do to people. Even with all of her brother's skill, there had always been risks involved. Anyone could be a statistic. Even a prodigy.

"I've seen the effects," she told him, her voice tight. She set down the cookie she'd been nibbling on. "One of his techniques failed him. His psyche rebounded into his own body and took something bad with it when it left the victim. Something he'd seen or felt in there...it just...stuck to him. Somewhere in his memory, it started hurting him and never stopped." Kiyoriki began moving around in front of her on the table, pawing at dark spots in the wood. It didn't occur to the blonde that they were tears. Her gaze was on the window across the room, looking at it but not really seeing it.

"I get it. I could screw up someday. I could end up with some lasting injury. I could end up in pain, like him, without a way to fix it. But if I'm not giving my body and soul to the clan, what AM I doing, Shikajin?" She finally snapped her gaze to him, and after blinking a few times, she realized she'd worked herself up enough to cry. Her face felt warm. She dabbed at her eyes and didn't even bother drawing attention to it. Instead, she picked up some of the dango and worked her way through it.

---

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[Nara Shikajin]

the worst case scenario is you

If there was one thing that Shikajin was still a novice at in his life it was his bedside manner, so to speak. For all his skill as a Nara and a medic he had never been able to inject the proper amount of empathy into his words to soften the harshness of the truth he spoke. He dealt in facts when it came to medicine and sugarcoating things did little for him other than to provide a false sense of hope or leave room for misunderstandings which could cause its own host of problems. He had watched coworkers deliver tough news in a manner that almost made them seem like family to the complete strangers they were helping, and while the chunin didn't aspire to reach that level of chumminess with anyone if he could just scrape off a wee bit of that empathy then perhaps he wouldn't have been watching Inoyami cry over the desserts.

The Nara had correctly suspected that 'Yori's current condition had been caused by the mind meddling techniques of the Yamanaka, no doubt a task set before him by the Inquisition. It was hard to wrap ones head around mental warfare and what exactly one could encounter to end up like he did: still living but hardly the person they were once before. Where Shikajin had only meant to provide an example of the dangers that Inoyami may not have been considering it looked as if he had ripped the bandage off of a fresh wound instead. Now what was he to do? Honestly, he had no idea. Emotions weren't his forte and he had put his own on the backburner quite some time ago after the Cho's death. He hated the mixture of despair, rage, and sadness that swirled within him during that extended grieving period and how they resurfaced every time he slept.

"I... don't know." Was all he could answer with. What a person lived for he assumed was there decision but any number of influences altered that choice over time, and whether it was her older brother or the Inquisition's influence they had steered Inoyami towards dedicating her life to the clan. It was clear that she had a one track mind about it but what alternative was there for someone who had structured their very existence around attaining a single goal? Throwing out any suggestion not fully thought out wouldn't sound better than the status quo in addition to Shikajin not being in the business of dictating ones life. He just wanted her to be safe.

"Being harsh wasn't what I was going for, and I know you have been working hard for this forever, but I just don't want.. to lose anyone else." The chunin would add as his eyes drifted from the blonde to the sweets lying on the table. Ordinarily he had no issue matching a persons gaze but being this vulnerable was new and he needed to move past the moment as quickly as possible.

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[Deleted]

He didn't know. No one did. Each person's reason for living was their own, and it was so rare if two people understood each other so intimately that they could offer viable alternatives to one another. Inoyami's devotion to her clan was ingrained so deep in her head that it'd take killing her to be rid of it. But it gave her purpose. It gave her a reason to get up every day. Well, aside from seeing 'Yori.

Her brother did support her in every way, but he'd also never gone into crazy details about his work with the clan. She knew it was on purpose. He didn't want to frighten her. But it was the lack of detail that bothered her the most. She'd never know how he truly felt about dealing with the illness that plagued him. Her brother was essentially the same now as he'd been before the injury--sharp, witty, strong, reliable--but the episodes of pain were so bad some days that he'd do nothing but lock himself away and she'd do nothing but worry and cry.

Could she end up just as hurt? Walking to the store one afternoon only to double over with some full-body crippling misery? Maybe. She'd heard the saying from other clan members that "you lost a piece of yourself in every mind you dove into." Maybe that was true, too.

But none of that would stop her.

Still, her teammate's words, though harsh, had come from a good place. He admitted he hadn't meant to upset her--which she assumed--but when he mentioned not wanting to lose anyone else, there was a...moment. A moment of quiet hurt, silent heartache. Losing their Akimichi counterpart had been bad enough. Ino knew if she lost the Nara, too, she'd just...

"I'll be careful," she assured softly. "Besides, if I was gone, who'd bring you sugar fixes, huh?" She devoured one of the mini dango and then nabbed another cookie, sliding the container across the table.

"Try one of those," she said, and would glance down at Kiyo. "Oh. I have something else for you, too. Your bedroom has a window, right? Does it face the sunrise?" She couldn't remember the last time she was in there and the mental picture was foggy. She was sure there was a window that faced either west or east, which was the point in the gift she'd brought. Normal lighting would work for the gift, but sunlight would be best.

---

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[Nara Shikajin]

the worst case scenario is you

Inoyami assured him that she would be careful but there was no way to guarantee that. One day they'd be sitting down eating sweet treats together and the next Shikajin would be attending a funeral, or vice versa. To that end there was no telling when one day would be someones last, and living in that fear was no way to live at all. Death had spurred the chunin to focus on his medical studies so that he wouldn't have to suffer that pain again but even then there was no way he could save everyone, it just wasn't feasible, so he would simply have to trust the Yamanaka and support her the best he could.

Dark hues would shift to the container of cookies that had been slid his way and in a moments one had been picked up and bitten into. It tasted better than perhaps it would have moments prior. That didn't make much sense but to the Nara it just... did. "You better." He replied with a mouth full of cookie. Inoyami would state that she had yet another gift and inquired to the direction of his room relative to the sunrise. Strange. Shikajin took a moment to remember the layout, or more specifically, what part of the day the sun beamed through his window. He didn't spend much time in there during normal sleeping hours as sleep was something that eluded him often, and if it did show up brought along less than pleasant memories. But, from his long nights of studying and just being up in general he did recall the morning sun filling his room. Purchasing a pair of blackout curtains had been on his list for quite some time but even that would have been a bit too depressing for him.

"Yes it does. Did you buy me a plant?" He would ask, brow slightly raised and hoping to be wrong, but considering just who was sitting across from him the chances of becoming a new plant owner were high, very high.

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[Deleted]

A plant? "No no, something better!" Plants were nice and all, but she'd gone with something a little more...fancy. It had been an option to buy him a flower, something that would still thrive in low or high sunlight. But! She'd found a pretty something while out shopping and it had shouted his name.

"You'll see," she said, and was now beginning to get anxious at the thought of him potentially hating the item. "I'll show it to you when we get to your room. Snacks first." Obviously.

Inoyami worked her way through way too much of the sugary stuff. At one point she went over to nab herself a glass of water, bringing one for Shikajin, too, though he'd not have asked for it. The biscuits were delicious but made her thirsty like no other.

"I was thinking, next week, we could do some training together?" she suggested. "Like, a real fight. I'd say ninjutsu, but both of ours work at halting movement and control and it'd be over too quick if one of us succeeded. I had a conversation with someone the other day talking about taijutsu and I'd really like to practice throwing kicks for once instead of throwing food in my mouth." She laughed and took a drink. "If you're free then." Sometimes it was hard to know what the next day held, much less the following week.

"I know I can't aspire to perfection, or anything, but I tried fighting my brother yesterday and he kicked my ass." She stuck her lip out in a pout. "Still sore."

---

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