Office hours [all day]

[sith_happened]

Anakin arrived a little late to work today: traffic coming through town had been a mess, and he'd almost had to start fights with three different little old ladies aggravating shoppers.

He put down his bag of decorations--lights and tinsel (stupid tinsel), bows and greenery--and began decorating his office.

And then taking pictures to send to Rory's phone. He had a promise to keep, after all.

The door was open. Holiday music was definitely not playing.

Comments

[sith_happened]

"It was a test of our patience and team building skills," Anakin said with a small smile. "We weren't exactly sewn together at the hip, though. Obi-Wan went on missions without me plenty of times."

[intraspective]

"That's a bit better," she conceded. "Though I get the teamwork thing. My team back home is one of the best in it."

[sith_happened]

"How many members to your team?" Anakin asked.

[intraspective]

"Three Genin, and a Jounin," Ino said, smiling. "So four. Standard four-person squad."

[sith_happened]

"I'm afraid I'm going to need definitions of those words," Anakin admitted with a small smile.

[intraspective]

She flushed a bit. "Sorry. Genin is the lowest rank of ninja, just above Academy student. It pretty much means 'apprentice ninja'. Chuunin's the middle rank, kinda like 'journeyman ninja', and Jounin's like 'master ninja'. So a standard team right out of the Academy is going to have three apprentices and a master. My team currently has two apprentices, one journeyman, and a master. Or two Genin, a Chuunin, and a Jounin."

[sith_happened]

"And you're a Genin?" Anakin asked.

[intraspective]

Ino flushed. "Yeah," she admitted. "Probably wouldn't be, if I was back home all the time. But that's my choice, I guess. I wanted to come here, so I can't blame anyone else."

[sith_happened]

"You're learning different things here," Anakin replied, "lessons that don't fit under your traditional guidelines." He smiled. "Fandom made me a better person, if a less traditional Jedi."

[intraspective]

"Mmmm."

Which was a big load of noncommittal. With stubbornly determined blandly neutral emotions.

"Who knows?"

[sith_happened]

"Want to try that again with some actual emotions involved?" Anakin asked, cocking up an eyebrow.

[intraspective]

"Not really," she said honestly.

Because that was useful, Ino.

"I'd rather stay in a good mood, thanks though."

[sith_happened]

"Any time you feel like unloading," Anakin said, giving her a small smile and floating some tinsel above her head, "it's what I'm around for. It saves me from knitting or becoming an interior designer."

[intraspective]

She glanced up at the tinsel, wrinkling her nose in amusement.

"Maybe eventually," Ino said. "It's not really at the talking about stage."

[sith_happened]

Anakin let the tinsel drop.

"When it is, then," he said easily. "How's your blocking coming along?"

[intraspective]

That got a strangled laugh as she tugged the tinsel off her face.

"A bit better, I think," Ino said. "I've been kinda distracted lately."

[sith_happened]

"With what?" asked the poster child for unhealthy focus.

[intraspective]

"A project I promised I'd look into for Reno. His home has a real issue with their transportation being able to get enough food and supplies out to people. And my world has a way to get a whole lot of stuff, like food and supplies, into scrolls no bigger than my hand. A few weeks ago I got the theory on it, so I've been spending a lot of time focused on learning it instead of other things."

[sith_happened]

"A noble goal," Anakin agreed, "but learn to multitask."

No wonder he was such a hugely popular teacher. Really.

[intraspective]

"I'm good at multi-tasking!" she said indignantly. "I've also got my medical studies, three jobs, three classes, physical training, and practising my mental walls, on top of that project. I'm doing my best!"

Moderation was not Ino's friend.

[sith_happened]

"Work harder," Anakin said firmly.

Very helpful, that Anakin.

[intraspective]

It was really stupid, though, how that actually made her feel better.

"I will," Ino promised.