Apartment Above Wellspring Arms, Sunday Noon

[spring_lost]

Nathan was pacing across his apartment with device and readings in hand, his laptop beeping quietly in the background on some of his last--

Well, he didn't really have to mention any of that.

So close. He was getting so close...

[ open for one only, thanks and please. ]

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[flowering_mind]

Ino didn't know why she wound up here, but yesterday he'd been nice and he wasn't like mean lady and...

But she was there, and banging with a tiny fist on the door.

[spring_lost]

His gaze pulled away from the papers in his hand for a minute.

He could just ignore whatever was going on out there-- then again, the island seemed to be in some kind of crisis. After a moment's debate, Nathan put everything down on the table, quietly moving downstairs towards the door--

Ino.

He opened it.

"Can I help you?"

[flowering_mind]

She flung herself at his legs, wanting to cling, and burst into tears.

Stupid mean lady.

[spring_lost]

That was--

Cable reached down with both hands in something approaching a very awkward, tiny hug. He could say something. It just didn't happen to be his forte. "Ino?"

[flowering_mind]

She clung to him. "Mean lady said that Daddy's b-bad, and and that he doesn't l-love me!" Planning on letting go of Cable anytime soon. No.

[spring_lost]

"I'm sure your father loves you," Cable managed, patting her gently on the back.

[flowering_mind]

"He's not bad," Ino insisted wobbly.

[spring_lost]

"No one's bad, Ino," and Cable's voice was reaching mildly soothing levels. "Some people can be better. But they're never bad."

[flowering_mind]

"Never ever," Ino said, lifting her face from his leg. "Pick me up?"

[spring_lost]

At least she was making it easy on him.

Fighting any internal awkward, Cable reached down to curl his hands around her sides, pulling her up. "Sometimes people have to work for things. But bad would mean they're lost forever. Nobody ever is." Words she could understand, hopefully.

[flowering_mind]

She waited until he'd lifted her up then flung her arms around his neck. "She said Daddy was bad 'cause he was letting me be a ninja."

[spring_lost]

"I'm sure it's not the 'letting' that's a problem."

Ah. The old problem.

He reached an arm up to pat her on the back of her head. Hair. "He's not bad. You're not bad." She just needed... work.

[flowering_mind]

"Then why?" Ino asked. "I don't understand why she'd say that."

[spring_lost]

"It's easy to think in extremes. Right and wrong. Black and white. It's harder to think of things simply being. To accept or to change them."

[flowering_mind]

Ino wrinkled her nose. "But then why's she think Daddy's bad?"

[spring_lost]

He smiled at her. Briefly. "Easy," Cable said, closing the door a little-- it was cold. "Some people think that one bad idea makes someone a bad person."