023 -- [Accidental Post]

[endgames]

[Earlier, when looking through his father’s book for the first time in several months, Shikamaru found some pictures he’d never seen before being used as bookmarks. It was… nostalgic, to say the least.

He finds another bookmark to replace them; puts the photos in a drawer to look at later. Because haha, he knows how this works, right? He leaves them out, and somehow his journal accidentally records it. Yeah. Hell no. He’s smarter than that and doesn’t leave his journal anywhere near them. On top of that, he takes it with him when he leaves to assist with a chakra training lesson. Crisis averted!

Guess what he sees when he opens up his journal two hours later.



Where’s the nearest wall. He needs to beat his head softly against it while he attempts to figure out how this happened. Feel free to action it up when he’s back at CH1 too, if you like.]

[ooc: original artwork from here]

Comments

[markofthewise]

Yeah, I guess so. According to the map, anyway. I've never been up to that lake.

[endgames]

I can guarantee its accuracy. Still a pain to get to, but it's good if you don't mind the hike.

[markofthewise]

I can hike. I'm a hiker. In fact, everyone wanted to always ride on Appa. I was the one who had to convince them to do any kind of walking.

[endgames]

...you had giant bison who could fly you places, and you wanted to walk.

I can see it as a good strategy to avoid people spotting you, but other than that--

[markofthewise]

Well, yeah, that was basically the strategy. Zuk- err, this guy was following us all over the place. Appa was too noticeable.

[endgames]

Makes sense.

Still can't blame 'em.

[markofthewise]

Well nobody wants to walk. But it was their idea to go and save the world from the Fire Nation. I wanted to stay home.

[endgames]

Lucky you had a change of heart, eh?

[markofthewise]

Well I suppose I did meet Suki that way. [FULL CIRCLE.]

[endgames]

I meant on the full spectrum of things. You know. Since the way I understand, it you helped win a war and all. Maybe I'm thinking second key there.

[markofthewise]

Well it was my ingenious plan that managed to wreck a dozen airships that were going to incinerate the Earth Kingdom. Suki helped with that too. Mostly in the part where I got to come back from it alive.

[endgames]

Ha. Good, it's not just me.

[markofthewise]

Similar experience?

[endgames]

Yeah. [Been in that reverse damsel in distress situation before?] Uh. I'm the plan guy too.

[Sounds better.]

[markofthewise]

[Dude there's no shame in being saved. Besides, he was busy rescuing TOPH at the time. So it was totally cool.]

Right. With the strategy and stuff.

[endgames]

[It wouldn't be a problem admitting it if it weren't for the fact that it was Temari doing the saving. Temari who is here. And knows Sokka. And will never let that day die.]

Yup. That's my thing.

Though I haven't tried my hand at a war like you yet. Not counting Luceti.

[markofthewise]

Well, I'm good with just the one. I'm not in a hurry to make a habit out of it.

[endgames]

I'd say the same, but I don't have much of a choice in it.

[markofthewise]

Are you guys on the brink of war or something?

[endgames]

Yeah.

[Thinking about it, he goes quiet. It's already started, according to some of his friends.

But not Tobi. He'll come back to this conversation in an hour and throw up a filter.]

[markofthewise]

That's hard, knowing that's waiting for you. Do you know what happens? [After all... Katara does. So it's possible.]

[endgames]

I've heard things. When Chouji came back for a little while, that's what he was brought of. [What he went back to.] But no one's seen the outcome.

[markofthewise]

But you'll probably come out on top, right?

[endgames]

Thinking about it like that is dangerous. There's too much at stake for me to accept anything short of victory, so long as I'm here.

[markofthewise]

A positive attitude is good! And frankly, comparing worlds here, most of the time the 'good guys' seem to be the ones that come out on top. So while mathematically speaking it might mean that yours is more probably to be the one to not have a good ending, I'm inclined to think the Malnosso intentionally put us here because we're winners.