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

[ Voice ]

[endgames]

There's some things I take to better than others.

[He thinks he did well on that jutsu here, even if--

...oh. There's an idea.]

Speaking of that. You free on time?

[ Voice ]

[lastsmoke]

Yeah, I don't have any plans for the day. Haven't had this much free time in a while, actually. [ He doesn't even know what to do with all this free time. ]

[ Voice ]

[endgames]

[He can sympathize - there's so much free time even he feels the need to look for something to do these days.]

Wanna meet me by the bridge outside in a couple hours? There's something I want to show you.

[ Voice ]

[lastsmoke]

Heh, sure. It's better than sitting around doing nothing, anyway. [ And he's curious! Just what could Shikamaru want to show him? ]

[ Voice --> Action ]

[endgames]

Cool. Then I'll see you in a few.

[Lazy salute at the journal window, and then he's off. Apparently he owes a little girl some shrimp. After that though, he'll be at the bridge.]

[ Action ]

[lastsmoke]

[ Asuma's already at the bridge when Shikamaru gets there, leaning with his back to the rail. He raises his arm in greeting. ]

Yo.

[ Action ]

[endgames]

Hey. [He keeps his hands in his pockets, but he's grinning.] Ino said she might join us later.

[ Action ]

[lastsmoke]

Did she, now? [ A smile! ] Well, I'm not going to object. It'll be nice spending some time with the two of you.

[ Action ]

[endgames]

Yeah. [And against his better judgement, he wishes Chouji were here. It used to be the three of them and Asuma, not just two.]

We should drag her to that restaurant. It's no Yakiniku Q, but they still have good barbecue.

[ Action ]

[lastsmoke]

It'll be a good time. [ Even if Ino protests. ] You sure she'll want barbecue, though?

[ Action ]

[endgames]

If she really wants something else, they have other things.

[But he knows she secretly does not hate it, in fact, and is plotting to get her to admit it anyways.]

[ Action ]

[lastsmoke]

[ A laugh. ]

Well, then, it's settled.

[ Action ]

[endgames]

[And until then...]

Let's get away from the bridge some. [Said as he angles his shoulders towards the river.] I need you to pick a target for me.

[ Action ]

[lastsmoke]

A target, huh? [ How curious. Though he's starting to get an idea as to what Shikamaru wants to show him--A new jutsu? Or some kind of new fighting style he'd learned in his time here?

Whatever it was, he was interested. ]

How far away from the bridge should we be?

[ Action ]

[endgames]

[Um- hm.][He doesn't want to get an ass-kicking for blowing up the bridge. ._.]

Re: [ Action ]

[lastsmoke]

[ LOL well then, he'll just assume they need to be a ways away. ]

So it's something like that, huh?

[ Action ] ...wow, my html sucked in that last tag

[endgames]

Something like. Depends on what size of target you're picking for me.

[ Action ] LOL it's ok!

[lastsmoke]

Ah, well, I'll be sure to pick something relatively small, then.

[ Action ]

[endgames]

[About fifty feet from the bridge, there's a few targets to choose from. Some logs and broken off branches, rocks. And whatever's floating in the river. 8|a]

[ Action ]

[lastsmoke]

[ He'll go over and inspect the various items, before lifting a log up on one end so it's standing vertically. ]

How's this?

[ Action ]

[endgames]

That'll work.

[Let's just stick it closer to the river. He'll drag it over. Asuma can pick out a cool place to spectate.]

[ Action ]

[lastsmoke]

[ He'll just go stand a little ways away. Not too far, but not too close, either. ]

[ Action ]

[endgames]

[Shikamaru stands away from another angle, judging the distance. He tests that the flint in his mouth is still in place with his tongue. Satisfied it is, he breathes in as he forms a chain of hand seals.

Snake. Rat. Snake. Tiger.

If Asuma's seeing those, he may have a good idea of what's coming next.]

[ Action ]

[lastsmoke]

[ The moment he sees the hand signs, he knows whats coming--and looks pretty surprised to be honest. He has to wonder how long Shikamaru had to work to figure out and prefect the jutsu.

Seriously, color him impressed. ]

[ Action ]

[endgames]

[Not quite perfect. It took countless lung-fulls of ash and explosions in his face for Shikamaru to get this jutsu to work; if there's anything his experiences have taught him it's to focus on what he's doing.

Almost too focused. While he carefully measures just enough spewed ash to surround the log, he doesn't catch the light breeze coming in until the last second. He sparks the flint to ignite before it can spread it anywhere, but that was a close one.

BUT HE GOT THE LOG.]