endgames | 026 -- [Voice || Written || Action]

If I see another mountain again, it'll be too soon. Did any of you know that sirry means "ridiculous"? [He snorts.] Explains a lot. Avalanches. Yetis. More freaking snow. Man, that mission was a pain...

[/whine and complain]

Anyways. I'm back. [Technically has been for two days albeit not in town, so he'll make it official.] Anything interesting hap- [His disinterested tone gives way to irritation as he turns his attention to something off-screen.] Oi that's not for you-

[The journal snaps shut with a sigh. He never finishes speaking, but about an hour later the post is transcribed... minus the interruption, and now with complete sentences.

If you're out today now that the heavy rain of the few days is finally letting up, you might spot Shikamaru coming back into the village from the North... closely followed by a deer much larger than Luceti's usual fare ((think five feet at the shoulders, six at the head, and eight feet with antlers)). The stag seems pretty content to follow him around - even into town or just standing around when he sits - despite sticking to the tree-lined paths when he can. Shikamaru talks to him sometimes.

Yes, talks, shut up.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Course I would.

There was a mission to a desert once. Maybe there'll be another in the future.

[The look she gives him is certainly eloquent: skeptical and a little falsely amused. A deaf woman on a mission? Yeah, she'll just get right on that.

Might need a little more, uh, training before that.]

[We'll get you there. It'll happen.]

So twenty, or twenty-two?

[A pause, as she tries to figure out if she "heard" that right.]

Huh?

It's your birthday, isn't it?

[Actually it's in four days. For all his skills in memory, he loses track of the days easily. HE GOT THE MONTH RIGHT AT LEAST.]

I was wondering how you would count it.

[Amused:] Close enough.

[She doesn't look at him as she answers, instead caught up in looking around the place -- and intensely missing home as she looks at the trees.

She misses the harsh desert vistas.] Choosing the younger age seems to negate experience, don't you think? [Pause] But then what woman likes to admit she's older than she actually is?

[Sure she answered the question. Absolutely. Give her a second; she'll look back over to him.]

[It does catch him off guard when she lays out her choices like that, with the thought behind them.

It's unlike her. It makes him feel oddly at peace, that they can have these kind of conversations again. Simple, quiet, thoughtful.

Temari is a woman he thinks of in harsh edges, but once in a while he can find this softness in her.]

Tsunade-sama is perhaps a bad example, but so long as she appears younger she minds it less.

Hmmm. [It's a thoughtful sound; she turns to watch in front of her for a moment before resting her gaze on Shikamaru again. It's a habit she's fallen into: watch her surroundings, look back at the person she's with, exchange a few words and go back to watching around her.]

We're different, Tsunade-sama and I. I wouldn't mind a few wrinkles here and there. They speak of experience.

[He nods, understanding that perfectly. Makes sure to wait until he has her attention again before talking.]

Like a badge of honor.

[He's never gotten why women are like that - even if that was his default reaction to bringing up the subject with her. He's used to being around girls who focus so much on their appearance.]

[One corner of her lips quirks up in what could almost be a smile. She'll never admit it, but it's... kind of nice that he waits to see that she's watching before speaking. It makes having a conversation a little less stressful. Less work.]

Exactly.

Smile more. Maybe you'll get them sooner.

Edited 2012-09-26 20:05 (UTC)

I didn't say I wanted to speed up the process. [But... she's smiling.]

Ha! Now I'm really not sure how many candles I'm supposed to use.

Forget 'em. I'd rather just have the cake, no bonfire included.

Chocolate?

What else?

[Well let's see, they're not far from...

He smirks and pauses in their walking.]

Wait here for a minute.

[She almost asks him why - even opens and closes her mouth for a moment before shrugging and nodding.

Okay. Do what you gotta do.]

[And so Rikumaru will keep her company, staying put instead of following after the other Nara, though he watches him go.

Shikamaru disappears around one corner, himself, having remembered the bakery wasn't far from here. He'll return a few minutes later -- with a large slice of chocolate cake on a plate. Hopefully the deer has been a pal and distracted her, so it can still be a surprise by the time he gets back over there and taps her on the shoulder.]

[And since Rikumaru's doing that, she's obliging the deer by watching him. Just watching. She's not moving much, but she's standing easily and trusting that the deer will (most likely) react to anything he sees or hears that she doesn't.

... He's quite the animal, Nara. She's almost impressed.

When he taps her shoulder, she does start, her hand drifting toward any number of kunai on her person at any given time. Rikumaru hadn't given anything away -- shown no sign of threat. It's a half-second before she registers it's him.

She goes from startled to blinking at him a bit dumbfounded to slow, easy grin in the time it takes to look at him and the plate in his hand.]

[WHICH WOULD BE WHY IT WAS ONLY A TAP.

Confident he won't be stabbed now, as that would surely put on a damper on this wonderful gesture, he holds out the plate and smiles.]

Happy birthday. However old you are.

[Still smiling, she takes the plate.

She doesn't even know what to say. You ass, rendering her almost speechless.]

You're early. [Pause] But it's close enough.

[--SHIT YOU MEAN HE WAS OFF THIS WHOLE TIME

I mean. He knew that. Totally. Or watch him try to play it off like so.]

You get two slices this way, might as well enjoy it.

[ ^the smoothest ]

[Oh, yeah. You're a smooth operator, Nara.]

Didn't say that I wouldn't.

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endgames - 2012-09-30 18:55 (UTC) - Expand

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