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

[endgames]

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.]

Comments

[endgames]

Don't talk like that. There's nothing to keep me from. You're my friend. Anything else I do is secondary to that.

1/2

[markofthebrave]

[markofthebrave]

I didn't mean anything by it. I was just trying to -

[She gestures around a little vaguely.]

- it kind of hurts more if I'm not working. That's all.

[endgames]

I know. [He gets it, he really does.] But you forget sometimes, I think. Not just with me.

[He tilts his head and smile.]

So try and remember it more.

[markofthebrave]

[She didn't want to ask for clarification because she had a vague idea of what he was talking about. About anything else I do is secondary to that.

She doesn't know how he means to apply that to her. And she's not sure she wants to find out. Not today.

So she smiles as best she can.]

Okay, see you later.

1/2

[endgames]

[...he snorts once, amused.]

[endgames]

[And then he plants his hands behind him on the rock, pushing up and smoothly rolling himself off of it and onto his feet on the other side.]

See ya. [He turns, and continues without stopping. Rikumaru takes note, and follows at a slow trot.] Oh. Remind me to bring that notebook by sometime too. I figured out the code in my downtime.

[markofthebrave]

Okay.

[She almost let him go.]

Hey, Shikamaru?

[endgames]

[He turns his head back. Hm?]

[markofthebrave]

[Aang had run off. And Ikki was gone. And maybe she could use the company, if not the conversation. Maybe she could open up a little and let him be what he was reminding her he was.

She inclined her head to the garden in invitation.]

You can join me, if you want. For a little while.

[In her and Ginko's garden.]

[endgames]

[...he smirks.]

I can spare the time.

[He walks back, Rikumaru following back again after a moment. We coming or going? Gosh make up your mind.]

No eating the flowers.

[Snort.]

[markofthebrave]

[Is that a happy smirk or a smug smirk? She can't tell.

Bah. Men.

She started back into the garden..]

[endgames]

[When she turns, it's definitely a happy smirk.]

[markofthebrave]

[When he joins in her in the garden, she hands him a trowel.]

Here.

[endgames]

[Hm? Okay.

He holds it like he would a kunai.]

[markofthebrave]

Not like that. You're digging weeds, not trying to throw it at someone.

[endgames]

[The look on his face probably says something like: We could throw it at the weeds. After a moment though, he corrects that.]

How many weeds you got, exactly?

[markofthebrave]

In this patch? Plants that look like this? [She ran her fingers over the herb] Not a weed. Everything else? Weeds.

[There weren't many. She'd been out here for a while.]

[endgames]

[He scrutinizes it closely. He thinks he recognizes that, from his dad's book...]

All right. Let's do it.

[markofthebrave]

[A slight nod and they commence!]