021 -- [Action]

[endgames]

[Today when Shikamaru woke up to his morning routine of journal stalking, there was a mission notice waiting for him. Fantastic. But you reap what you sow with these things...

Shikamaru spends the next few hours going over everything he thinks he'll need for this mission before heading out of his apartment. Most of his plans for the week are on hold (again) but there's still a few things he wanted to take care of; people to see.

In particular, he'll seek out Ino and Naruto, stopping to talk to most of his friends from home too, if he sees them. Give them a heads up on where he's at for the next week or so. After that he'll head into the square in the mid-afternoon in search of one Albert Silverberg. Masaomi is next, though Shikamaru will actually bother hailing him over the journals if he doesn't see him. Same for Sokka, if he can't find him at the smithy or the Avatar House.

Even if he isn't seeking anyone else out, he'll still stop to speak to people he knows if he runs into them today. Especially if they came along into the tunnels during that last experiment. Curiosity, mainly - he wants to know if anyone's doing better now.

Feel free to catch him anywhere in town this afternoon. Until he finds Albert, he'll be the guy carting around a shogi board under one arm.]

Comments

[endgames]

Thanks.

[He'll munch on those for a bit. There's still things he wants to talk about with Masaomi before they have to head back, but he doesn't want to bring it up just yet. Especially if Masaomi is in a good mood. Keyword being 'if'.

It's nice just to hang out like this here too.]

[generalflirt]

[And they will be on a Mission both pretty soon. He hums, and then leans back to be on his back properly. This is so not his idea of fun, but it's not bad to relax]

[endgames]

[With that in mind, he's not going to keep either of them out there for long. When it's about time to go, after they've chilled out some more and maybe talked about other things, Shikamaru will bring the conversation back around.]

You been okay lately, by the way?

[generalflirt]

Eh, why wouldn't I be?

[He closes his eyes, reaching out a finger to waggle at him]

[endgames]

That whole thing with the moon.

[That had everyone on edge, that much was obvious. Some more than others.]

[generalflirt]

[And he opens his eyes... to stare blanky at the sky]

That was a while ago now.

[Two weeks. Barely. Not that long]

[endgames]

Only two weeks.

[But that answers that question.]

[generalflirt]

That's just how things are though.

[Flatly]

[endgames]

Is that how you want it to be?

[generalflirt]

It doesn't matter if I do or not, right? Eh...

[endgames]

[He shrugs.] It doesn't. If you don't mind being in this position every time something goes to shit.

[generalflirt]

[Still laying down, he turns his head :|]

I don't have options.

[endgames]

[He disagrees, but he mulls it over. Masaomi isn't the first person he's met to have these kind of insecurities, and he won't be the last. The way Shikamaru's world works guarantees that; he's already been on both sides of the fence before.

But things work differently in everyone else's worlds. He can't go about this the way he would with Naruto, or Chouji. It's like with Katara - things that are common sense to him are drowned out by culture clash when he tries to explain it to her.

It's there with Masaomi too. Not as badly as with some of the other people he knows here... but this is definitely one of those times. It doesn't change what needs to be said, just how he goes about it.]

Then you have two choices. You either let it go, and stop beating yourself up for things you can't do... or you don't accept that, and do what you can to make a difference anyways.

You can't be half-and-half about it, though.

[generalflirt]

I'm not beating myself up, Shikamaru-kun, it's just a fact. I can't control these things and I'm outclassed here. That's all.

[Flatly. so flatly.]

[endgames]

Tell yourself what you like.

[generalflirt]

What do you mean?

[endgames]

You have more control over things then you give yourself credit for. At least you could have it.

[generalflirt]

Shikamaru-kun, all I control is my own actions.

[endgames]

Is that a bad thing?

[generalflirt]

My own actions can't change much in this situation.

[endgames]

They made a difference to me.

[generalflirt]

[ ... ]

Shikamaru-kun, if you need someone to beat people up, I'm there. But I'm not even the smart one, and I don't have those powers... ah. I'm good for love and violence, that's pretty much it. That's just reality, so if a moon's falling all I can do is trust you. Which I did.

[endgames]

[He snorts, face impassive as he looks towards the river. That's more than most people did, the guy who helped him make that plan included.]

Maybe you're not smart; maybe you don't have special powers. If you were, then you wouldn't be you.

I can't talk to girls. Most people wouldn't even wanna hang out with a guy like me, because I act like an old man. I don't like fighting, and when I'm out of tricks I'm not even that strong.

Heh... [A corner of his mouth turns up. He feels like he's had a conversation like this before, with someone else.] It'd be troublesome if I had to fight you again someday. You could kick my ass.

[generalflirt]

FEEL FREE TO PLEASE ? MOVE THIS TO DREAMWIDTH NEXT REPLY

[Or we can drop it or something but I love this thread. Anyway, Masaomi blinks once, then twice. Shikamaru is totally just humoring him as far as he can tell, but he nods.]

I don't think you act like an old man.