endgames | 027 -- [Voice || Written || Action] Backdated to the 6th

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027 -- [Voice || Written || Action] Backdated to the 6th

[It's been two days now, since the mission at that hospital. It feels awkward coming to the journal like this... he didn't even know Precis all that well, outside of two missions. But reviewing journal conversations, it didn't seem as if she knew anyone well on the last one either. A village-wide announcement seems callous.

In the end, he winds up crafting a wide filter, based off of her journal responses and the two mission experiences he's aware of. Tl;dr: if you've ever had a public thread with Precis, or went on a mission with her, you're good to be included in the filter.]

[Filtered to Associates of Precis F. Neumann || Unhackable]

On the fourth of September, Precis Neumann died participating in a mission outside the enclosure. No doubt she saved countless lives, but...

[...]

If you knew her, I offer my condolences for your loss.

[/end filter]

[For the rest of the day, Shikamaru will be in the forest surrounding CH1. Looking back over the journals revealed something else too. You'd think with the way he memorizes things it'd have hit him sooner, but he was never so good with dates.]

Two years... Tch. How troublesome.

[He'll be out here, training primarily with his shadow, but watching clouds too. Not for too long. Within the hour, he's cracking out another filter on the journal.]

[Filtered to Uzumaki Naruto || Unhackable]

Let's take care of that thing we discussed.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[She's the only person standing around when Shikamaru rounds the corner, so he makes an immediate line toward her, hands in pockets.]

Hello.

[She jumps a little, startled, his sudden greeting shaking her from her thoughts.]

O-Oh, um...H-Hi. Um, thanks for meeting me here.

[He waves a hand, like don't worry.

...and this is kind of an awkward subject they're here to discuss. So rather give any false niceties to setup the bad news, or press her, he'll let her tell him when she's ready to talk about it.]

[There's still time. She could just say forget about it. Maybe it would be better if she didn't know. At the same time, she can't help but feel ashamed of herself for even considering that. In a way, it would be turning away from her friend.

Besides, she's almost an adult. She can handle hearing something like this...right?

She takes a deep breath before speaking.]

P...Please. Tell me what happened to Precis.

[He nods.]

Were you aware of the type of mission she was sent on?

[Another pang of shame. She feels like should have been paying more attention to these kinds of things.]

A little bit. A hospital got taken over, right?

That's correct. By a group of Malnosso soldiers, who suddenly exhibited odd behavior. Not natural. Our job was to stop them and help the patients, without harming anyone.

[Some people from the mission will view this bitterly, he knows. Even after Davis' speech. Shikamaru... well, he feels he understand their motives fairly well. Even agrees to it, to an extent.

The situation ended badly enough without blame needing to be tossed around. It was the right thing to do, and his tone will reflect that.]

[Though, many of her misconceptions about the Malnosso were recently corrected, she still harbors a bit of suspicion and hostility towards them. But hearing the exact details of the misson, that no one was to be harmed...perhaps she can bring herself to be a little less bitter towards them if they were willing to try and save patients without risking their own as well. She nods.]

Please. Um, go on.

[He breathes out. The next bit is harder he knows, given what he said.]

For the most part, it went all right, but negotiations failed with the ring leader. He had a shift-enhanced bomb. It could've taken out the entire hospital and everyone in it, maybe more.

There was a lab in the building, however, that nullifies Shifts. For something like that, it means a smaller explosion.

[Just do it.]

Precis took the bomb there.

[For a moment, she stares at him while she tries to comprehend what he's just told her as she puts two and two together. When the circumstances of Precis's death finally sink in, needless to say she's thoroughly horrified. She trembles a little and she leans against the school's back wall again, her knees getting a little weak.]

S-So Precis was...

[She puts a hand to her mouth, the tears starting to well up.]

[...]

Yes. She was still there, when it went off.

[How close he doesn't know, and if he did he wouldn't say. There's such a thing as too many details.]

[As hard as she tries to keep from crying, it's to no avail. She can't even imagine what Precis could have been feeling just before she died. Her voice shakes when she speaks.]

I... I just, um...
Th-thank you for t-telling me, I...

[That's as much as she can get out before she lets out a loud sob, doing her best to try and wipe her eyes.]

[It always comes down to this, doesn't it? He wonders how many times, here or there, he'll have to make a girl cry.

Not that he was expecting her to be stone-faced about it. He wouldn't have come out here if he thought she would take it that well. And so while he's not fancy enough to carry around handkerchiefs, he did come with tissues. He puts a hand on her shoulder, and offers her one.]

[She takes the tissue and, still choked with sobs, can only give a nod of thanks. After a few moments, she manages to calm down just enough to speak properly, though her voice still trembles.]

I, um, I'm sorry. Th-this is probably like, s-super awkward. I'm sorry, I'm just...

[He shakes his head, cutting her off.]

Your friend died. If that's not worth tears, I don't know what is.

[She nods again. Even if this guy is practically a stranger, it is a little comforting to be talking to someone at a time like this.]

Did...did you know her very well?

[After a moment he lowers his head just so, shaking it.]

No. I worked with her once prior to this. We'd been doing some gritty work, but she impressed me with the way she handled it.

[Even when he tried to confront her on it. They were retrieving bodies out of a lake, after all.]

[She smiles, just a little bit, when he says how Precis impressed him.]

Yeah. Precis is pretty amazing.

[However, her smile is brief. She wipes her eyes again and does her best to stand up straight.]

...I think I just need to go and try to, like, get my head around this. It's, um, kind of a lot to take in.

[He nods - twice. He understand that, too. Intimately.]

For what it's worth, I'm sorry.

[It's sympathy, not an apology.]

...Thank you.

If you don't mind, um...can I get your name?

[...]

Nara Shikamaru.

My name is Pilouette Bonheur. S-Sorry if it was weird to just ask out of nowhere like that. I, um, j-just thought I should know who I was talking to.

And, um...Thanks. Again. I really appreciate you telling me all this.

[As shocked as she is by Precis's death, knowing just what happened gives her a tiny bit of closure, though she's still pretty shaken up.]

Pilouette. [He nods.] It's fine. I don't need a "thank you" for something like this, but if that's what you want... stop apologizing. I think that'd be more than thanks enough.

Okay. Than- Oh, right, um, sor-...

[She winces a little. It would seem that she's even more awkward than usual, her mind muddled with grief. After a moment, she just nods before she decides to head back to her apartment.]

[He shares the wince, with an odd smile until she turns to go. Hey, she tried.]

Take care.

[There really isn't an end for this conversation that isn't awkward, is there?]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

027 -- [Voice || Written || Action] Backdated to the 6th

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