endgames | 029 -- [Action || Video]

[The afternoon finds Shikamaru bundled up against the cold and out and about in parts of the village he won't normally be in. Wandering, it might look like; he drifts in and out of high-traffic areas like the bar and the item shop to places less visited. The coffee shop he'll be at for sure, and his final stop will be the building that was once Azzip's Pizza.

This will do.]

[Video]

[Later in the afternoon, with dark still far off, the journal feed will click on to see Shikamaru surrounded by various colorful boxes among other things. He folds his hands over a table.]

It's come to my attention over the last few months that some of you have never heard of boardgames, or have otherwise never played. As a reasonable guy, I can let a lot of things go, but that... just seems sad.

[He shakes his head here. With woe, even. And then he gestures to the board games from various worlds strewn in the background. Close inspection will find a shogi set, a chess board, Go, Pai Sho, Plateau, Candy Land, Mouse Trap, ~~Jumanji~~ and so on. You can pretty much make up any family-friendly board game you want here and he will have it somehow. Go for it, actually. He hasn't played all of them.]

I'm here to tell you why they're awesome. [...] And possibly to petition for a partner. It's troublesome, but you'd be surprised how hard that is to accomplish here...

Katara. [Hint, hint.] Kotomi-chan. [Who he can't tease as well, so he'd best clarify:] If you're still up for that.

[He shakes himself with a grin, saluting at the journal with his left hand. He picks up the nearest game.] Anyways, let's get started. It goes like this...

[And from here he'll be giving the abridged rules of the games he knows to start. Feel free to interrupt him, or call him out on any games he skips.]

[/end Voice]

[Action || Locked to Konan]

[Much later in the night, after he's seen to everything he needs to, Shikamaru takes a box out of a drawer and goes outside. From it, he withdraws an origami hummingbird, and contemplates it slowly for a few quiet minutes.

When he's done, he holds it up at eye level and speaks seriously.]

It's about time we spoke again. Don't you think?

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Do you have a day job?

Yes. I'm a delivery girl.

Huh. [He likes that take on things, actually. It's more humanizing.]

Well, it's how I blend into human society. Wouldn't it be strange to have a neighbor that never did anything but always had money?

[And she likes it, it's not a bad day job]

I'm sure they'd chock it up to inheritance or something.

Not with how they met me. I had lost my memory, and my roommate took me in.

...aa.

[That would complicate it, yeah.]

So it's better I remain the delivery girl.

[Springing that trap now, if he's not noticed.]

I'll take your word for it.

[He did, but he'll act surprised nonetheless.] Tch. That's troublesome...

[So is the trap he worked on over here, seeing there wasn't much he could do to get out of that one.]

Well, why did you become a ninja? Or do you have a second job as well?

[She's been avoiding his trap herself, but now that hers has set, she decides to play into it, placing a stone so that he can spring it early but with less effect, or wait and gamble that she'll counter it.]