030 -- [Action]

[endgames]

[Shikamaru's a hard man to find after this (on-going) thread.

He doesn't return to his apartment until the next morning, through the spare bedroom and not the front door. It's doubtful anyone else will catch him outside of his own floor for the next several days, though he always has his journal on him.

Those days are also partially spent tracking down Tony Stark, Law, Itachi, Gold, Silver, and a few others in his building to warn them about Hidan. Masaomi will no doubt hear from him when he gets back, and Riku may have learned what he needs to know from Ino before Shikamaru gets to him, but they're both on the list. He'll also be visiting the Avatar house for a few people in particular, but given that's half the house he won't be shunning anyone else he runs into there.]

Comments

[generalflirt]

[That first morning Masaomi is asleep on the couch, having waited up most of the day/night for Shikamaru. Do you wake him, put a blanket on him or something, or none of the above?]

[endgames]

[First, he takes a shower. After fighting Hidan, he got to the mountains the hard way before taking the teleporter back here. He doesn't much care, but he's probably been enough of a pain for one night.

When he's done, he checks the time. Not even six in the morning yet, and the sun is still far off. He drops a blanket on Masaomi and goes across the hall for something to eat, ending up bumping into Ino out there. He's quiet with the door, but Masaomi might hear that. If not and he's still asleep when he gets back, Shikamaru will go off to play shogi in his room.]

[generalflirt]

[He heard that. Actually, he heard it such that he is awake and able to make good on his plan. Namely, by the time Shikamaru is coming back into the apartment, he's sitting seiza in front of the door with his hands on the floor and wearing onto shorts]

Welcome back, Shikamaru-sama. Would you like dinner, or a bath first, or perhaps... [And he puts an index finger on his lips, suggestively] me?

[A TEST

OF HIS HUMOR]

[endgames]

[WHAT IS HUMOR.

Actually, while he's come to expect these things lately when things are trying, he's glad Masaomi wasn't awake the first time he got back. He's not snappish now, but he's not sure he can handle this conversation if it's riddled with jokes like that. Even for Masaomi. Even for knowing why he does that.

Blankly, he sidesteps and doesn't speak until he's shut the door.]

You can go back to bed.

[generalflirt]

Mmm. [He stands now, in one movement and puts a hand on Shikamaru's shoulder]

Pass.

[endgames]

[He fidgets and breaks eye contact, sidestepping away after a moment. Let him get away from the door at least. He feels caged stuck between like that.]

[generalflirt]

[Fine, fine. He releases his grip and steps back, smiling a bit now]

[endgames]

[Shikamaru's still avoiding looking at him, but he doesn't go far. Just to sit on the couch.

He doesn't think it would be just a guess to say that Masaomi saw Hidan's arrival on the journal by now. He took all of his weapons and was gone for half a day - that alone would've clued him in that something had come up.]

Where's Linda at?

[generalflirt]

Wow, you aren't being observant. [Linda is, currently, on the ceiling. She's practicing holding a magnet rise on a given surface to keep herself stuck there and - more importantly - to charge the air just enough to distort people's perceptions. And she flops down right next to him when she releases it.

...Okay so she's trying to recreate that move Stunfisk used. They both have been]

[endgames]

[...given he didn't see her when he came back, after the shower, or when he left the apartment to go out in the hall, she has to have been holding that the entire time. His eyebrows go up a little and he nods to her when she lands. That's pretty damn impressive.

He also takes it for the insult that it is. Masaomi's right - he's not being observant if he missed that. He needs to get his head back on track.

At the very least, Linda is his measure for the mood of her trainer. If he were upset, he'd be getting it at least two-fold from her.]

[generalflirt]

[It's true - right now, she's only radiating pride about herself, and sweating. She really needs to get some some sort of snack in here. Oh well. She settles in at Shikamaru's waist, looking up at him as Masaomi himself leans against the wall. She looks expectant, he looks attentive]

So, we're back on the legacy of Asuma-san?

[endgames]

[Yup, he knows. That's good, that's less he has to explain. Shikamaru closes his eyes and uses his fingers to pop the knuckles in the opposite hand to loosen them up.]

I will never forgive what happened to Asuma. [Pop, pop.] But his death has already been avenged. This isn't just about that anymore.

[generalflirt]

You sure? [He says this very, very sharply. Because if you're going to end up like that again it's going to be complicated for everyone in this building and their mutual circle of friends. Particularly him. Which is the reason that, as he says this, he also keeps to keen glance on Shikamaru for any tell he knows]

[endgames]

[Shikamaru's voice gains more confidence, and he's smiling when he looks back over to Masaomi.]

Absolutely. Before, he didn't get the chance to touch anyone else after he murdered Asuma. It took less than a week. They buried my teacher, and then I buried him.

[generalflirt]

[He claps his hands together and winks at this, twirling in place] Hey, my comrade, say the word and I'll help you kill 'em again.

[Because if there's one thing he gets, it's revenge. He probably holds on to things even more than Shikamaru. But, hey, if he's over it, that's cool too]

[endgames]

I told you before I didn't kill him.

[The smile fades a little, and Shikamaru leans against the back of the couch.]

He can die here, though. I haven't decided if that's what I want yet. [The words roll off lightly, like his options are running through his mind. Not over it. He might not ever be.] Either way, he's my opponent.

[generalflirt]

Shouldn't it be "enemy?"

[endgames]

Both. For now.

[generalflirt]

Fair enough. I'm in.

[endgames]

[Wow did you not get the point of those possessive pronouns.]

[generalflirt]

[No, he ignored them. See, smile]

Look, I get you're excluding everyone else. If you want to exclude me, you can try to work around me, [He won't even mind, really] but I'm going to give you a headache about it.

[endgames]

[He closes his eyes again, and tries to wipe the image of blood and rain and unseeing eyes from his mind.

I don't want anyone else to die because of me.]

I'll give you something to do. But you absolutely cannot fight him without me. [He opens one eye to look at Linda.] You too.

[generalflirt]

[Linda was smirking already actually, and in fact was going to- wait, no! What, she can totally take him! She starts to make a little Pii-protest before Masaomi waves a hand for her to be quiet. She pouts and he nods]

I don't even know what he does yet, so that's fair.

[endgames]

It's not even about strength. You could be the strongest there is, but physical attacks would be wasted on him.

[generalflirt]

Yeah?