endgames | 031 -- [Action

[Today is an understated awesome day, ladies and gentleman. To everyone? Okay, maybe not. But Shikamaru sure is pleased as punch. After a month's stay in the Battle Dome clinic recoveries from the injuries he got in his fight with Hidan, Shikamaru's finally cleared to check out today.

Before he gets the all-clear, he can be found in - brace yourselves - one of the Dome's simulation rooms. He's actually been using them for the past week for his physical therapy. If he's going to be doing a lot of walking, might as well change up the scenery.

Namely, he's replicated parts of the Nara Clan's forest. At its opening, the sky is more open, but the further in you go the thicker the trees grow together. Wandering will reveal easter eggs - old statues, broken and ruined, or a path of moss-covered stone lanterns. Maybe a young deer if you're lucky.

Other parts of the forest seem to be swallowed by shadow completely, offering nothing but pitch black that no amount of light will ease and the sense you're being watched if you step into them.

He'll try and clear up some stuff with Law before he goes, but after that he hits the journal.]

[Voice]

For those of you who saw that Vaskoth place... I figure it's been long enough. Name something you liked about it, if you can recall.

[Filtered to Molly (NPC) || 100% Unhackable]

You must be made of sterner stuff than I.

[/end voice]

[Feels like forever since he's been back in the swing of things. Shikamaru can be found at CH1 of course, in or around his apartment. Throughout the days following, he'll also be at the place formerly known as Azzip's, getting back to turning it into a convenience store.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Oh, that's variable.

Could be, not will be. [It's a possibility, but...]

We're divided.

More than that, we're sorely lacking a sense of community. And I mean more than pulling together in a crisis.

You're talking to the wrong guy about a sense of community. [Living with people he can handle. Working for someone or with a few friends? He can do that.

But a sense of community? That's beyond him.]

Am I? You understood the question.

You're comparing two really different things.

Further than that, then. You said you were the wrong guy, but you still knew what I was talking about. Half the people here would've tried to argue with me otherwise.

I know you. [He knows that Shikamaru's bright. He knows that Shikamaru puts thought into his words and actions. That's all there is to it.]

[And yet out of all the things that Shikamaru's had to explain to him, this isn't one of them. It's not even a matter of Silver just seemingly understanding the important things over the inane.

When he genuinely doesn't get something, he asks.]

Yeah. Right back at you.

I don't get along with structure, Shikamaru. [Plain and simple.]

[Now who's comparing different things?]

Aa. I get that.

[Do you, Shikamaru? Do you really get that he doesn't care for the concept of a community? If someone else wants to have a community party all over town, that's just fine, but...]

Oh well.

[He crosses his hands behind his head. What he doesn't say is that it's people like Silver that mean Luceti will never have that. He can't say it, because not even he wants it 100% some days.

This just isn't one of them.]

I'm not the guy who will make that work either, but I'll take care of what I can in between.

[...] Luceti's a double-edged sword.

On that draft, I watched someone pick a fight over soldiers killing sparties. His sense of justice was so strong that he ignored the reality of the situation and managed to get himself shot.

Another person savored the chance to put an infected person down due to a prior grudge and kept to himself.

A lot of people here are crazy strong heroes, fighters- you name it, we've got it. [It's impossible to not notice the average strength and skill difference between them and people in other enclosures.] On the other hand, most of those people happen to be crazy, stubborn, and stuck in their ways. [Rin. Moro. Mithos.]

I'm no exception.

Silver, I come from a village that's as much of a mixed bag as what you're describing. You don't know how true that statement is.

[No exception indeed.]

But. I'm not here to argue that.

[...Yeah, he didn't...

Think...]

...Why are you here, anyway? [Shikamaru? In... in the Battle Dome? Huh?]

[NOT JUST THE CLINIC FOR ONCE, INDEED.]

Physical therapy. I've been ghosting around all week, actually.

[...Hi my name is Silver and I didn't notice even though I'm here every day

uh

well-

physical what now

wait, he's heard of physical therapy before...]

[YEAH, WELL. SHIKAMARU'S TIRED OF IT.]

I get to leave today.

[...That's good news. That's really good news. It's about time, Shikamaru.] And here I was, finally getting used to visiting you every day.

Imagine all the free time you'll have at the Dome now. Oh wait.

If I used that time for the dome, I'd miss out on cloud watching.

[Gosh, way to drain the snarky comebacks. He blinks, surprised for a moment, and then his expression softens.]

There's gonna be some good ones tomorrow, I bet you.

And I bet it's gonna rain.

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