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

Oi, oi.

[Come on. He's still a slacker, but he's not as bad of a slacker as he was back in the day.]

What? [Maybe so, but she can still tease you.]

[Siiigh.

He supposes it's something he'll never live down. It doesn't bother him too much; he figures his friends know they can count on him in a real bind.]

And what about you?

What about me?

If you have a problem, you just hit it. Right?

Sometimes.

[He snickers and shakes his head.]

[Staring at him.] Might do it now.

Tch. You tease me and I can't tease you?

[Shrug] Seems fair to me. [Shut up. She's totally not trying to keep from grinning.]

[Comical twitch.] Women have such a warped sense of these things...

Maybe - just maybe - it's you that's warped.

I have excellent sense, thank you.

[Says the guy who's plan to defeat Hidan was to let himself get almost eviscerated.]

Sure you do.

Shucks. I'm glad you agree.

[She waves a hand, not even bothering to validate that with any sort of response.]

[He's going to count that as a win. Time to go for two.]

...so have you given that thing we discussed any further thought?

[She raises a brow without saying a word. Be a little more clear. She has a general idea what he's on about, but she'd hate to make things easy.]

[He taps his own ear.]

[Oh, that. Yep, she was right. She shrugs and turns away.]

[He was about to open his mouth to go on-- wow are you ignoring him? He nudges her chair with his foot.]

[Okay, fine. She's looking at you. Do go on.]

You need to stop putting a decision off. It's not like you to be so hesitant.

[She knows. But there are other things at play here.] I don't trust them.

[Which is true. She doesn't, but there's something else that's keeping her from going to them. There's a fear that she will not admit to, not so far beneath the surface.

She died. She died and should be gone and mourned now. The nagging thought that she's a not-quite right facsimile of the real Temari will not leave her alone.

The fact that she has to go to them to be repaired like a broken doll only lends credence to it.]

So you've said.

[And he's pointed out, probably more than once now, that it's only John she has to deal with: that weirdo who lives in the tunnels. Rude and strange though he may be, Shikamaru's found him trustworthy at least. From his own experience.]

It's not like you can see someone else for a second opinion, though. There are those who've also gone before you, and they came out alright.

He's not going to have a change of disposition and go mad scientist just because you walked through the door.

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