endgames | 032 -- [Voice || Action]

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032 -- [Voice || Action]

[A ninja walks into the bar.

Okay, that's getting ahead of the story. Let's backtrack then. Not too far. Everything he's been through in the past two weeks doesn't need to be said. At least, this isn't the place for it. What's important to mention is that on March 27, Nara Shikamaru left Luceti, gone back to home and to war. He returned on the same day and got thrown into another, and coming back to day-to-day life in this village after has felt almost unreal.

It's been nearly two weeks, but it wasn't until today that any of it definitively sunk in. All of the deaths. Everything they've lost - that he's lost. That the fighting is over, even if the war isn't.

You wouldn't think moving on with your life would be the scariest thing about that.]

[Voice]

Yo. [The greeting comes after he's gotten a grip on himself, so lackadaisical you wouldn't know the difference.] Some of you might've noticed that old pizza place was being remodeled. It's taking longer than I thought, but I've been working on turning it into a convenience store since November. It can probably open soon.

I'm gonna stock it with the basics. Milk, bread... staples like that for when no one wants to walk all the way to the grocery. So what snacks and drinks do you guys want? I'm not going to the trouble of getting things it turns out no one likes. That way, they'll just sit on the shelf to collect grease and dust. That's gross.

[He waves lazily, like he gave up on the motion halfway through, and reaches over to switch the feed.] Lemme know.

[Filtered to Trafalgar Law || Unhackable]

Hey. Got what you asked of me too.

[/end Voice]

[Several hours later... A ninja walks into a bar, and for the first time orders not Mountain Dew, but Genshu sake. A whole bottle.

Convincing himself to drink is more difficult than ordering it, however. Shikamaru sits at the bar for a while, spending more time staring into his cup than lifting it to his mouth. It's not like he's in a rush. He made a point not to tell anyone what he was up to, just that he would be back late and would get dinner on his own. Eventually though, he does get to drinking. It's a lot easier once he's started, and he loosens up. He won't be at the bar long after that, called away on an errand which leads him down toward House 22.

(ooc: threads with Law and Masaomi will be canonically last for this part)

The next day... he has a hangover. And it sucks. 8|

But he has people to talk to. Sakura and Asuma are both on his list, if they're home. Ino is last, and not without Chouji to go with him. Anyone else in the building is welcome to run into him on this day too, of course.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[We're sorry, the Law you're trying to ring is temporarily unavailable. Please hang up and try your call later.]

[Much later, actually. Law has clinic duty to get through, and once he's done that? He walks home and takes a shower, shaves, and trims his goatee and sideburns before opening his journal.]

It turned up in the item shop?

[He hopes it did, anyway. Shikamaru paying points for an answer to a question was a little much - though Law wouldn't complain if this was indeed the case.]

[Oh someone's ringing him on his journal. He doesn't piece together right away what they're talking about though.]

Hm...? What did?

[Hard blink. What? Have you...]

Chakra paper?

Oh. [And then that settles in.] OH. Oh right, right...

[He fumbles around a little loudly, feeling pockets.]

Yeah, I have it. Want me to bring it over?

Sure. Come on over.

[Is the world ending? Are you really?]

[Wow Law. IT'S RUDE TO LEAP TO CONCLUSIONS. At least wait until he's knocking on the door or something.

Which he will be. About twenty minutes later. It sounds odd too, just fyi, kind of muted by something.]

[YOU'RE FORGETTING SHIT. AND SOUNDING OUT OF IT. YOU.

(And there's a bar's background noise to hear)

Come on man... give him some credit!]

Coming!

[That's sounds... strange. Opening that door now.]

Edited 2013-04-08 04:54 (UTC)

[RUDE.

And there Shikamaru comes tumbling in. He was kind of leaning distractedly on the door before, which is why the knock didn't sound right, and loses his balance when it opens.]

Whoa-! [He grabs fast to the doorway to keep himself from falling over and steady himself, recovering quick enough. Yay ninja. Blinks up at Law, then grins.] Hello.

[And okay, rude or not it's obvious now. He smells pretty heavily of booze.]

[PIRATE.

... sniff]

Hi.

[YUP.]

Come in. You want a drink?

Aaa... [He straightens upright, with a very serious air suddenly.] What kind?

... whatever you want, Shikamaru. [Though Law's getting himself a drink and it will be booze, because hell. WHY NOT.]

[If he were more sober, he'd question that you'd be so well-stocked, Law, even knowing you drink. Instead he tilts his head lazily and steps inside.]

Genshu. Has to be. Has to 'cause I can't drink anything else.

Genshu, huh? Itachi got a bottle of that the other day. Hot or chilled?

[Two words, Shikamaru: Christmas presents. Between everyone, he basically got a bar.]

... why can't you drink anything else though...

He didn't drink anything else. Never saw anything else ever, when I'd get him.

[The atmosphere shifts again, suddenly fond.]

It was chilled that time... Chilled is good this time too.

[And then he just stands there awkwardly because he doesn't know where to sit.]

[... yeah... he'll not ask. This is going into territory he shouldn't pry in.]

Then chilled it is. [Guiding him to the couch. If he falls asleep then he won't have to lose man points by being carried to it.] I'll get it out of the fridge.

Thank you.

[Pronouncing his words carefully. Stepping over to the couch, Shikamaru gives it some thought, and then removes his shoes. He leans heavily into the couch when he sits, tilting his head back to rest against the back of the couch where he can stare up at the ceiling.

It would be better, he thinks, if there were clouds.]

[And Law comes back with the bottle and cups. He glances up, following Shikamaru's gaze...]

I know. I've gotta get that repainted.

[He also returns with a silent shadow.

Itachi enters after with a pitcher of cold water. He sets it nearby.

He did pick up the bottle himself. No reason he shouldn't be allowed to share in it. Checking up on Shikamaru is merely a bonus.]

You should. It's a downer.

[He tilts his head away from the ceiling and suddenly Itachi's there too. He has the grace to look surprised, then lifts up a hand.]

Yo.

Dirty stucco always is.

[Cracking open the bottle to pour a generous amount of chilled sake into each cup. He turns then to Itachi as he hands him a cup.]

Shikamaru brought over some chakra paper for me.

Did he? [He nods to the teen.] Then I'm grateful.

[Even if it isn't for him. Helping Law might as well be doing him a favor too.

And don't look so surprised, Shikamaru. He lives here, after all.]

[But you came out of nowhere. It's like you were a ninja or something.

Reminded of the chakra paper, he sits up suddenly and fumbles again in a pocket, before retrieving the chakra paper in question. There's three small papers, each in protective sleeves. He has the presence of mind even drunk to hand them to Itachi, rather than Law.]

Here. You hold onto them, so they don't melt or crumble or break right away. Or something like that.

Or go boom.

[... aha. Yeah. The exploding tag problem.]

[Itachi reaches out to take them with a nod of thanks.] I'll be sure to keep them somewhere safe until they're needed.

[Then he takes a seat across from their inebriated comrade.]

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