032 -- [Voice || Action]

[endgames]

[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.]

Comments

[Filtered to Masaomi]

[endgames]

[He sulks, having missed the reaction he wanted. Slouching back with his arms folded, off camera there's a groan of metal squeaking on its hinges.]

I thought it was funny... [Mutter mutter. He perks up again just as suddenly, loud in his enthusiasm.] Oh hey! No one got the germ joke either. You believe that??

[Filtered to Masaomi]

[generalflirt]

What?! [With mock shock, now making his way to ... wait where is he going] No one has a sense of humor! That one's a modern classic!

So where am I going?

[Filtered to Masaomi]

[endgames]

Haaa- [He didn't say? Huh. Who did he say that to then...] -aaah. Playground.

[He rocks his foot and the roundabout creaks on its hinges again.]

[Filtered to Masaomi]

[generalflirt]

...Weird. Okay, okay, I'm gone.

[For there. And he shuts the journal to just head there instead]

[Filtered to Masaomi]

[endgames]

[Whenever he opens his journal again, he'll find about three minutes worth of Shikamaru rambling on the other end: useless, inane things not worth detailing. Eventually he stops, realizing his audience is gone.

He's still on the roundabout when Masaomi shows up, legs hooked over the edge and keeping himself upright by leaning forward against one of the handle bars. One cheek against the metal, he finds himself staring at the slide across the way, focused on it and only it entirely. Dredging up memories of when he was small enough to play in a place like this. He'd walk himself home, usually. Every once in a while, though...

"Dad... Can you let go of my hand already?"
"Oh? Are you embarrassed?"

He smiles into the handlebar. What a stupid kid he was. Should've just held his hand.]

[Filtered to Masaomi]

[generalflirt]

[Aaaaand Masaomi shows up, a jacket on and his hands in his pocket. He tilts his head a little and... that's weird.]

Shikamaru...?

[Filtered to Masaomi]

[endgames]

[Like a sudden braking motion, one foot juts out into the dirt as Shikamaru's head jerks up at the sound. This would make a lot more sense if the roundabout were moving, but whatever. Seeing Masaomi, he looks nothing short of ecstatic.]

Ha! There you are! [Wide-eyed and with a toothy grin, he ducks under the child size handlebar to greet him... and over-corrects and nearly falls back into the little pit under it. This produces a laugh, as he gets his balance back quick enough.] You finally made it!

[generalflirt]

Haha, wow... wasn't but a few minutes, man.

[He would frown, but instead he just grins a little and saunters on over to Shikamaru. No need to offer his hand or anything, he just gets over to him, a hand on his hips]

[endgames]

Yeah, but I've been calling you for... [He holds his hands up in front of him, fingers up, as if he can physically grasp the time reference he's looking for] ...ever. Fifteen, at least?!

[Yeah, he gives up on that with another laugh, moving over to clap Masaomi on the back. Probably worth noting at this point that he does smell.]

But whatever. Glad you're here, man. [Another clap.] Let's hang out, you an' me.

1/2

[generalflirt]

[ ... Huh ]

[generalflirt]

Hey, you call and I show. That's how we handle it, you know.

1/2

[endgames]

Yeah. I know.

[It's why he called him. Well. And because the part of him that cares about whether it's rude or not to wake someone up at 2 AM has fled.

But mostly. Mostly it's because he knew that if he did, Masaomi would come.]

[endgames]

Wanna seat? Or wait-- hold on.

[Soon as he's said that, with another clap on the back, Shikamaru turns back to the roundabout. Gripping it by one handle, he pushes it along carefully.

On the other side, opposite of where Shikamaru was sitting before, is a bottle of Genshu sake and two cups. Both are already filled - one left sitting, and the other half drained. Shikamaru stops the roundabout's turn with a touch when the sake is facing them.]

There.

[generalflirt]

[Oh. A part of him is conflicted, because despite his own past experiences with alcohol, a voice in the back of his head tells him that Shikamaru of all people, is better than this. That voice is quashed just as fast by the talk Chouji and him had early in the draft.

We will, huh.

So he shrugs and takes a seat - or well, he just crouches such that he's lurking near the ground with legs bent]

Let's do it.

[endgames]

[It probably doesn't help with how hard Shikamaru has avoided it up until now. Frankly, even drunk, he was almost expecting to be called on that. When he's not, the grin stays in place.]

Good man. S'what I wanted to hear.

[He hands Masaomi the full cup. The cup is chilled, having sat in the cold night's air for longer than when he called Masaomi to start.]

Theeere you go. [The second cup he knocks back, not trusting himself not to spill it as he lets himself fall back to sit on his ass. It kicks up a little dirt cloud; particles of earth that stick to his black pants and shirt. Once he's sitting, he reaches back up to grab the bottle.] Serve yourself whenever you like... It's like an open bar.

[This is said with a sweeping hand motion, and a snicker. He fills up his cup again and sets the sake bottle back between them.]

[generalflirt]

Pretty crappy decor for a bar. [He says this with a lop-sided grin as he takes up the cup. HE doesn't down it in one go, instead downing a decent sized sip. Which makes him make a slight face, but]

[endgames]

I got tired of walking, you know? I was gonna go that way [he turns his head, looking off to the mountains in the distance], but it's far. Seriously... you ever thought about how far? It's very far. You have to walk the whole way, and then climb, then climb again. Man... It's troublesome.

[He pauses to take a short drink from his cup.]

Anyways. I gave up and stopped here.

[generalflirt]

Says the guy that cheats by jumping everywhere! [He laughs at that, taking another sip. Another little face, but he's feeling it already. Man this is stronger than he thought]

[endgames]

[Pfft. He's just gonna laugh to that one.]

[generalflirt]

Seriously, seriously! It's buildings and trees, buildings and trees! [He makes a wave-humping motion to demonstrate "jumping" - but as he makes it he realizes it could symbolize something else, which just makes his already existent giggle fit that much worse]

[endgames]

[Oh he catches that.]

Hey. Heeeey. [He leans forward, to point better.] ...you're not a lightweight, are you?

[generalflirt]

Hey, hey, hey, dooon't assume things like that! [Waving a hand dismissively. :T ]

[endgames]

Ha! At least you could be a man and disguise it with a full glass. You're not gonna sip it like a girl the whole time, are you?!

[generalflirt]

Hey, it's half done here! [And in fact, the assert his manliness he downs the rest of that glass before going to pour another]

[endgames]

[It's met with applause.]

Yesss. That's more like it.

[Heavily slurring his words there, and not to be outpaced he downs his cup again too. He'll refill when Masaomi is done with the bottle.]