endgames | 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

[It is kind of weird and detached. Considering some of Shikamaru's odd behavior in the past, especially when telling him about the Hidan guy, Aang feels some concern. The draft being called "kind" even in a relative sense is particularly worrying.]

I- I'm glad, too. For everyone who's back. But... Are you okay, Shikamaru?

[...he smirks. A little fondly.]

You worry a lot, Aang.

[And he can't help but chuckle a little at thatt.]

I'm not starting to sound like a mom too, am I? [He nervously glances around him just to make sure a certain party didn't overhear that.]

Moms are way scarier. You're definitely starting to get that whipped old man vibe, although.

I... I am? Something's... whipping me? Or is it like whipped cream?

[--okay, now he has to laugh.]

What, I'm concerned!

You've really never heard that expression.

I don't... think so?

[He snorts, with a small smile.] ...It means the women in your life have you wrapped around their finger.

Well, that... that doesn't sound right. [He says with some nervous uncertainty.]

[...would he? He raises an eyebrow.]

...Not literally.

I know that! But no girl's making me say this.

I know. You've been around them so long, it's gotten that bad.

[Can you hear the pity.]

But... I'm around lots of people a lot.

It's different with girls. Or at least I hope it's not the same story with you and guys.

Well - uh - [He looks on a bit, in confusion.]

What about Toph?

--she turn into a guy when I wasn't looking?

N-no, but gave lessons on manliness.

Still gotta count it.

Okay then. I guess they're different.

Told you.

[He's too good at this sometimes.]

But that's not gonna make me stop worrying about my friends.

How much good does it do to worry?

[This could be the pot calling the kettle black; Nara Shikamaru is no example of someone who doesn't worry over his friends, for all his laid-back appearances.

And at the same time... He doesn't miss a beat, with a drawl that's becoming a little monotonous.]

It's an exhaustive activity, for something with so little productive output.

[Kind of like this store business. Shikamaru eyes the basement he's in with a frown, from where he's seated himself on the floor. He came here to work, but hasn't done anything more productive than locking himself in.]

[The way Shikamaru says that... it seems so cold and distant. And he reminded that one time after Mikado left, when Shikamaru jacked into a conversation to try to protect Masaomi's mental state. This time, for once, Aang is the one to put on a private filter.]

It's always good compared to the alternative: doing nothing while your friend could be suffering. Because no one can be open about their problems here! No one can try to get help. When you all keep your pain hidden, you make it a root that people can trip over without realizing and spread thorns throughout your body. Like - like that time I was talking to Masaomi, after Mikado went home! You're the one who stepped in. You protected in, because I couldn't know why my words were hurting him.

You, Masaomi, even Katara sometimes... a lot of the times I can see only see bits of what's hurting you all. And I don't understand. That's not the way to healing. So I'm gonna worry. How much good it does... it depends. But if it leads to me finding a way to help, any way at all to help you feel even a little better, than that's gotta be worth it all.

[Voice/Private]

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[Voice/Private] 1/3

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[Voice/Private] SPENDS TOO LONG GETTING TO THIS

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[Voice/Private] IT'S ALL GOOD

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