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

[endgames]

[And takes a step and promptly falls flat. fuuu that did not go as planned. 8|]

[generalflirt]

[Pfffffthahahahaa he brusts out laughing at that. Hard enough he rolls out of his seat and falls on the ground himself]

[endgames]

[He turns his head. Wow he thought you were on the ground to begin with. Well whatever. GLARING. He thrusts a hand out to smack him too, but comes up just short. HUFF.]

When-- [He hiccups, then pulls his face back a little. Everything's all blurry.] When'd you move anyways??

[generalflirt]

When I was refilling. Took a seat?

[Yeah, that is how

it worked. Now he is on his side]

[endgames]

[He slowly looks from Masaomi to off to the side of him, eyes losing focus as he tries to follow that chain of events. It'd bother him usually, but after another moment he shrugs it off. He's not going to be bothered by it.

He tries reaching for his cup now, but that's out of reach too.]

Oi. Be a pal'n help me out here.

[What is rolling over and doing it himself.]

[generalflirt]

[Fine, let him roll. Roll over to him!! So much rolling!! And he then goes to shakily get on his knees to shakily stand]

[endgames]

[This is definitely the more sensible option to getting up and doing it himself. In fact--]

Oh and you should bring the bottle closer while you're at it.

[generalflirt]

[...But he was almost there...

Oh.

Whatever, he just- leans over to grab the bottle. Nottles?]

[endgames]

You're a pal. Best pal. [Sob.] I'm glad having you around... don't even hafta get up or anything.

[generalflirt]

[And he gingerly picks up the bottle to gingerly set it down next to Shikamaru's head. Not that he managed it all that well]

[endgames]

[Close enough. He grabs it quickly when it's in reach to make sure none spills, oddly careful for someone so drunk. He peers through the glass closely, trying to determine how much is left in it. It's dark though, so he just ends up sloshing it around to hear how much is left.]

Thinkin' there's enough for... [Slosh, slosh.] ...two cups? One each. You 'n me.

[After he's finished off what's left of this cup, anyways. He picks his chin high enough up off the ground to drink again.]

[generalflirt]

May...be? [He says this while squinting. He totally can't make it out, himself]

[endgames]

[He looks off to the side and smiles into his drink. And one for you, too...]

Gotta finish it off. [Bottoms up, and he sets the cup back down for a short break, swallowing against the burn.] Not gonna wuss'out on me, right?

[generalflirt]

Never! Come on, you know I'm solid.

[And with a pout, but an assured one, he goes to take his own sip, knock it back, and swallow it in one go]

[endgames]

[He grins wider.]

Like deodorant solid, or rock solid?

[generalflirt]

Sholid like a fox.

[endgames]

[Oh that kind. Very slowly does he attempt to prop himself up.]

Foxes are cool. I gotta cloak, you know.

[generalflirt]

You've got a clock?

[endgames]

Cl--oak. Ohhhhh not ahhhhh [he manages to sit up a little and opens his hand, trying to summon the power!! but it goes nowhere and] shit.

[He hangs his head. WAS REALLY HOPING THAT WOULD WORK.]

[generalflirt]

I don't even know what you mean, man. [And he laughs to himself after saying that, because clearly it's hilarious]

[endgames]

It's... chakra. [He tries it again, but no good. He hasn't been able to use it at all since they got back inside the barrier.] Dense'nough you can see it. All red and glowy and shit?

[He turns his hands over a couple of times, not channeling chakra anymore but just flexing his fingers. He sets it down after a moment to grab the bottle.]

[generalflirt]

Tha's some pretty intense chakra if it can do that?

[Based on what he remembers of it? That actually sounds cool]

[endgames]

You got no idea, man. It's a piece-- like you know the 5000 piece jigsaw puzzle get- that you get. At the store? Yeah? [Not waiting for an answer] It's one of those tiny pieces, a piece that Naruto gave me. And the whole puzzle is... really strong.

[generalflirt]

How can a puzzle piece be strong...?

[endgames]

When it's really a Tailed Beast.