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

[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.

[generalflirt]

[He thinks a moment. A long, hard moment.]

Like a tanuki?

[endgames]

Yeah. [He refills the cup and thinks of Gaara.] Yeah. That was one of 'em.

[generalflirt]

There's a lot of Tanuki?

[endgames]

No, they're all dif'rent. There's nine of... was nine of... [Uh.] I guess there's ten of 'em. [A dark look crosses over his face, very briefly.] There's three left now and the three are different, and the tanuki is also gone.

[generalflirt]

Oooo.... kaaaaay?

[He is so confused now. Give him some more drink. Not that there's much of anything left in the bottle, really]

[endgames]

[Well he did refill those cups. He passed the one over to him now.]

Anyways... the nine-tails is the one with Naruto. It's helpin' us this time, I guess.

[generalflirt]

Naruto has a nine tailed thing somewhere?

[endgames]

In his stomach. But don't tell anyone. It's-- [He breaks mid-sentence, to take a long drink from his cup.] ...Secret.

[Though it's pointless now, since all the bad guys already know.]

[generalflirt]

I won't, I won't.

[He ate a fox...?]

[endgames]

[He reaches forward very suddenly, grabbing Masaomi by the collar of the shirt with his free hand. It's rough, but not as aggressive as you'd think. He narrows his eyes, trying to focus again.]

Swear?

[generalflirt]

[Masaomi, for his part, twists his face into a wider smile, not taken aback at all. If anything, the movement brings him some level of clarity. Namely, that despite wanting to be here doing this with Shikamaru if he's going to do it... one of them needs to be sober. Well, that's failed, but one of them needs to not be piss drunk]

Promise.

[endgames]

[There's a pause, two seconds of brain lag as he searches Masaomi's eyes and puts that one word together. He smiles then, grip loosening immediately and patting Masaomi twice on the shoulder.

Whether it's apology or approval is unclear.

Shikamaru drops his hand immediately after, going back for the last cup he poured himself and still grinning. There's not a lot left now, so he'll drink what's left slow.]

[generalflirt]

[Yeah, no more drinking for him. But as to the cause here... hah. It has to be that thing from the draft. He should ask, but. A part of him is afraid to ask, all things considered. So he just keeps smiling]

[endgames]

[Shikamaru continues to drink away at his cup, throat bobbing once when he finally finishes it off. It's followed by a satisfied sigh.]

Man... I really... I really don't like the quiet. [He sets his empty cup down woodenly, with a regretful smile. All gone now.] I envited you for the noise, y'know?

[Laughing in his own amusement at that, he reaches back for the bottle and gives it a good swish. He's not sure, but... He tips it a little, and the bottle dribbles, and then he tips it upside down completely, watching what was left of the bottle (half a cup's worth) spill out into the sand.]

Oh good. There was some after all...

[generalflirt]

Heeeeeh. So why don't you tell me what we're celebrating, and I'll know what sooongs to sing!

[With a crooked grin, but otherwise he's not quite as animated as he could be.]

[endgames]

Got any...thing... [he swings his hand back around as the last of the booze dribbles out, and drops the bottle at his side] pleasing for a funeral?

[generalflirt]

Mm. ...Not a song, sorry. Japanese funerals usually are pretty quiet affairs.

[Incense and cremation]

[endgames]

Saaame. ...usually it's rainin' too.

[He squints and looks up at the sky, as if expecting it, but things seem dry for now. He snickers, then bows his head back down.]

You'd think-- think it was a bad manga.

[generalflirt]

That does sound weird. It rain a lot in Konoha?

[He says this looking up at the sky too. It is odd. This does seem like a moment where there should be a thunder crack at least. EVen if reality usually doesn't cooperate like that]

[endgames]

[A shake of his head ends with him leaning dangerously to left, and he sticks out on hand into the dirt to catch his balance. It prompts a laugh, soon as he's sure he's not going to fall over.]

In the rainy seasons. It's, uh... [Snicker. Okay.] Bu it's waaarm most times. Land of Fire right? S'not like Wind, though... Wind's dry... And Lightning is cold...

[Slowly he adjusts himself, so he's sitting upright again, still chuckling a little.]

[generalflirt]

Man, you'd thinking Lightning would be hot, white hot, like it was Katara or Temari-san or something.