033 -- [Action]

[endgames]

[In anticipation of a witch hunt, Shikamaru left the village a solid week or more ago for a spot he could wait things out and do as he liked. After John's report to the village, he trained with Twila's powers some and checked out the barrier. He never forgot that looming detail - that a deadline was approaching - but it wasn't the loudest though to linger in his mind.

"I've let your new attitude and wings slide, because we're friends. But it's starting to make you do things you wouldn't normally in a bad way. You should get it together."

It's troublesome but not untrue, which means that comes before anything else. Control is the name of the game here. Twila catered to his apathy, and while there's something nice about not feeling sad or anxious anymore, until they split ways he's going to be the one calling the shots. And after that week... he is for the most part, and ready to take care of things.]

[Since it's hard telling over the journals how much things settled in the village, so on June 9th he makes his way back on his very best behavior. Best. Maybe. PROVOKE HIM AND FIND OUT. He's still possessed by the start of the day, but in general, Shikamaru can be found attempting to mind himself while doing any of the following:

1. Observing people from high up places and making weirdly realistic shadow puppets to pass the time
2. Exploring the new parts of the tunnels
3. Searching out anyone he might have been an ass to, because he should make up for that 8|

One way or another he's back to normal by the end of the day, so people might find him in CH1 too after the fact.]

Comments

[generalflirt]

[Masaomi is... sitting down there, in the middle of the path. See, the tunnels drown out the spirits a little, and as much as he was getting along with Tsinku, he wanted some privacy. Which is why he's sitting down here. Just. In the way like.]

[endgames]

[That his wings are still large is the first thing Shikamaru notices. He frowns, stopping his footfalls and folding his hands behind his neck. He scrutinizes him for another moment before his voice echoes in the tunnel.]

And they say I'm lazy... Did you find it too troublesome to walk the rest of the way?

[generalflirt]

Actually, I can just hear him less here.

[He says this without really looking at Shikamaru, though he does start a little. He calms quick though, and smiles to himself.]

[endgames]

Aa. I thought you were going further in.

[Well whatever. He drops his hands to stick them in his pockets, and steps over to sit beside him without another word.]

[generalflirt]

Are you going further in?

[ Because he's going to go further in if he's going further in ]

[endgames]

I dunno yet. [He drapes his arms over his knees, with a faraway look at the tunnels ahead.] I came here on a whim.

[To be honest, even with the tunnel quieting the connection between Twila and himself, there's a feeling he can only describe as uncomfortable about being here.]

[generalflirt]

Mmm. [And slowly, he stands. He walks past Shikamaru, placing his hand on the guy's shoulder before getting ahead of him] Then how about I lead?

[endgames]

[Shikamaru slouches some, under the weight of that hand, remaining seated for a while longer. His focus readjusts from the end of the tunnel to Masaomi as he steps ahead, quietly regarding him.]

...That sounds like a change of pace I can follow.

[He pushes himself up at the knees.]

[generalflirt]

Deal. Now use your super memory and remind me which one gets to that secret room.

[With a side grin, he just starts walking ahead, knowing the other guy'll catch up]

[endgames]

It's this way. [He nods with his chin towards the right path, having made this trip a few times now to the door he and Precis opened in October.]

[generalflirt]

[Sweet, he was going that way anyway. To the right, to the right. He mutters some thanks at this]

[endgames]

[Shikamaru says nothing for the moment as he follows along, adjusting to the sense of dread that seems to grow with each step. It's easy to move forward, once he's separated Twila's concerns from his own.]

[generalflirt]

You sure took a while, Shikamaru.

[Lightly, as he makes his way further down the hall. This is after a decently long stretch of silence]

[endgames]

Hm? [He raises his head, surfacing from his thoughts.]

[generalflirt]

You've still got those wings, but you're back in town, at least.

[endgames]

I hadn't heard much on the journals, so I thought it was safe to check things out.

[generalflirt]

Safe, huh?

[endgames]

Unless there's some angry mobs I should know about.

[generalflirt]

None that I've heard of.

[endgames]

Cool. That makes it a good decision.

[generalflirt]

I'm not sure there were mobs in the first place, though.

[Thoughtfully.]

[endgames]

There could've been.

[Absent from his tone is anything defensive, because it was a silly move. But the possibility existed, regardless.]

[generalflirt]

Yeah, maybe if we were in Osaka and Twila was a banker.

[endgames]

[That joke goes right over his head and he feels bad for it, so he's going to switch gears now.]

...I'm not going to apologize. For what I said that time.

[generalflirt]

[Jerk. you know, actually]

Well that just makes you a dick, doesn't it?

[Without stopping or changing his tone]