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

[endgames]

I'm one either way you cut it, but that's not why I won't say it.

[And he does stop, even if Masaomi doesn't, as they enter that hidden room and pass the board of messages.]

I don't want you to forgive me for that. Ever. Me, or anyone else who says something along those lines to you.

[generalflirt]

[And now he stops too. He sort of tilts his head a little, not quite sure how to respond to that one for a moment]

Yeah?

[endgames]

Yeah.

[Maybe Masaomi was one trainwreck after another when they first met. Actually, not maybe. He was. But he's become a better put together person in the last two years.]

You deserve better.

[generalflirt]

[What do you even say to that? He too looks at the marked up walls, before looking straight back ahead.]

It's not in my nature to not forgive you.

[Which is a lie, really. He holds grudges way too long. But he's been trying to hold back on that, and honestly, most of his grudges are on someone else's behalf]

[endgames]

[He looks away from the wall to Masaomi now, with a smile that doesn't meet his eyes. Idiot. Not even you believe the words coming out of your mouth.]

I'm not cut out for the pedestal you put me on. I think I'll disappoint you less the day you take me off it.

[generalflirt]

We're not that apart in height, chief. You don't need to be on a soap box to be seen.

[Even if he's not totally positive what the meaning is there, but he starts to walk again anyway]

[endgames]

["We're not that far apart in height."

That... actually does make him happy, his smile turning genuine. Equal ground is all he ever wanted, among his friends. Shikamaru gives one last look at the wall of memories - a glance to the pictures in particular - before following again.]

[generalflirt]

Now... the turns's here, right?

[He's not actually been down here more than.. once. Actually he's not been down to the lower thing which has been newly revealed at all.

[endgames]

Yeah. Then straight ahead. We opened it up just to find more doors that won't open.

[Or at least that's as far as he got. That was the day after they got the key from Davis... come to think of it, he didn't go farther than this that time. Could be worth looking further at them.]

[generalflirt]

That almost could be metaphorical.

[But ooookay. Turn and let's just keep on heading down the hall]

[endgames]

Only almost? [And that short hall leads straight to the elevator that opened with those keys. In and down we go.]

[generalflirt]

Something that's factual can't be totally metaphorical.

[WOO WOO ELEVATOR POWER]

[endgames]

I dunno. Seems the status quo of Luceti life.

[generalflirt]

That's just because "fate" hates us all.

[endgames]

Try not to talk that way around Neji, huh?

[An offhand comment, but he blinks as soon as he's out of the elevator before moving on. That was the most emphatic thing to come out of his mouth in a while.]

[generalflirt]

Why, he's got a complex?

[And Masaomi blindly leads! Past all these locked doors!

[endgames]

[And Shikamaru dwaddles, looking at the labels on said doors, drawling his words as he goes.]

Yeah. It's a chip on his shoulder I don't think he'll make peace with until the day he dies.

[But he doesn't just think it - he knows.]

[generalflirt]

[So he's like me? No, that's selfish. They're from a world of killers, no doubt he's got something more up his past. Masaomi shrugs dramatically as they go]

Alright then, not a word.

[endgames]

[Good man. And Shikamaru stops in front of one of these doors now.]

Hey, are you looking at these?

[generalflirt]

Not really, why?

[He was only sort of glancing, which was. His bad. And he stops]

[endgames]

[Shikamaru's checking out the room labeled CLASSIFIED, looking from that across the hall to the STORAGE plate.]

Each of these rooms seems to have its own designation. There's some interesting plaques here.

[generalflirt]

Yeah, what do we got?

[Oh, Classified, that's interesting. And he glances across-- man these doors are big and this hall is big too. He has to take a few steps to clearly make it out]

[endgames]

[He'll let Masaomi check those out himself as he moves back the way they came.]

Recreation... [A little further down.] And something called R&D here.

[generalflirt]

Pretty sure those usually stand for "Research and Development" unless they actually mean "Rap and Dance."

[Topically. And further ahead there's -] Security and Call Center down here!

[endgames]

[Oh that sounds logical to him. He turns around to face the other side.]

It finishes off [or starts? they're near the front] with Archives and Armory on this end.

[Shikamaru stands before the latter of those two, frowning before he looks to the side of it, where there's a panel. Out of curiosity, he punches in the code he used to open this section of the tunnels. It's a no-go, which leaves him unsurprised.]

Didn't expect it'd work twice.