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]

[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.

[generalflirt]

Of course it wouldn't - who'd be that lazy?

[As he makes his way back to be next to Shikamaru, having checked things on the opposite end to read them off and all]

[endgames]

They left this place here instead of destroying it, after all. It was worth a shot.

[generalflirt]

True. [A beat and] Anyway doesn't this all go further down? I heard someone found something in the dark and it's not dark here.

[endgames]

It was a chest. [He remembers hearing about that too - or he at least would've been active enough in the process of getting the key to hear about the chest when it was found (even if it happened offscreen). Shikamaru scratches the side of his head, just above the ear, and speaks stiffly.] In the caverns below.

[generalflirt]

Sooo... how do we get down there? Elevator, again?

[endgames]

[Yeah, he's feeling distinctly uncomfortable now. He coughs into his hand, clearing his throat and reading the plate on the door over again.]

I'll stay up here, if it's the same to you.

[generalflirt]

What, are we missing a sense of adventure?

[A smirk, just a little smirk as he goes to walk back towards the elevator]

[endgames]

...It doesn't like it here.

[generalflirt]

So? [Let's push it's comfort a bit more gosh]

[endgames]

So I don't want it thinking I'm here to trap it again, all right?

[generalflirt]

[:T Well, he steps back to the Elevator and-]

I, someone who is with Tsinku, hereby promise to Twila-chan, we are not going to imprison it.

[endgames]

--chan. Really.

[generalflirt]

Wasn't she a lady?

[endgames]

No. [OFFENSE CAN YOU SENSE IT. He attempts to straighten himself out.] Trust me, I would know that.

[generalflirt]

Soooo, you've had a dude in you this whole time?

[Ignore that he has too. The joke was right there]

[endgames]

[Better than a chi-- NO WAIT.]

That is a trap, and I'm not answering that.

[generalflirt]

[Okay leaning up against the outer door of the elevator in a prime example of unsafe, he just bursts out laughing at this. A loud, welcoms, laugh]

[endgames]

[A corner of his mouth tucks up, fondly. He's really missed stupid conversations like this, you know.

This thing with Twila wasn't entirely terrible. He didn't feel sad every time he thought about home and his dad. He had enough sense to realize over the week that that wasn't the way to do things: that it's a crutch not worth it if it means he doesn't care.

But it made him think, too, about how much he misses being happy when he would think about those memories. Or how he could reflect on other things besides the war, and be more involved here. And more than that, act his age again.

So... Maybe it's poor judgement, but he is grateful to Twila for some things. Enough that he can't let it hold him back from them. Plus Masaomi's speech seemed to sate it anyways... He shoves his hands in his pockets and walks back that way.]

[generalflirt]

[As Masaomi laughs though, something else happens. You see, Tsinku really does not like the dark spirit and is really wary of its entrance into Luceti again. But Tsinku's always been both logical and prone to snap choices - but above all, he's loyal. The loyalty he's felt in the man he's in has been one thing, but this particular moment confirms to the spirit that sure, why not? Two boys can get along, so maybe they can begin to try to tolerate the dark one, for all the problems its caused in the past.

And so just as quickly as Masaomi is possessed, his large wings spread wide and seem to explode in a see of yellow feathers, reducing back to his old pink ones in no time at all.]

[endgames]

[Shikamaru stops mid-step at the unexpected display, pulled out of his own thoughts. Dazed by it. As the feathers fade like a bolt of lightning's afterimage, he blinks.]

Hey. You're normal again.

[Is he all right? The way wings are tied with vitality in this world, he wonders if that would be painful and looks for any signs of it.]

[generalflirt]

Y-yeah. [And he ends up collapsing to his knees. Because he does feel more than a little dizzy from the whole thing of it. he catches himself, but- at least he doesn't think he's going to vomit or die]

[endgames]

[From the unfocused look on Masaomi's face, he could tell something was off. By the time he's dropping, Shikamaru's darted forward before sliding on his knees the rest of the way, coming to a stop in front of his friend. He outs a hand on his shoulder.]

You okay?