035 -- [action | voice]

[endgames]

[It's an antsy day, in an antsy week. Every time he gets back from a mission, lately, it feels like that. He's had a project in the mountains the last several days, and with the news from CJ last night, Shikamaru can think of a lot of other things he'd rather be doing. But with Korra on a mission, he'd feel bad for ducking out of work. At least he wasn't here for the experiment, or worse: his birthday.

So he can be found at the convenience store until late afternoon, messing around with a digital camera. He got it last December as a Christmas present from Precis, but he actually hasn't practiced with it any until now. Sorry if you are SUDDENLY BLINDED by the flash feature he didn't know was there, he didn't mean it.

Unless you're Naruto or Masaomi. If you're Naruto or Masaomi, he's doing it on purpose because he's an ass and this is what true friendship is built on.

Later in the day, before work gets out, he'll crack open his journal to make a post. He's been thinking about this for the last week, reading up and practicing how to make asphalt. It's not as difficult as he would've though, and he thinks he has it down now.]

[Voice]

Hey, Luceti. It's kind of late in the year for it, but the weather's been dry enough... So let's pave the roads. Anyone up for it?

[This might be ill-timed what with recent news, but hey. It doesn't hurt to gauge interest. There are a lot of other things he needs to take care of today, however, so he starts setting up some filters too.]

[Filtered to Cilan | Private]

Yo, Cilan. I got a job proposition for you.

[Filtered to Makie | Private]

...where the hell do you even live. I was gonna go visit you, but I forgot how much walking that takes when you don't know where you're going.

[Filtered to Gai Tsutsugami | Private]

[Flat, but not caustic.] It been enough time for you?

[Filtered to Haruno Sakura | Private]

[A string of scattered dots shows up in the filter before any words do, tappings of a pen. The message itself, when it shows up is anonymous. The handwriting is disguised and the picture in the journal window covered up to hide the identity of the writer. Inserted are a series of numbers: coordinates Sakura could figure out in her sleep.]

Come to the following coordinates at 1900 hours. Uzumaki Naruto is going to test the barrier, and he may need medical assistance afterwards.


(ooc: if enough people are interested in the road project, I'll make an ooc post organizing things for it after the House of M plot is done. right now this is testing the waters. 8|a)

Comments

[Voice][Filtered]

[medicalpunch]

[Anonymous filtered messages about her teammate doing dumb shit? This seems suspicious but at the same time she knows Naruto and she knows what his thick head will drive him to do.]

Oh for the love of...! Testing the barrier, really? If he doesn't need medical attention by the time I get there, he might need it by the time I'm done!

[By which she means of course she'll be there.]

[Filtered]

[endgames]

[...still anonymous here, he can't help but feel he didn't give Naruto enough time to prepare.]

Make that 2200 hours.

[voice]

[dangerouswind]

Any particular reason you want to pave the roads?

[voice]

[endgames]

[Yes. He thinks it would make Masaomi happy, for one, but that sounds kind of gay even in his head.]

I wouldn't have to deal with dirt on my shoes anymore, to start.

[Action]

[believeit]

[Another click, and yet again Naruto is franticly blinking in an attempt to get rid of the BLINDNESS Shikamaru has caused him. He understands why he must be compelled to snap pics of Uzumaki Naruto-sama's beautiful face (It's beautiful and HANDSOME Mom said so) but come on.]

Oi. Are you gonna keep doing that all day, or what?

[Action]

[endgames]

[Man, that came out way too blurry. How still do you have to hold these things...? He messes around with some buttons, not looking up from the camera screen.]

I dunno. Has your vision cleared yet?

[Action] in the convenience store

[windandrain]

[Well, the camping trip is over and Saori's been out of the house for nearly a week. That means that there's not a lot of food, so...time to head to the convenience store for a few basic things.

Only, when she wanders in there's a sudden flash of white light right in her face. She lets out a little squeak and stumbles back into the door.]

Hwahhh?! What was that?!

[Action]

[endgames]

[HIS BAD, SAORI. He looks surprised even with himself, and quickly shoves the camera down into a pocket.]

Ahaha... [NERVOUS LAUGHTER.] My bad?? Are you all right?

actionnnn

[fervidity]

[Someone is in the aisles of the store in the evening, scoping out the place because she's been thinking too much about Serious Business and she just wants some time to herself and... NOT thinking of it.

AAAAND what's better than some candy bars? One is already peeled open and a large chunk has been bitten out of it. Her cheeks are full and she pauses mid-chew to turn and see what that bright light was about.]

actionnnn

[endgames]

[He wasn't shooting for her at all actually. When he's not blinding his good friends/co-workers, he thought it might be a good idea to take a few shots of the store! Things get bumped or misplaced all the time, and having a reference for where things go when he's not around could be nice. He was taking a shot of the candy aisles just then, but didn't notice Kushina was in the frame until the picture's snapped.

...it's a funny picture. Standing over by the front counter, Shikamaru can be found snickering fondly to himself at the camera in his hands.]

[Private]

[therewerefifty]

[...oh.

She wasn't really expecting that. Not...that she minds in the slightest.]

I just moved, actually. I'm in--

Ah. Room sixteen of community building ... seven.

[If there's pausing in there it's because living in an apartment is damn strange for we 18th century types. 8|a She just looked that up on a piece of paper.]

[Private]

[endgames]

[He said he would check on her! He should've done so sooner, really, but there was weirdness to get over, and not just from the aftermath of Zompano's invasion.]

Up four flights of stairs? Is that all right for you?

[Private]

[voidseeing]

Yeah. Still want to talk?

[His tone is its usual neutral one, a notable difference from the last time they spoke.]

[Private]

[endgames]

[Duh. But no, he can be more professional than that.]

Yeah. A couple hours all right?

[Private]

[cilantro]

[A job? That's a little unexpected, but...then again, he did say on numerous occasions that he would be willing to help out anyone who wanted his assistance with something, so--]

Oh? What would you like for us to do?

[Private]

[endgames]

There's a certain quality that's been missing from my convenience store that I'd like to see about fixing. Besides snacks and junk food, I'd always meant to offer ready-to-eat meals too. Sandwiches, rice balls, bentos... You know what I mean, right?

[action]

[floralogy]

[On her way to finally get that cute top AFTER A LOT OF PONDERING, Ino's walking down the Luceti village streets when FLASH.]

What in the--

[She stops, blinks a few times then looks around. She spots Shikamaru not so far away with some sort of box in his hands.]

Shikamaru, what the hell are you doing? I could have gone blind!

[action] 1/3

[endgames]

[Since Shikamaru's photo snapping is limited to the convenience store area, she must've gotten him as he stepped outside to take a shot of the front of the store. This is a nice, safe area, right? Can't piss anyone off out here--]

[Action]

[niceguypose]

[Perhaps it's not the best to get Rock Lee with such a flash.]

Is this an attack?!

[Either way, with his eyes closed, he is leaping with a kick towards the direction of the flash.]

[Action]

[endgames]

No, it-- [SHIT, INCOMING.] Oi, Lee, stop!

[HE WASN'T AIMING FOR YOU, DAMMIT. And so Shikamaru does the only thing he thinks he can do to defend himself - he puts a door between himself and Lee. Specifically the thick glass one everyone comes in through at the front. 8|]

[trinkett]

YES! Yes! [Wow SOMEONE sounds happy about this!] Let's pave them!


[What she means by that is hire people to pave them.]

[endgames]

You want to?

[YEAH THAT DOESN'T SOUND RIGHT. THIS IS THAT FANCY LADY, ISN'T IT.]

voice;

[nosenobounds]

Pave the roads? What do you want to do that for? [ Gosh, dude, got a problem with the ground or what. ]

voice;

[endgames]

A lot of people come from worlds where that's common. I'm not one of them, but I've been to places like that now... I can see where it'd be useful. Wheeling things around would go a lot easier.

[voice]

[yourhatred]

No.

[Look at that simple response. Itachi is not at all a fan of this idea.]

[voice]

[endgames]

[wow rude]

Is that a no to being drafted for it, or are you just that dead-set against pavement?

voice;

[prims]

I'll help however I can with the paving. I've never done it before, but if I'm shown how to do, I'll try.

[ paved roads sound useful, after all, so... ]

voice;

[endgames]

Laying it all out is where we'll need the most hands. You don't a lot of work, do you?

[Voice]

[savedtheworld]

Paving roads? What's that like?

[Voice]

[endgames]

Dunno! I've never done it before, but I've read up on the process. It sounds like it'll take a lot of work.

[voice]

[sixwayheart]

I'd be willing to lend a hand for that one, sure thing.

[voice]

[endgames]

You don't mind the labor?

[HE FEELS BAD, ASKING WOMEN...]

[markofthewise]

So is this project going to require us hours and hours of creating cement, setting it, and letting it dry... or are you just going to do some weird ninja magic to make it happen?

[endgames]

[Well he used a fire jutsu to make the cement in the first place, but it doesn't cut down any on the hours to make it all happen. Nor the manpower.]

There's people here like Aang that can help speed things up, but either way it's gonna come down to a lot of man hours.

[action]

[strangelyliteral]

[The convenience store. Sometimes Anya stops by there for it's convenience, though given she lives in house 7 it's not really that much more convenient than going to the grocery store itself.

Not that there's much she's interested in picking up right now. Maybe a fountain drink or ... something. Hmm. Though while she wanders through there's a flash of light from the corner of her eye.]

What are you doing?

[action]

[endgames]

[She'll finding him standing with his camera pointed at his beloved slurpee machine. Hearing the question aimed for him, he cocks his head towards her.]

Practicing. I got this camera a while back, but I've never used it.

[Yes, there's perfectly attractive women coming in and out of his store today, and his slurpee machine is what he uses this once in a lifetime excuse on.]

[16autumnroad]

[Chouji promised to take school day hours at Seventh Heaven so Rin was free to go. That takes up most of the day, and then he stops at home to pick something up. It's mid-to-late afternoon by the time he goes in search of his teammate. Checking his journal first, it seems silly to bother answering there when Chouji plans on heading over to the store anyway.

He walks in and grins, carrying a belated birthday present in a bag with him.]

Hey, Shikamaru. You know I'll help with the paving. [To absolutely no one's surprise, Chouji heads straight for the chips once he's in the door.]

[endgames]

[Chouji gets a grin.]

I was counting on it. No one has a back for this kind of stuff like you do.

[markofthebrave]

[Wow, there's a lot that Katara has to say about that, but first and most importantly--]

You want to pave the roads?

[--she has to tease Shikamaru about wanting to do work.]

[endgames]

[Drily:] I'm hitting my mid-life crisis; doing things I'd never consider in my youth. I cooked dinner the other day. Chouji was right across the hall and I could've asked him to do it instead, but I just...

[Appropriate pause for dramatic news. A deep breath.]

I just felt like doing it myself.