018 -- [Action]

[endgames]

[He wakes up to a mostly empty apartment, every scrap of evidence that his best friend shared it with him removed, save for one small kitten. It’s not the first time, with that exception. Chouji’s disappeared like this before – barely two months ago. But he came back.

And now he’s gone again. Shikamaru isn’t sure what to think about that, mostly because he's considered it all before. He knows what Chouji is going back to, knows it's important, knows it will be all right because eventually, he's going to leave this place too and see him again.

He knows he's going to miss him, even though he shouldn't. But that it's okay to admit that too. So with that thought in mind, Shikamaru ends up sitting on the couch, trying to think about nothing at all. At least until he can get his head clear and straight on his shoulders again. He can't afford to sulk all day.

He still ends up checking on Temari’s apartment, just to make sure evidence that she lives in it are still there. (Though if it weren't, that'd be okay. She has less of home here than he does.) And then he takes a deep breath, and goes to knock on Ino’s door. No public announcement, and he’s not going to hunt down anyone else today. If he runs into any of his and Chouji’s friends, he’ll tell them, but if not… everyone else can wait a day.]

[After talking with Ino, and a few hours spent in or around CH1, Shikamaru heads out to take a walk into town. There’s a black kitten with blue eyes grudgingly carried along with him that’s keeps trying to climb up onto his shoulders, or his head. Empty as he thought their - his - apartment looked, there’s apparently still enough in it for one little kitten to wreak havoc with. So not trusting he could leave him alone, said kitten is getting dragged along for the ride.

He shouldn’t complain too much. Most of the stuff Shikamaru is picking up is for him anyways. Food, litter. He doesn’t think the cat needs much else, but feel free to correct him on that if you see him.

For his last stop of the day, Shikamaru makes a detour into the item shop, browsing through the puzzles and games, and the kitten’s mewing isn’t going to make him leave any faster. He needs something new to play.]

Fine, you don’t like the idea of that one. Don’t see how it matters to you – you’re not the one who’s gonna be playing it.

Comments

[endgames]

Hm- oh hey, Archie. [What do you know, a person he's actually happy to see today.]

How've you been?

[simplestgift]

Extremely well. [This whole system of dining with Aubrey once a week has really raised the morale in his house.] Was that one Dr. McCoy's as well? He liked having them around despite himself.

[Talking about the kitten.]

[endgames]

[He gets it after a second, turning to look at the kitten keeping his balance on his shoulder. The kitten looks back. And swats at his nose. 8|]

Uhhh... [He picks him up, pulling him further back from his face.] I have no idea, actually. My friend Chouji is the one who brought him home. He said he came from a big litter.

[simplestgift]

[Archie narrows his eyes at Shikamaru, as if something he can't remember is on the tip of his tongue.]

You weren't in the last draft.

[endgames]

Mm. [He's not sure whether he should be grateful or not for that, and some of that good mood dissipates just so. He'd have gone if he could, with his friends out there, but he'd only gotten back from the Malnosso's cells the day before everyone was sent out.]

Didn't make their list.

[simplestgift]

Then where... [He feels like he's seen Shikamaru recently, or more recently than he thought till now. Something about deer. Or maybe that was a dream.]

[endgames]

[He sees what Archie is getting out now. He doesn't remember then? ...probably for the best. Shikamaru would make something up, but in this instance he thinks it's better just to play dumb. Maybe he'll wind up thinking he was mistaken.

Acting like he didn't hear him:] What brings you here, then?

[simplestgift]

[It takes him a moment to process the question, as hard as he's thinking.]

Rope.

[endgames]

Didn't think you were a skipper.

[Come on. Out of your head long enough to realize he's joking with you.]

[simplestgift]

[Blink blink.] Beg pardon?

[endgames]

You know - skipping rope? The girls I went to school with used to do that.

[simplestgift]

[What does that have to do with it? Maybe he's just remembering a weird dream. He blinks and shakes his head.]

Do you know what epoxy looks like?

[endgames]

If it's what I'm thinking of, yeah. Stuff's way better than super-glue.

[Back home, they're in the process of rebuilding the village, and all of the houses and businesses that were destroyed. He saw quite a bit of epoxy - worked with it too.]

[simplestgift]

Can you help me find it, then?

[endgames]

Uhhh... [He probably should get back. The cat is annoyed with him as it is, for not letting him down.

...but he's not very eager to sit in that empty apartment again, just yet. So instead he nods.]

Sure, why not. [He keeps the kitten in one hand, and goes to move out of the aisle they're in.]

[simplestgift]

[Archie follows Shikamaru, still trying to think of what that dream was about. It's driving him nuts.]

[endgames]

[Things arrive in the Item Shop almost haphazardly, but over the years it seems like people have been getting a system together for it. Furniture over here, games over there, tools and hardware this way.

It's still not all that organized, mind. You don't have to step around anything, but as the items come and go, nothing really has it's place. Shikamaru sets the kitten down on a wide shelf where he can walk around and stretch his legs without destroying anything or running off, then starts to dig through a large box.]

You fixing something or making something?

[simplestgift]

Making something. A model of a ship, actually.

[endgames]

That'll take a while, won't it?

[simplestgift]

Not half as long as the ship itself.

[endgames]

But at least you can go on the ship when it's done. [Nothing in this box. He moves over to look at some items on a shelf.] Pays off more, I'd think.

[simplestgift]

I've never built one before. I've a feeling if I can do it in miniature, the bigger one won't seem so daunting.

[endgames]

Heh. Fair enough.

[And at last, results! He pulls a tube about four inches long from off of the shelf, turning it over to make sure it is what he thinks it is.]

There we go. Think that's gonna be enough for the job? [He holds it out to him.]

[simplestgift]

[Archie takes it and weighs it in his hand.] I've no idea whatever.

[endgames]

[...pfft.]

You're not gonna need to use a lot, unless it's a big model. Like I said, the stuff's strong.