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]

[A nod.] Kenta.

[abidinglaw.livejournal.com]

An unusual name -- to my ears at least. But not without merit. Do you plan to keep him behind doors or will you give him the run of Luceti?

[By this point the admiral is making idle conversation of a sense of duty. He did cause the cat to claw the poor man half way to ribbons.]

[endgames]

Uh... [That's a good question, actually.] He's an animal, so he needs to run around. [Grumble, grumble.] My apartment would probably look better for it.

Not sure how much freedom I should give him yet, though. It'd be troublesome if he ran off.

[abidinglaw.livejournal.com]

Indeed.

[He considers this for a moment.]

And if the infamous Shifts have the power to effect cats as they do Luceti's citizens, you would have double the cause for worry.

[endgames]

...secondary concern. And here I was just wondering how much trouble he'd cause if he got out and knocked some girl cat up.

[abidinglaw.livejournal.com]

For an answer to that we need only turn to the plague of kittens that has befallen our Luceti of late.

[endgames]

Troublesome. What this place really needs is a vet.

[abidinglaw.livejournal.com]

A little louder, perhaps.

[The admiral suggests, without any intention of explaining quite why. The truth is that he is coming to the conclusion that the arrivals in Luceti are in some small part dictated by the needs of its current residents. Silent for a moment, he turns his attention to the shelves of the item store. Here he finds a tin soldier, two or three inches tall and with a rifle held up across its chest. He picks it up.]

Perhaps Doctor McCoy is capable of providing medical care for animals? You may wish to ask him.

[He might, for example, remove the kitten's claws.]

[endgames]

[It's something he's wondered himself, along with why so many people who know each other arrive here too. It gives him pause before responding - something to think about another day.]

That's the guy you were talking about earlier, right? Can't hurt to check.

[abidinglaw.livejournal.com]

I have not had need to seek his aid myself, but he did admirable work on the draft and he has been recommended to me by a number of my closest allies.

[One is a number, right?]

[endgames]

[The loneliest that you ever knew.]

For veterinary work? I didn't realize that was such a problem on the last draft.

[abidinglaw.livejournal.com]

I cannot imagine that the anatomies of men are far removed from those of animals. Why, not long ago I saw a rat dressed as a man running errands in the square. He walked on two paws and stood as tall as a child.

[A pause.]

This is a strange place.

[endgames]

...aa. I've seen that guy before, myself. [Not sure if that anatomy thing applies to a normal cat, though. 8|a]

This place is pretty messed up though. Then again, it's the people who make it seem that way, but none of us really belong here.

[abidinglaw.livejournal.com]

[And for some of us, there is nowhere else.]

If you do not mind my asking, where might you belong?

[endgames]

[Usually, he does. But that same homesickness that creeps up on him every time a friend goes home is eating at him.]

...home. A village called Konoha. [...] Most people here have never heard of it.

[abidinglaw.livejournal.com]

The Far East?

[endgames]

Farther, if you're talking about the Earth most seem to be familiar with.

I've seen maps. My world doesn't look anything like it.