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018 -- [Action]
[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.
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.
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Shikamaru tilts his head, contemplative of that.]
You haven't given up on that, have you?
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[His grin helps disguise the awkward bow of his head, because really, he should've known better.] You've been here long enough to know it won't be easy, but that's different than becoming complacent.
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[...he's sorry he hasn't found a way yet. That's what you all rely on him for, right?]
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[That would probably be the case, but this clearly requires a real team effort for finding that way out. And Naruto knows he can rely on Shikamaru to help out.]
1/2
[Just shaking his head, amused here.]
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[Have to.]
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You bet your ass we'll find a way outta here! No way in hell are we stayin' here any longer than we've gotta!
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I have some stuff I've gotta take care of today, but later on you and me can go over some things again. You've been here way longer than me, so I know there's a lot you can bring to the table.
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Of course then, this is the moment where a certain kitten decides to interrupt again, clawing Shikamaru's hand.] Ow... Troublesome cat.
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[Have a kitten. 8|]
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WHAT WAIT
NOOOOOOOOOO D|] H-Hey, hold on a minute! I didn't say that!
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Oh hey, I think he likes you.
[Don't mind him ignoring you now as he goes to browse the games at this end of the aisle. The kitten, meanwhile, is probably trying to crawl out of Naruto's arms and up his shoulder.]
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What is he doing!? [DON'T BITE HIS EAR OR HIS NECK OR SOMETHING.]
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[Just looking around now that his hands are free, sheeeesh. At that last exclamation, Shikamaru will turn around to take a look, but it just leaves him grinning. This is a lot more amusing when it's not happening to him.]
'sides, you can handle him, right? He's just a kitten.
{A little kitten who's just a little bored of all this. He'll probably try to bat at Naruto's ear curiously with one paw, but that's all.]
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Yeah... Yeah, I can handle him. [Can he just pry the kitten off his shoulder and hold it far away from his ear that he wants to very much keep?]
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...well. As 'happily' as he can bother being with his best friend gone again. Which isn't very happy at all, but Naruto has managed to put him in a much better mood, for what it's worth.
He mostly just needed the space to think.]
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WHY IS HE STUCK WITH THE KITTEN.
He's just going to slowly pry off the kitten.] C'mon, c'mon...
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Hearing Naruto trying to coax the cat gets a smirk out of him. It's pretty amusing. He's almost done here, though, picking through what games he actually feels like bothering carrying back in addition to the furball.
Meanwhile, said furball is probably going to do what many kittens do when faced with such treatment: mew with fright and squirm.]
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[He wasn't nearly as prepared for the kitten squirming, even if it's weak because it's a kitten. He just wasn't prepared, so Naruto freaks a tiny bit because the notion of dropping the animal is totally there.] Shh, shh! We're cool, right?
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Shikamaru can't exactly ignore that now, much as he might like to.]
Oi. He's a cat, not a diaper, moron.
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