endgames | 006 -- [Action || Voice]

[It is a rare thing to catch Shikamaru out of bed before noon, much less wandering around the western side of Luceti's forest when it's so freaking cold out.

Then again, it's not every day that he's been told that there's a possibility the village might find itself resembling some kid's aquarium If Things Do Not Go As Planned ~~even if we ooc-ly know they will, more or less~~. Despite being told like everyone else that there's nothing anyone can do to prevent it if something goes wrong, waiting for the inevitable just feels like a death sentence. There's being lazy, and then there's being stupid.

Feel free to bump into him if you're out that way yourself. When he's finished, he'll head back towards town, hands stuffed in his pockets. He throws up a voice post on his way.]

Anyone here good at digging holes? [That came out a bit sarcastically - it's early. Okay, but seriously:] Or better yet, skills for manipulating the earth.

[Once that's done, Shikamaru takes some time to track down his fellow ninja before heading of towards the Avatar House.

And then, a filtered message that was here the whole time.]

[Filtered to Trafalgar Law || 100% Unhackable]

I'd like to talk to you about some things, if you're up for it.

[From what he gleaned of your conversation with Catherine, you have a better understanding of the way tsunamis work. Understandable, for a pirate. And while he can come to his own conclusions, it's not a substitute for someone who knows what they're talking about.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

...I think he's talking about preparing for the tsunami.

Or two or three. [No more than seven, but if it gets up to that then there's really nothing they can do. He keeps his attention on Toph.] So it'd be coming from the outside.

From what I was told, each wave will reach speeds up to 1000 kilometers an hour. The mountains will take the brunt of it, but eventually it won't be enough to protect us. I'm not an expert or anything, but you don't have to be to guess that's a lot of water.

Right. Water. [Ick. She didn't like the idea of drowning.]

It'd need to be deep. Really deep, like an underground cavern. And the hole would have to be sealed tightly with something strong. I could bend a metal cover with enough metal, but it'd need more support then that. Probably layers of it.

It's doable, but I'd need a place here that had stable ground, away from town and these tunnels. The further from town the better, probably. [Because the closer to town, the weaker the ground is.]

[Metal too, huh? Bending is useful stuff.]

I agree. From what I've heard, there was an earthquake that came through here a few months back. Sticking away from the fault-lines would be a smart move.

I was thinking northwest of the village, past the forest. [The trees will be a weaker defense than the mountain range, but it's something. From what Catherine told him, the tsunami will be coming on the desert side, east by northeast. The corner just out of it seems like a safer bet.] Have you ever been out that far?

Not just fault lines. Those tunnels make the ground a lot weaker and will be the first to go if we get a flood. Nevermind the shockwaves of the water hitting the town, the ground will give from weight alone probably. They weaken the ground under this entire town.

No, I haven't. I might take a look around later though. [Yes, look.] I'd have to check the ground anyway.

Probably why there was so much damage to the town in the first place. [He's glad he wasn't around for that.

But forgive the guy for being unaware of just how badass your skills as an earthbender are, Toph. As knowledgable as you sound about what you're talking about, he has his suspicions but he's really only tapped the tip of the iceberg.] How would you check the ground?

Obviously.

I see using the ground. [Said in an obvious tone.]

By see... [He tries to remember how aware Katara seemed to be of her element when they sparred. Shikamaru glances down to look at her bare feet; considers how easily she moved through the house, with it's floors made of stone and a clearer picture forms in his mind.] You mean you use it like a conductor, and sense things through it.

[He pauses to see if he got that right.]

Right. I see with earthbending. I feel the vibrations with my feet or hands and see where everything is. Including what's underground. [Huh, this guy's not too bad.]

I'll be able to tell if the ground is solid or not by going there myself.

Edited 2010-12-13 09:13 (UTC)

[He can't help but grin.] That's a handy skill. [And exactly what they need. It's ironic - he wasn't actually expecting to find anybody in Luceti capable of giving them that.]

Would you mind if I sent someone with you when you do go? If it is stable, the sooner we start working on it the better. And it's kind of a long walk.

Of course it is. [She's the best earthbender ever, what do you expect?]

Someone? Who? [If he's saying she needs an escort he's going to get it. :| ]

Friend of mine. [Who also spent some time in this house as a chibi. He was the nice one. Kinda chubby, but if you call him that you will get a lineface.] Chouji's no earthbender, but he can clear a path if he has to - even if that path's through solid rock. Having two of you on it will make the job go faster.

Great, though I don't think I'll need it. You seen Katara's bending? [Does he know what she's capable of?]

Up close and personal. And that's why I'm only sending Chouji. [If Toph can earthbend anything like how Katara can waterbend, then they may actually have a shot at this.]

Think of it this way - if you don't need his help, then at least he'll be around to see how things are going. He can keep me updated so you don't have to.

Fine then. When do you want this done? [Because obviously, the stuff is going down right now.]

Three days is all we have to work with if the people on the draft fail. We'd be better off if we can do it in two.

Geez these Malnosso cause a lot of problems. [standing up and heading to the door.] You coming?

Edited 2010-12-13 12:11 (UTC)

They're a troublesome bunch, that's for sure.

[He nods, getting to his feet.] I have some other stuff to take care of here in town, but I'll take you to Chouji. He'll know the spot I was thinking of.

[Katara has listened to them talk with no small amount of satisfaction and focus. She always likes it when her friends get along and planning for survival is way better than sitting back and doing nothing.

Of course, this is only if the draftees fail. And if they fail...

That's not worth thinking about. It's still better to do something then it would be to spend these three days worrying. And who knows when else they could need a giant hole in the ground?

So she stands too.]

I'll talk to Sokka about how we can get our hands on enough metal and bring you and Chouji some lunch later. [She glances at Shikamaru.] Let me know if there's anything else I can do.

[To be honest, Toph isn't prone to worrying. But it's something to do and winter is boring. Even better if it's useful.] Ok.

[Hey, giant holes are awesome. They can be cave people.]

That's a good idea. [And saves him some time. He nods his approval to Katara, even as he heads for the door.] And I will. By the time you guys finish, we should have a better idea of how to go about it from there.

Thanks for your help. [Headscratch.] And for breakfast.

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