Appointments Post ( II )

[generalflirt]

This post here is for personal conversations which should happen but one or both of us doesn't want to put up a new post/log and thus we will just thread it out here. This can be used to thread with Masaomi anytime and anywhere. This can either be in person (with action), or via the journal's call feature (voice and/or written).

When replying to this post please mark in the subject line when and how it is taking place EX:
[Action, March 11th]
[Voice, September 8th]
Written, June 10th]

(Link to old one here)

Comments

[Action, March 10]

[generalflirt]

Well is there a better way to manage this?! Tell me, Sensei!!!

[Action, March 10]

[endgames]

Usually they just threw shuriken at us when we took too long.

[Action, March 10]

[generalflirt]

[...At eight year olds?]

Yeah, pass.

[Action, March 10]

[endgames]

Thought as much.

[With a little laugh, but he gets up to come stand by him now, circling the log.] Part of it's just a matter of getting you used to it, like how we got your system used to chakra being molded. In the finer details, it's a unique experience for everyone...

[Action, March 10]

[generalflirt]

Alright, alright. At least we proved I can do it in the first place. [And he sighs before finally goes about actually doing it for real. He does this and...! There! HE poofs out and replaces himself with the log. He's glad. HE managed it on the first try!

In fact, he whoops!]

[Action, March 10]

[endgames]

[Shikamaru grins widely, unreserved.]

Twice, even!

[He'd had an idea to help him along before, but the more Masaomi can pull this off the easier it's going to get to do it repeatedly.]

[Action, March 10]

[generalflirt]

Damn straight! I'm doing it something serious now! [And he gives a dramatic point, laughing to have managed it!!]

[Action, March 10]

[endgames]

Now do it again.

[Action, March 10]

[generalflirt]

Yeah, yeah. [With the log being put down there and he can go back to doing the hand signs and such]

[Action, March 10]

[endgames]

Five more times at the same distance, and we'll call it good.

[He seems pretty confident Masaomi can do it, not that it's happened twice. He goes to take his seat once again by Linda. And so that happens for a while.]

[Action, March 10]

[generalflirt]

Five, huh? I'll give it a shot.

[And he nods, decidedly. And back to practicing the hand signs]

[Action, March 10]

[endgames]

[Shikamaru will give him pointers here and there as he goes through that. Ways to achieve a smoother transition through the hand signs, how to get a feel for how much chakra you're generating. The execution, how it's kind of like dodging with your chakra.

Things like that.]

[Action, March 10]

[generalflirt]

[Incidentally, while he is diligently keeping this up, Linda is bored out of her skull. Seriously, this is just stupid. Why are you guys so invested in this stuff. Woooow]

[Action, March 10]

[endgames]

[It's that time of the year when the strawberries can be found up here again, so Shikamaru gives her one.

As he's waiting for Masaomi to finish up to, he cracks open his journal and--]

[Action, March 10]

[endgames]

[--that note, anyone care to fill me in on what's going on this time? I'm not usually one to complain, but I could have sworn we left the cold weather behind us a few months ago--

--closes it quietly, rigid.

Oh.]

[Action, March 10]

[generalflirt]

[Masaomi didn't hear that.

Because he's too busy practicing. Linda is eating and looks up at Shikamaru, not really getting it]

[Action, March 10]

[endgames]

[Shikamaru's still not sure if he heard it right. There's panic there, before he can reel it in. His hands shake and for a second he questions it and this reality. If it's fake it's a lot more subtle than that dream was, that's for sure... so that probably isn't it.

Okay. Okay that's... Well, something he can work with. He steadies his breathing; tries to get control of the emotions ricocheting like a bullet inside his skull.

Looking absent, he stands again.]

Hey, Masaomi...

[Action, March 10]

[generalflirt]

[Well that makes him mess up his last sign. He sighs, and turns, attentive because something feels weird the moment he starts paying attention again] Hey?

[Action, March 10]

[endgames]

[Shikamaru puts his hands in his pockets, posture and expression a blank slate.]

I need to take a rain-check. If you want to call your training good for the day, that's also fine.

[Action, March 10]

[generalflirt]

Why.

[With his eyes narrowing a bit in spite of himself. He focuses on Linda's pantomime too, given she's next to him]

[Action, March 10] 1/2

[endgames]

[...

If Linda's doing anything behind him he's oblivious to it. He doesn't break eye contact, but there's nothing to fill it in the pause that follows. His fingers twitch in his pockets, searching for words to say what he wants to say, but only finding lint and metal.]

Sarutobi Asuma has returned to Luceti. [The drawl in his voice is absent, but there. Wasn't so hard. ] I need to go get my head on straight and...

[Action, March 10]

[endgames]

[His eyes flicker down, then back up, with a tight smile.]

Then I suppose I have a lighter to return.

[Action, March 10]

[generalflirt]

[Oh. Well that's... something. He doesn't really emote that much more a moment before he breaks the distance between him and Shikamaru and sets a hand on the guy's shoulder]

[Action, March 10]

[endgames]

[Reflex is to shrug it off and step away - his right foot pivots, in fact, to set off that motion. Because that is what he does when there's too much going on for him to handle.

Or it's what he used to do. He can't live like that forever, can he? Sweeping everything under a rug when it diverges from the norm, cutting his friends out. You can't tell yourself you don't want to act like that, then make no steps to change it.

He ends up staying right where he's at, though he can't make eye contact now. One hand comes out of his pocket to run over his face, and he laughs from under it when it stops over his mouth.]

This isn't fucking fair to him.

[Action, March 10]

[generalflirt]

Call me crazy, but I tend to focus on how it's unfair to you. [But Shikamaru knows he's biased. Objectively, he knows that it is unfair to Asuma too (actually, probably arguably more) but his loyalty of course is to his friend before his friend's mentor he doesn't know as well]