~♥TWENTY-ONE♥~

[generalflirt]

[Action]

[Okay, so after flouncing the house yesterday and taking up residence in a random apartment in the middle of the night, taking only his journal and the clothes on his back, Masaomi is now left with a few things to do today on the 8th, now that he rested all of the seventh. He is of course ditching school if there is any, but he will be heading to three different places:

1) The Smithy, to see if he can't find or request the construction of a collapsible baton, like the ones he used in the draft
2) The clothing shop, because he left all his hoodies/other outfits at home. In fact, he's still wearing the ninja vest he wore in the draft today, albeit mercifully with a washed pair of pants and a washed T-shirt.
3) looking for people

He is specifically looking for his closest non-Mikado friends, those who need to be protected, or those he respects/figures can do something (slatebreaker, seiriald, markofthebrave, boomchuka, wise_maiden, liketofu, heavenslament, poppetry, falenandawn, mischiefbreeder, its_troublesome, acowardlyoak, anddeathsdoctor) though will not object if other people run into him. He is however, in the darkest of all moods right now, and still is a little weak, despite a day or rest. He'll be all over town looking for these people (mostly because he isn't entirely sure where all of them live) and such.

-FOR THE RECORD IF YOU ARE ON THAT LIST AND DON'T HAVE TIME/ENERGY FOR A THREAD, FEEL FREE TO ASSUME HE GAVE THEM A HEADS-UP. EDIT: Also heads up if they can't be found for some reason or another. Just give me a ring somehow to know you saw. Also, like I said, anyone is free to tag whenever. Have at.

EDIT2: for context of why he booked it from the house see this thread (heavy spoilers for later DRRR novels)]

Comments

[generalflirt]

I came here to talk. [He says this in a flat tone, but does give Shikamaru a once over. He doesn't seem to have external problems, so... Oh well.]

[endgames]

[His injuries were small - well hidden under his t-shirt. Besides some pallor, he should look no worse for wear.]

That so? [...this should be interesting, then. It'd have to be important, for him to have gone to the trouble of finding out where he lives.

Shikamaru gives him a look-over himself, noting the holes in the flak jacket he lent him quietly. He knew he'd been injured beforehand - he'd tried to keep tabs on everyone, up until that final day of the draft, so it wasn't entirely unexpected. With a sigh, he nudges the door open further with his foot before turning to walk back into the living room, keeping close to the wall.]

Come in, then, I guess. Shut the door behind you.

[generalflirt]

Mm, of course. [And at that, he does - walk in and close the door that is. He considers taking off the jacket or asking if Shikamaru wants it back but... well, he'll get that. He doesn't make himself at home, instead just leaning against one of walls once inside]

You look better than I thought you'd be, Commander.

[endgames]

[Shikamaru would offer him a seat, but figures Masaomi doesn't need to be told if he wants to or not. He returns to the couch then, careful of his back.]

More tired than anything. Someone give you the impression I wouldn't be all right?

[He's guessing Katara. It would explain how Masaomi found the apartment as well.]

[generalflirt]

Based on what I heard here and there... [He shrugs, deciding against the name dropping thing. Instead, he just sighs a little and leans against the wall a bit more.] It's good to see those were wrong though.

[endgames]

Mm. They weren't wrong, but it's also not a big deal. [It's the honest answer, something he thinks he owes Masaomi and whoever spoke to him, but he doesn't plan to make more of it than what it is.]

How have you been? Healing up okay?

['You look tired' is what he wants to say, watching his posture and the way he leans against the wall. Then again, that's to be expected from everyone who got back from the draft, even a couple days later.]

[generalflirt]

Mmm, Quite well, quite well indeed.

[He's due back soon to be under Law's care. But. Oh well, he shrugs and tugs at the jacket, around the stab wound hole]

Do you want it back?

[endgames]

[That's good, then. Shikamaru wishes he had as much confirmation with some of the others that fought out there.]

Nah. [He shakes his head.] You might as well keep it, in case you need it again. It won't hold the same meaning for me if I wear it anymore.

[generalflirt]

Is that so? [He wonders if it's the symbol, the hole in it... or just him moving on somehow. But that's beside the point. He nods and is actually thankful. This thing was really useful]

[endgames]

Yeah. Stripped of what it is... [He trails off, reaching a hand up to rub at the back of his head with a small grin.] I still have the other one, anyways.

If you wanna leave it though, I can get someone to patch it up.

[generalflirt]

Mm. I wouldn't want you to go to the trouble.

[And he wouldn't want to risk losing it. But. It does sound like a fair idea. He considers it for the time being, but then shifts his position]

But I'm here to talk about something else.

[endgames]

I figured it'd be over something more important. [Returning a vest? Nice, but not worth tracking him down to do. His expression settles once again, attentive.] What is it?

[generalflirt]

There's someone very dangerous in Luceti now.

[Flatly. He tries not to betray any emotion beyond his obvious anger]

[endgames]

Same can be said for half the people stuck here. [But it's obvious from the anger that this is more personal to him.] Dangerous in what way?

[generalflirt]

He's a liar, a con artist. His name's Izaya Orihara... so if you see or hear from him, you should stay away and not trust what he says.

[endgames]

[...]

Okay. I'll make sure to avoid him. [He frowns.] What does he look like?

[generalflirt]

He's... ah. A little taller than me and a little thinner too. He's got black hair and brown eyes which can almost look red at times. Usually he'll have on a smile, and sometimes it's inviting... but that's a trap.

[endgames]

[Shikamaru nods, filing away each detail. He'll need more than that later, but it's enough for not.

A con artist, huh? Shikamaru rests his chin on one fist, staring at a spot in the coffee table. As a ninja, he knows well that deception and manipulation can be a person's strongest tools, so he'd never think lightly of them. But there's a lot of people here who would. And what with the kind of strength some of these people possess, an especially manipulative liar would hardly be a blip on their radar, or worth the warning.

His eyes flick back up to Masaomi. There's some history here, definitely, not that it's his business. The important thing is that those past dealings have obviously given him a better insight into what he thinks still makes him dangerous, all things considered.]

Is he from your world? Or did you meet him in Luceti...?

[generalflirt]

He's from Ikebukuro. [He's been resisting giving any information thus far to anyone else but... the fact Shikamaru isn't pushing in a way Masaomi can recognize and it comes after Katara, so freely-] There's two people in Ikebukuro that if you're sane you never want to deal with... ah, both of them are in Luceti, actually. One of them is the Strongest in Ikebukuro, Shizuo Heiwajima-san. [One finger goes up on his hand] The other is that Izaya bastard.

[endgames]

Shizuo... [Shikamaru has a good memory, and that extends to the events of that one experiment, back at the end of April. It's not a lot, but he can put a face to the name - and from there, pick out where he's seen him just in passing.]

The guy with that penguin suit? I think I've seen him going into the Good Spirits.

[But he doesn't remember hearing a warning about him now.] Do you think this Izaya guy is more dangerous to people here than he is? I mean, you called him the strongest of the two.

[generalflirt]

Shizuo-san... [Truth be told, at one time he might have thought them on the same level of danger. He might have thought the same of Celty. But Celty, monster or not, have been kind to him and Mikado. Shizuo similarly was nice enough during that Alternate Luceti, which is when he recalls being aware that he was here for the first time. Masaomi finally shakes his head]

...Mm. Shizuo's the strongest person in Ikebukuro. Even Celty-san said that Shizuo was "way stronger" than her. He's a monster, actually... ah, but. I don't think he's malicious the way that other one is.

[endgames]

[He raises an eyebrow at the word choice.]

What way is that? As far as Luceti goes, there's little for him to gain here [He counts the following off his fingers] - no currency, not much of a trade system, and power and influence comes and goes more than the people themselves. Those are the traditional things a con artist goes after - something that's of value to them.

With those absent here... [That doesn't make him a non-threat, no, but it does raise concern about what this Izaya is interested in.] What are you expecting him to do?

[generalflirt]

To mess with people.

[To be fair... he doesn't know all of Izaya's goals. He doesn't know why he does what he does. But he knows that Izaya is a bastard and he can see no logic for why he was messing with him or his Scarves. None at all.]

[endgames]

[...]

Aa. [His eyes narrow slightly, and for a moment something changes in his tone.] So he's that kind of person.

[The lazy drawl is back in the next instant, however, as he stretches his arm to scratch carefully at a spot on his back.] If that's the case, I can see why you're warning people. That's worse than having no motive at all.

[generalflirt]

[Good, he gets it]

Mm. He's a dangerous person, Shikamaru-kun. But just keep away, it'll be alright... ah, but a smart guy like you probably would notice he's shady to begin with.

[Unlike what he managed]