004 | [Action/Voice]

[savethelastchip]

[ Chouji did not make it home last night. And this is a fact he is quite aware of, seeing as it's daylight and the last thing he really remembers had a lot less of that. That's what happens when you storm off into mystery fogs in the middle of experiments

Comments

[Voice]

[its_troublesome]

Where are you? [What happened; are you all right. There's something hard in his voice, but past those edges is something like relief.]

[Voice]

[savethelastchip]

[ He'll match that tone with one much more apologetic and his own brand of relief. Shikamaru sounds distinctly not-dying, after all. ]

I'm on the way back to the building. [ I'm fine. ]

[Voice]

[its_troublesome]

[He breathes a sigh -inhales and tastes blood and ash on his tongue- and tries to grin.] ...I'll meet you there.

[Or somewhere along the way.]

[Voice]

[savethelastchip]

[ He should take grinning lessons from Chouji. Then he could just always manage. ] I'll keep my eyes open.

[ And not on anything particularly dead-looking that might turn up while he does. Good to have something. ]

[Action]

[its_troublesome]

[He'll be coming across the bridge nearest CH1 in about fifteen minutes, a cigarette lit between his fingers. If he's going to be tasting cigarette smoke, it's going to be on his own terms, he thinks.

As he gets closer, he raises his eyes from the ground, looking for Chouji.]

[Action]

[savethelastchip]

[ Chouji will be sitting by the front door outside the building; he might have waited in the actual apartment, but he's still more anxious to see Shikamaru than not. Just in case.

...yeah, with the waiting, he pretty retires to keeping his eyes determinedly on his hands by now. Once Shikamaru's close enough, he'll look up and...blink at the ANBU costume. Have a half-smile anyway. We're tired, but this isn't going to kill us, right? ]

Yo.

[Action]

[its_troublesome]

Hey. [He adjusts the mask just a little higher, making sure Chouji is as fine as he says he is. Just scratches... and he could probably use a nap, from the look of it. But that beats everything Shikamaru had worried about.]

Why the hell were you out- [He snaps his mouth shut. He knows why. Shikamaru walked as close to the town's edge as he could make himself - heard the sounds beyond the fog. He even knows why Chouji would have gone into it anyways; Chouji's always been like that. His heart is too big for him sometimes, and it will always have the final say if something matters enough to him.]

...Let's go inside.

[Action]

[savethelastchip]

[ Chouji nods quietly, standing to hold the door open. ]

Sorry, Shikamaru. [ Not for going out there; he'd rather be a little scratched up and know for sure it's a trick than to just hope it is and hear about someone winding up worse off.

But he definitely does hate making Shikamaru worry. He's not supposed to do that. ]

[Action]

[its_troublesome]

[Shikamaru nods his thanks to him, then stops once he's through the door, waiting for Chouji.]

Don't be. Just... let's stay where we can see each other, all right? We can be each other's anchor.

[Action]

[savethelastchip]

Right. No problem. [ No problems going in and not looking back; it turns out Luceti isn't all that attractive as a giant crater. ]

[Action]

[its_troublesome]

[You should see it when the barrier is glowing red. He wonders if that's what it looked like during the earthquake - it matches Katara's description.]

You eaten anything?

[Action]

[savethelastchip]

[ Learning through experience. Fantastic.

Also, all possible trauma aside, this is clearly what is the most depressing aspect of the situation. Mystical fog should provide food, Shikamaru. It should understand the entirety of the calorie-to-chakra process.

It just should. ]

Not yet... I'll get something when we get in. [ HE EVEN HAS PATIENCE. ]

[Action]

[its_troublesome]

[He frowns. Hell, he agrees with you on that one.

A thin Akimichi is not a good sight at all.]

I'll make you something.