012 | [Action/Voice]

[savethelastchip]

[ It hasn't so much been Chouji's favorite week in Luceti. There's something to be said for getting picked up and dropped off by scientist robots with no idea what happened in between and all. Memory issues leave a general unsettled feeling in their wake, make things seem a little unsteady. And he's been feeling a little bit off in general

Comments

[Voice] Chronologically last

[its_troublesome]

[Busy training for the day, Shikamaru doesn't get this until much later on in the day, when he gets back to the apartment and goes to look through his journal.]

Not unless you're still out there in the middle of the plaza. If you are, we need milk.

[The fridge shutting in the kitchen can be heard, as he checked on just this.]

[Voice]

[savethelastchip]

[ Oh hey, Shikamaru did get back around to his journal. :|a He was starting to wonder. Voice will be ever so slightly on the shaky side by this time- but you know how manly ninja are about being completely fine. ]

I'm close enough to it.

[ ...yeah, he is SO out of that plaza right now. >_> He's, like. Just crossed the bridge from the road leading out of it, far. Mere details, though, bro. Milk trumps any qualms about extra walking. ]

[Voice]

[its_troublesome]

[...noting that. It's been five days now, but he's still a little on the wary side since Chouji's returned from his mallynapping.

But it can wait until he gets back, Shikamaru figures. How long does it take to grab milk?]

You hung out in the plaza all day?

[Voice]

[savethelastchip]

[ Milk it is. Making the turnaround. ]

Yeah, pretty much. [ Smiling. like that really ever needs to be bracketed anymore ] It's a good way to run into people.

[Voice]

[its_troublesome]

[Smirk.] Oh, is that it? Trying to follow social norms... Ino would be proud.

[Voice]

[savethelastchip]

[ A little pause complete with complimentary blink, and then on he soldiers. Mostly because ha. ] It can be our good news on reserve, if she ever shows up.

[ Put it between "only about four stores" and "no way out." It'll be a breeze, right. ]

[Voice]

[its_troublesome]

And if that doesn't work, we could tell her most of the guys here are single.

[She'd love that.

.....]

Actually, scratch that. She shows up, we don't say a thing about that. Ever.

[Voice]

[savethelastchip]

[ Chuckling. How did you read his mind about the secrets of singles in Luceti :|a ]

I dunno. If we don't tell her, she'll just- [ and the smile gradually heads into light frown territory. ] just figure it out...

[ Well, it started out strong, at least. As the sentence progresses, it turns a little more fumbled and overall abandoned; Chouji comes to a sudden stop in the road with a furrowed brow and widening eyes.

Something feels distinctly wrong- ]

[Voice]

[its_troublesome]

Gives us time to plan...

[Frown. He knows you gotta be sick of this question by now, but-] You okay?

[Voice]

[savethelastchip]

[ This is the moment where he's supposed to shake it off, start moving, say he's fine, he knows, but nothing seems to want to turn over, come out-- feels almost like getting hit with a sledgehammer, somehow (he's wavering, but that's not right- can't even manage another step forward?) and the blood is draining from his face--

he can't think

... Sorry, Shikamaru. No answer forthcoming. ]

[Voice]

[its_troublesome]

[His voice is weighted with demand the next time he speaks into the journal, when the reply doesn't come.] Chouji.

[Dammit, something's wrong. Chouji isn't the kind of person who'd joke around like this; if he's joking he makes sure you know it, never wanting to worry people. And if he were distracted by meeting someone he would've said as much by now. Or he would've heard someone talking - the journal is still open.

Shikamaru can't hear anything. Not even his breathing - the journal's too far away and still angling downwards - he can't fucking see.

But he knows it. Something's wrong.]

Chouji, say something.

[Voice]

[savethelastchip]

[ He wants to, or is he trying- no, he's not, and something in his hand- Shikamaru- but nothing makes sense. Can't think, can't breathe, chest hurts, something's wrong.

Chouji wavers for another second before he pitches forward, eyes closing, journal starting to slip out of his hand somewhere along the way: he doesn't make a move to catch himself before he hits the ground (the best view his journal is likely to offer by that point is one of his legs-- he'd probably think it was better than nothing). ]

[Voice] 1/2

[its_troublesome]

[...]

Fuck.

[Action]

[its_troublesome]

[His journal drops from his hands. Before it hits the ground he's out of the kitchen and dashing for the steps, taking them three at a time when he reaches them all the way up to the eighth floor.

Finding Shino's door, he knocks hard on it.] Shino, open up.

[He knows you're in there - he just saw you heading this way a few minutes ago.

...yeah, pounding on the door is resuming.]

[Action]

[donaldtrumpcard]

[It won't take him long to answer the door, but geez, what you doin' hammering on his front door like that Shikamaru? He answers it and gives him a somewhat blank stare. He figures this is important though since he rarely does anything like this that would require so much effort on his part.

He'll be silent and wait for the lazy ninja to tell him what's wrong.]

...?

[Action]

[its_troublesome]

[He doesn't have to wait long - Shikamaru's talking as soon as the door is opened.]

Your bugs - I need you to find Chouji.

[There's an unspoken 'now' in that statement. His voice isn't panicked - though god knows he's feeling it - just urgent. You can't afford to lose your head in these situations.]