Well this has been waiting for a while to be done...

[cachinnusi]

Characters: Naruto, Doumeki, and anyone from the Way that wants to greet them.
Content: Doumeki and Naruto are in the port and they have a little talk. And end up being shocked by the Way's condition.
Setting: Shashta and the Way.
Time: After all the shit hits the fan (bombs, etc etc) and the Way docks.
Warnings: The threatening of crewmates,

Comments

[d_luffymonkey]

Luffy was just outside the Way, looking around the city as his eyes sparkled with excitement. Man, Shashta seriously was just like what Shanks had told him! The boy just couldn't wait to get out there and explore the city - and hopefully find a place that sold meatloaves to eat while at it, or maybe donuts for Vash. Grinning to himself, the rubber boy started to jog about, attracted by the many sights and sounds of the city. And then he saw them.

The yellow hair was all by means really noticable from this distance, at least to Luffy's eyes. And who couldn't forget the guy who ordered that woodchuck stew? A bright grin spread across Luffy's face as he jumped a few times, both arms up and waving into the air as he started to call them while running towards their general direction. "Heeeeeeeeey, Naruto! Watanukiiiiiii~!"

[cachinnusi]

"Luffy!" Naruto almost croaked, staring at the rubberman for a moment before gesturing at the ship, at a loss for words about it. Doumeki's only response to him was a nod, as he seemed rather intent on getting on the ship immediately and finding Watanuki, Kurt, and Vash. He had a feeling that there was a lot of work to be done.

After being passed by the stoic boatswain, Naruto's attention quickly returned to the other powder monkey. He waved his hands in the air suddenly, still not sure exactly where he wanted to start with his questions. "What the hell happened to the Way?!"

[d_luffymonkey]

"Its nice to see you again~!" Luffy almost chirped, huge goofy grin still on his face as he came and patted Naruto on the shoulder once. "Its been a while since you're here; a lot happened while you were away!" He continued, eyes still sparkling with joy at the sight of his fellow friend finally back here. Then he paused when Naruto asked about the ship, and the monkey boy turned to look at its dismayed state as well, one thumb coming up to be lightly chewed on as Luffy thought back about what happened

[cachinnusi]

"I'd say it's nice to be back, but..." Naruto stared at the ship-his home-with dismay, though his attention returned to Luffy at the pat to his shoulder. He mustered up a smile for him, though there wasn't as much brightness in it as there had always been in times before... well, this. However, he still lifted a hand up to pat his shoulder in return, looking back at the Way as he explained what happened

[tiny_tinker_toy]

"Naruto!"

Rikku had gotten a random crew member to carry her out on to the deck. She sat on a box nearby. "Where the hell have you and Doumeki been? You missed the bombs."

[cachinnusi]

"A job for Yuuko," Doumeki told Rikku as he passed her, making his way up onto the ship with a serious scowl across his face. "She insisted I go and carry it out." Now, he was regretting stepping foot off the ship.

Naruto, on the other hand, nearly flipped a gasket when he saw Rikku, let alone heard her. "Bombs?! Who the hell put bombs on the Way?! Are you okay?! What about Haruhi and Vash and-"

He cut himself off and made his way over to her quickly, not about to list off the whole goddamn crew to the girl.

[tiny_tinker_toy]

Rikku gestured to her bandaged legs. "Can't walk, but I'll be fine. Nothing vital got hit. Haruhi and Vash and Kurt are fine, Hana got hit in the head, but he's fine too. Watanuki was freaking out, mentioning how his eye wouldn't 'show him eight inches' or something. A few other crew members got caught in a blast or two, but no one died or anything," she replied.

[cachinnusi]

"You... what. You can't..." Naruto put his face in his hands suddenly and groaned, shaking his head quickly to calm himself down. This wasn't happening, was it? Couldn't be, really couldn't be... However, when he lowered his hands again, Rikku's legs were still bandaged, and the ship still looked like shit. At the top of the gangplank, he heard Doumeki speak: "Watanuki will be fine."

Damn those two were really way too close or something. Just because he was on the ship now didn't mean...

Instead of continuing that line of thought, he shot a glare at Doumeki's back, then looked at Rikku again. "Are you going to the clinic here? I mean I know our doctor's are great but we don't have the stuff that can, y'know, fix busted legs..." He rambled on for a moment more, something about 'if he caught whoever put the bombs on their ship, they weer as good as dead, definitely dead...' before he looked around. "Is anyone taking you?"

[fallingjunkyard]

Joshua was happily unaware of the arrival of two crewmembers who'd been missing since he returned to the Way. In fact, he had been secretly relieved that Naruto hadn't been around, since he'd returned far earlier than he anticipated. If he hadn't had other reasons for returning, he would have stayed on the Victoria for a little bit longer; after all, he didn't particularly want to be punched in the face from the ninja because of their last conversation.

So he hummed a happy little song (but not quite a happy little working song) as he made his way to the kitchen for some food.

[cachinnusi]

After surveying the damage outside, and spending time with some people he met out on the dock, Naruto decided it'd be best to just. Suck it up and go inside. It wasn't too difficult to climb over wreckage that hadn't been moved yet, or jumping short distances to reach a different point of the ship, but it was just seeing it all that got to him. This had been his home for two years now, and here it was, in the worst condition he'd ever seen it in.

The dismay and mild depression that had settled in was momentarily forgotten as he caught sight of Joshua.

"You!" he hissed, dropping his bags suddenly and lunging towards him, grabbing his shirt to slam him back against the nearest wall.

[fallingjunkyard]

And this was exactly why he didn't want to be meeting Naruto yet. Ninjas, they really needed to teach their students to be less violent. Really.

Joshua grinned past the sudden pain in his back. Well, that was interesting. Red eyes... maybe he was right about the fox then. His voice was teasing, despite the situation, "Oh~? I'm glad you're so thrilled to see me, Naruto. Walling is something I'd expect after at least a minute of making out."

[cachinnusi]

"I have no interest in making out with you," Naruto actually managed rather well not to sputter indignantly and release Joshua. That might've been the anger talking, really. He probably should see someone about that temper of his.

Just barely holding back a snarl, he tightened his grip in his shirt and glared harder at him. He had to keep himself from wanting to strangle him. How could someone go through a situation like this and tease their attacker? It ended up irritating him more. "How do you know about Kyuubi? How much do you know about him? I'm not playing around now."

LOL LATE TO THE PARTY

[flailingbento]

Watanuki had pretty much gotten used to Doumeki's being gone. He'd raged about it over various bubbling pots - "Goddamn that idiot, thinks he can just show up without a damn warning and disappear without saying a word, always was a damned jerk with no consideration for the food people make for other people who go off and leave before they get a chance to eat it because they're ungrateful bastards who don't deserve the generosity" - but as the weeks went on, he'd decided it was better Doumeki was gone. Yuffie was enough to handle without him around making his job difficult. Besides, if he didn't want to be there, it was entirely his own affair. It wasn't like Watanuki cared where he went.

But when Watanuki's eye flickered and showed him not a distant skyline, not a random doorway, not strange dark shapes that he forced himself not to think about in conjunction with whatever Doumeki had been doing, but the Way - front view, looking a right mess, with the docks of Shashta on either side - he nearly dropped the souffle he was carrying.

S'OKAY I'M ALWAYS LATE BB. Also half asleep and typo'ing.

[bentothief]

It was good to see that some things never changed. Doumeki blinked once, slowly, as he heard the yelling. He stopped in his steps, almost to the ship, and looked up at the cook that was storming down the gangplank. Normally, people would look at someone bellowing like that as though they were insane. He had moved past that point long ago, and simply looked Watanuki over, making sure he was all right

NP! 8D

[flailingbento]

Watanuki's sigh of relief when Doumeki caught the souffle actually silenced him for a short moment. Reappearances be damned, that souffle was art, and it would have been a crime to let it fall. The danger of Doumeki devouring it was something that Watanuki was quite sure he could deal with - he was more than ready to throttle him for looking at it wrong. Or less.

The fact that he was still sprawled on the ground, staring up at the bottom of the souffle dish, did not seem to bother Watanuki. "You couldn't have left a note?" he snapped. "Made a post? Alerted SOMEBODY? Do you know how badly you inconvenienced me, you jerk!?" He didn't specify exactly how - if pressed, he probably couldn't have thought of a way he'd been inconvenienced, actually - but let the jerk feel guilty. That'd show him.

<3

[bentothief]

Shifting the souffle to settle carefully in one arm, Doumeki made a note to try it later when he actually had the time. Right now, there was more important things to do. There was, of course, the obvious concern of the ship, but Watanuki took priority at the moment. Offering him a hand to help him up, he crooked a brow just slightly, the smallest trace of amusement showing up as he began ranting once again with a slight drop in volume.

"I'm sorry," he said, simply, completely in monotone, though did mean it. It wasn't like he wanted to go off without saying anything, though he had a feeling that Watanuki would've flailed and yelled even if he did tell him. "She was specific that I hurry." Pausing for a moment, his eyebrow raised higher. "Inconvenienced how, exactly?"