There's no motivation

[number_one_coward]

Characters: Nara Shikamaru and OPEN
When: April 11th
Where: Some vague spot in Nesreca that isn't the apartment building. >_>
Rating: PG for possible coarse language.
Summary: Another shinobi arrives and isn't ready to risk the network yet. Help him out?


Shikamaru blinked warily at his surroundings, crouched nervously inside the entrance of a crumbling building, fingers gripping tight to the odd device he’d found stowed away in his pocket. He figured it had to be some sort of communication device, taking the buttons and hole-placements into account, but there was no way he was going to fiddle with unfamiliar equipment just yet. Not when he had no idea who might answer his call.

Because this wasn’t right. This wasn’t Konoha. Not by a long shot.

He’d been walking through the the village, intent on what promised to be an impressive lunch at the Akimichi compound, and then suddenly he was here. Stranded in a decimated city, the ruins of which didn’t resemble Konoha (or any other place he could think of) in the slightest... which he supposed should have been something of a comfort, but the abrupt change in location was doing little to help along such reasonable thinking. Clenched fingers and the quiet mutter of “Kai!” had done nothing to set his situation right, and now he was left with only the desolate landscape stretching out before him and the panicked flurry of his own thoughts.

What was this? Just a dream? It seemed so real, the light spattering of rain against his skin and the sound of gravel crunching beneath his sandals. Was he... going crazy? No, there was no need for that. He had to calm down. He wasn’t dreaming and he wasn’t in Konoha, but as long as he kept thinking rationally, he could find an explanation.

Poking his head out from his impromptu hiding place, he carefully started to edge his way outside, eyes wide and taking in everything even as he reached out hesitantly with his chakra, feeling for any signs of life. Part of him was tempted to try and wait this out. To keep out of sight until he could get his bearings, but if someone had meant to get the drop on him? They would have already.

Comments

[number_one_coward]

[Shikamaru watches him walk for a moment before he stuffs his hands in his pockets and follows. At a distance.]

Why do you have a tail?

[bluedemonflames]

[Rin glances back over his shoulder.]

Does it matter?

[number_one_coward]

[Deadpan:] Most people don't have tails.

[bluedemonflames]

[Well no point in hiding it from a kid. Rin shrugs like it's no big deal.]

I'm only half human. That's why.

[number_one_coward]

[Shikamaru raises an eyebrow, oddly calm when he responds.]

Like... possessed, or actually half human?

[bluedemonflames]

[Giving Shika a curious look now. Did he know about demons since he was asking about possession?]

Actually half. I'm not possessed. What do you know about this kinda stuff?

[number_one_coward]

[He shrugs, looking bored.]

Not much.

[bluedemonflames]

[In that case Rin will drop it and let it go.]

That Konoha place ya mentioned where you're from?

[number_one_coward]

Yeah. [A pause.] Are there any other shinobi here?

[bluedemonflames]

[Rin shrugs.]

There are a lot of exorcists. Don't know about any shinobi.

[number_one_coward]

Is there anyone wearing a symbol like this? [He shifts his left arm forward, showing Rin his shoulder-mounted forehead protector.]

[bluedemonflames]

[He stares at it a moment, thinking hard.]

Oh yeah! There was a pink haired girl with that.

[number_one_coward]

[That bored expression disappears in a flash. Shika is suddenly quite interested.]

Pink hair? Was her name Sakura?

[bluedemonflames]

Yeah. The medic girl. She's kinda cool.

[number_one_coward]

Medic? Sakura's not a medic.

[bluedemonflames]

She said she was. Seemed to know what she was doing too. Maybe you know someone else.

[number_one_coward]

I only know one Sakura with pink hair.

[The grumpy face returns, and he kicks at some of the gravel beneath their feet.]

How many people are in this place anyway?

[bluedemonflames]

Maybe 20? I'm not exactly sure. People come and go a lot.

[number_one_coward]

And these are all people from different worlds? [Yeah, still not believing that.]

[bluedemonflames]

Sometimes there's more than one from the same place. Otherwise yeah.

[number_one_coward]

Troublesome...

[bluedemonflames]

Don't frown so much kid. Your face will get stuck like that.

[number_one_coward]

Forgetting the part where a "ghost" has brought me to a crappy new world?

[FROWN.]