004 | [Action/Voice]

[badassbutterfly]

[ 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.

Maybe if he'd thought more about it, he'd have realized how little sense it made- but in the moment, when that voice off in the distance sounds genuinely terrified (and familiar, making it possibly the most disturbing thing you've heard yet), it turns out logic takes a backseat.

Well, that's a lesson learned. Bruised and battered, he can be found making his way back to CH 1 like a good little ninja. And for the record: ]

Everyone's probably gonna get tired of hearing this soon, but try not to go out at night. It can get pretty rough.

Comments

[Voice]

[consultmybooks]

If only we didn't have to figure these things out by trial and error.

[Voice]

[savethelastchip.livejournal.com]

Yeah, that would be really helpful. I guess a few people just have to learn the hard way sometimes, though.

Re: [Voice]

[consultmybooks]

Including me, unfortunately.

Still. I haven't seen half the village all week, so it's good to get the warning out.

[Voice]

[savethelastchip.livejournal.com]

The more warnings, the better.

You didn't get hurt, did you? [ Knowing people when asking these kinds of things? Pff. Details. ]

Re: [Voice]

[consultmybooks]

I don't...think so. [He's really not so sure] Just scratches.

[Voice]

[savethelastchip.livejournal.com]

Same here.

It's good that it could have been worse.

[action]

[yourhatred.livejournal.com]

[Itachi isn't in costume, and he's walking calmly through town apparently unbothered by the occasional hallucinations.

Only apparently. He stands amidst a sea of the dead, and every living soul he passes is seen first as an enemy. Outwardly, he looks no different than ever.

Though he stops as he sees Chouji, as if having a hard time registering a familiar face.]

...Chouji-san.

[action]

[savethelastchip.livejournal.com]

[ Stopping merits a stop in turn; it's a really pleasant atmosphere to meet in, isn't it. ]

Itachi.

[action]

[yourhatred.livejournal.com]

[Is he not bothered by -- no, none of this is real. It's a genjutsu he's unable to break out of, but it isn't real. That's whay Chouji isn't reacting at all to the dead man propped up against the building beside him, listless eyes still managing to meet Itachi's own...]

...You've been into the fog.

[action]

[savethelastchip.livejournal.com]

Ah- yeah. [ He's quiet for a few seconds, eyes drifting some distance to the left to something bloody, broken and distinctly silvery-haired. But Ino's not even here, she never was; he blinks and it's gone.

He's never been so happy for the former fact before. ]

...I probably should have known better, but it's kind of late for second-guessing.

[action]

[yourhatred.livejournal.com]

You should stay in, where their scrabbling hands can't reach you. [If he's aware he's said anything out of the ordinary, he doesn't look it.]

This place is addling the senses.

[action]

[savethelastchip.livejournal.com]

Their hands...? [ Frowning. He's not sure he wants to ask about that in particular. ]

It's got a way of doing that. [ ... ] Are you alright?

[Voice]

[endgames]

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.livejournal.com]

[ 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]

[endgames]

[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.livejournal.com]

[ 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]

[endgames]

[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.livejournal.com]

[ 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.

voice

[ahappylie.livejournal.com]

What happened?

voice

[savethelastchip.livejournal.com]

I don't remember, exactly; I kind of ended up out in that fog. But maybe not really knowing is as good a reason as any not to go in the first place.

voice

[ahappylie.livejournal.com]

You don't...?

[He considers this for a moment.]

I see. Thank you. With all the other warnings out there, having another never hurts to spread the message.

voice

[savethelastchip.livejournal.com]

Yeah, sorry. [ He's not a huge fan of memory gaps, personally. ]

That's what I was hoping. When people hear something enough, it can really help.

voice

[ahappylie.livejournal.com]

No, there is no need to apologize. I'll spread the-- [He stops for a moment, his attention caught by something away from his journal]

....I'll spread the word.

[count-gardios.livejournal.com]

It doesn't hurt to have more than one reminder, not with how harrowing it's getting out there.

[savethelastchip.livejournal.com]

I hope not. It's never done much harm before.