[action | written}

[dangerouswind]

[She knows she's late. Temari would forever blame the Malnosso for dropping her back in the forest somewhere and never her own reticence to walk back into town. (Like nothing had happened. Like nothing had ever happened.) She's only looking for one person when she comes back into the village, slipping in straight from the forest and making a beeline for community building one. She's making a concerted effort not to be seen, though that's a little harder once she's inside the building and walking quietly toward the door.

Not her door. Her next door neighbor's.

Temari hesitates only a moment before she knocks. (It's a light knock. Not that she can hear it.) Be home, Nara. She doesn't want to have to try this again.

It's some time later before she actually shows up on the journal. The message is written, short. She's doesn't filter it to anyone; she doesn't have the patience. She honestly doesn't want to say anything in the first place, but...

... well, that's unfair to a few people.]

I'm back.

Comments

[dangerouswind]

[She hesitates, brow furrowed as she puts the words together. Arms crossed over her chest, she nods.]

1/2

[endgames]

[...]

2/3 I lied

[endgames]

[And he can't help but laugh. There's no humor in it, though maybe that's harder to tell with someone who can't hear anymore.]

[endgames]

[It's cleared up momentarily, and he sighs.]

How lucky for you... You don't have to listen to me yell at you now.

[dangerouswind]

[If she still had that food in her hand -- it probably ended up absently set down somewhere -- she would have thrown it at him the moment he laughed.

Funny, is it? (Except no, it's not. She knows it and she knows he knows it. It's just one of those things. Sometimes, you laugh at nothing that's funny.)

She's too busy glaring at him to read lips.]

[endgames]

[He'll glare right back- but no. He's acting like a kid. He sighs and rubs a hand tiredly over his face, then moves to gently touch her shoulder (if she'll let him) just for a moment, to steer her; to make a gesture to the couch. Sit.]

[dangerouswind]

[She lets him, goes right along with it. There weren't many places she'd go in Luceti -- or back in their world, for that matter -- when she was weary and hurting. (And confused. She had to face that: she was confused and anxious, too.)

Here was the first place she'd come, for one reason.

She trusts him.

So she sits. Waits for what he'll do next. As for her? She doesn't even know. Maybe she just needs a place to sit for a moment.]

[endgames]

[It's not often she shows that trust so easily. He knows it means he has to pick up the slack here.

When she's seated he keeps standing, awkwardly positioned in that space between the couch and the low table in front of it. There's nothing like ASL in their world - if you're permanently deaf, how can you hope to be a ninja? - but ninja do have their own way of signing. Never know when silence is required on a mission. He makes one now: drink?]

[dangerouswind]

[She shakes her head at the sign. No, no drink. She's tired, but she'd taken care of herself. Instead, she inclines her head toward the couch.

Sit down, Shikamaru.]

[endgames]

[Fine. He takes it, but sits on the table instead. Across from her. Still trying to get a good look at her.

Meeting people who've come back from the dead isn't so strange anymore. He already ran into Lupin, and he actually watched him die. Same for Asuma, technically (and that still hurts).

But she took so long, it really became easier just to imagine she'd stay dead. That for once Luceti would bend to the laws of their universe, no matter how hard it may be.]

...you're not mute too, are you?

[Again, slowly. So she can make out what he says.]

[dangerouswind]

[She'll never apologize for not coming back right away; it's not her way. She may find a way to make it up to him, later. Probably with pizza and a beer.

Too small a gesture, in face of what she'd done, but it was all she had.

She speaks carefully and can't tell if it's too soft, too loud, or just about right.]

No. [She gestures helplessly with her hand.] Volume. I can't tell...

[endgames]

...heh. [When he smiles, it's a little off. Right now, he could hardly care about that.

He's had ghosts talk to him before. Somehow her voice still makes this more real. Maybe it's because it isn't perfect.]

We'll figure it out. It's better that you talk. [He raises one hand, and keeps it flat as he raises it just so.] Little louder.

[dangerouswind]

[Huh, she didn't even have to ask for the help. Not in so many words, at least. Good enough for her. Her voice is a little louder, as best as she can tell.]

Better?

[endgames]

[The hand flips around into a thumbs-up.]

Like that.

[dangerouswind]

Good enough. [She's careful, maybe too careful, with her voice. Tone is a little lost in her efforts to keep the volume where it should be.

... This will take some practice.]

[endgames]

[He picks up his journal from where he left it on the table.]

Keep doing that. Not talking because you can't hear is stupid. [There's blank pages towards the end of the book, and he rips them out. A whole large chunk without looking - he's still focused on her.] Watch me and try to understand. I'll write too.

[dangerouswind]

[She blinked at him, having caught on to what he intended to do about halfway through it all. Never mind she caught about every other word or so.]

I hope that you didn't just call me stupid.

[endgames]

I said "not talking" is stupid.

[He both speaks that and writes it down - shows that to her.]

[dangerouswind]

Not talking. [She repeats it as she glances at the writing. Well, then.

He had a point.] I'm talking.

[endgames]

Good. [He nods to that, but doesn't write it down. Only the nest part.]

...what else do I need to know?

[Well. Writes, minus the ellipsis.]

[dangerouswind]

[Temari watches him first, figuring out what she could before she turns to the paper. Ah, she wasn't so far off on that one.]

No. That's it.

[endgames]

It's not, and you know it.

[And he's writing so quickly now, his head is turned more towards the page to make sure his hand doesn't slip. There's a crease forming between his brow.]

You didn't believe we realized you'd died just because you didn't come back, did you?

[dangerouswind]

[Nara Shikamaru, do you know how frustrating it is to read lips when you're not looking at her? Lips thinned, she reaches out and taps a loose fist under his jaw.

Look up, Nara. She's trying to figure all this out.

Then his words hit her, as she looks at the paper.

Oh. Well. Busted. She had hoped, but knew better than to think no one would know.]

I wasn't sure. Why ask?

[endgames]

["Why ask?" Is she serious? He stares, searching her eyes for the answer with the pen held flat against the paper, between his hand.]

Because it's not like you to do something so foolish. [He doesn't look away.] It's not like you to make mistakes, but you did here. It cost you your life.

[And he will hold that gaze for as long as he can. Only then does he shift his chin out of her hand, and write down those words exactly.]

[dangerouswind]

[She holds his gaze for as long as he's looking at her. She picks up most of the words, immediately bristling at the reprimand.

Maybe it was foolish, but it was over and done with now. Could she have done differently? Yes, of course. Would she? Perhaps not.

Temari looks down at the words on paper, confirming what it is she thought he said.]

It's done. No sense dwelling on it.