dangerouswind | |voice| (dated morning of the 22nd)

|voice| (dated morning of the 22nd)

[It's just about the most inconsequential question she can ask, but that's not the point. As much as she just wants to ignore the journal -- or berate everyone for being too damned loud, she has obligations.] I've a few starter plants -- vegetables and flowers -- that need homes. Anyone want 'em?

[Loosely translates to hey I'm back and I can hear you to those who care.]

[Filtered 90% to Leaf allies]
Is Kankuro back?

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Rude, Temari. Rude. But that it does.]

It hammers in the reality of things, when I think on it for too long... That those men had their own lives, and people who loved them. [There's another smile, as he tilts his head.] People who were precious to them, too.

I think most of them died with regrets, but I didn't figure out why until I thought of my dad. In the end, he didn't give me any words to pass on to my mother. He had them, but he didn't say them. It might seem callous, but it's also true that maybe he knew he didn't need to. Because he died knowing he said all the things he needed to, and not everything needed a repeat.

[Nice as it might've been. Apparently dad thought hiding the box was more important. Still, Shikamaru knows there was more meaning to it than fear of his mother, scary as she might be. He smiles, and shrugs again.]

Instead of dying... I think I'd like to live with as few regrets as that.

[She's quiet in the face of all that. Whatever she'd expected when she asked him why, this wasn't quite it. Maybe she should have known better.

Regret. No one wants to live with that.

She's not sure what holds her back, but something does. Something keeps her from taking that step. It's not him; she knows that much. She thinks about speaking, but can't quite find the words she wants.

I'll think about it is all she can even begin to think of but it doesn't seem quite right.]

[He already told her he didn't expect an answer right away. He didn't mean this second, no. Not even this week, or month.

All he wanted was to say it.

He doesn't see the need to repeat himself either. That, or what he assured her. And so Shikamaru breaks eye contact, going back to eating his food. After another few seconds have passed, he lifts up his rice bowl.]

This is good. [Another moment of consideration, then he offers the bowl out to her.] Have some with me.

[Oh. Well. Back to normal.

Or whatever passes for normal between them, at any rate. She frowns, but eventually just nods and takes a bite.]

Not bad.

[Just dinner together. Yep.]

[He likes her. He likes this.

Maybe she'll never say anything to him about it, but he feels better knowing he got it out there. Lick ticking off something on an imaginary bucket list in his head.]

Yeah. For something so plain, it has a lot of flavor to it. [He takes another bite for himself, and puts the bowl down between them.] How's the soup?