voice ]

[blondejokes]

There had better be a good reason why I'm fighting- [ A grunt is followed by the sound of flesh being punctured. ]- against these blood-thirsty... things and why I'm not in Konoha.

[ Ino is not very happy. Or informed, actually, because she left as soon as she came to. ]

Comments

[blondejokes]

You're the genius, Shikamaru. You should know these things. [ well she's feeling marginally better now that her attitude is back. She moves slowly over to him. ]

But since you're here still, there isn't a way to get back to Konoha, is there?

[underachiever]

[He gives an uncomfortable shrug of his shoulders at being called a genius.]

You might get pulled back by accident, but there's no way to leave here intentionally.

[blondejokes]

Why not? Is it some kind of jutsu?

[underachiever]

More like a malfunctioning piece of machinery. It's supposedly accidental to begin with, getting pulled here. Of course, that's just one of several stories people'll tell you about the Core.

[blondejokes]

The Core? [ Scowl central over here. ]

If its malfunctioning, why doesn't somebody fix it? Even just getting rid of it would be safer than allowing it to keep doing what it's doing.

[underachiever]

There's the problem. Half the people here think it should be fixed and the other half think it should be destroyed. They're practically at war over it, and in the meantime, no one can go near it.

[blondejokes]

Four years and they still haven't decided on something? Isn't there somebody in charge here that can just make the decision for everybody? Fighting over it won't do anything.

[underachiever]

The government here is a joke. Both factions have to go down. But people here aren't used to fighting and they're scared to take action.

[blondejokes]

So they're fine staying with whatever's going on outside to avoid conflict. Cowards.

[ She paused. ] What are those things out there?

[underachiever]

[This is Shikamaru. He can't blame anyone for being cowardly.]

Monsters. The damned souls of everyone who's died here. They'll disappear when the sun rises.

[blondejokes]

They're... People? [ She didn't want to deal with zombies again. ]

[underachiever]

Not anymore. They've lost their sense of self.

[blondejokes]

This place is awful. [ A pause. ]

Are we going to wait them out until morning?

[underachiever]

We have to. You're not in any state to go back out there.

[blondejokes]

[ She nods. Her stupid watch keeps beepig, but somehow it doesnt sound as loud in the building as it had outside. ]

What happened here? It looks like a warzone outside.

[underachiever]

The Darkness does that. Everything outside decays in the night, then returns to normal in the morning.

[blondejokes]

And that's normal for this universe? I can't wait I get out of here.

[underachiever]

You probably won't stay long. Most people disappear after a month or two.

[blondejokes]

I'm not leaving without you, Shikamaru. Look what happens when you don't have anyone to take care of you.

I can't believe you cut your hair. [ Pineapple head, jeeezzzz ]

[underachiever]

You're seriously mourning my hair at a time like this?

[But now he feels self-conscious and mutters:]

It's not like I shaved my head...

[blondejokes]

[ Better than mourning Konoha, apparently. ]

Jeez, it's a just a shock after seeing you with longer hair. I'm not saying it's ugly or anything.

[underachiever]

I don't care anyway. I'm just saying.

[blondejokes]

So... [ It'd be rude just to fall asleep, huh? She smiles. ]

Catch me up. I'm sure you have four years of stories to tell me, right?

[underachiever]

[No, Ino, he'd really prefer that. But since it's chatting time instead, he sinks down to take a seat on the steps.]

It's not that interesting. I work at a law office, which means most of what I do is paperwork.

[blondejokes]

Isn't that troublesome work? [ She sits next to him. ]