fervidity | video || second chances

Entry tags:

video || second chances

[The recent post made by WTF (or WoTF) has finally prompted Kushina to make an entry again, addressing this world at large and the people in it. Or at least those that can see this.

First, a deep breath.]

I don't know if anybody has been thanked for all the effort, for putting their lives on the line to save this world by those of us who don't remember how bad it was. There were people who made this place better for everyone and went back in time. It still sounds ridiculous to me and kind of impossible but this world is good at making impossible things possible, isn't it? [Like bringing people back to life.

Minato was good at it too. Space-time and doing impossible things.]

So... thank you. [At the end, her voice nearly cracks and she bows her head before lifting it again.

Now. Her smile is sad.]

It seems like we can go home soon, huh? That's good. We should go home because that's where we belong. Even if we have a choice to stay, we should go home in the end. So many people have fought for us to do just that. They're still fighting. If we don't go home, isn't it just like scorning those people and all their efforts? Isn't it forgetting who we are?

Don't be so selfish about wanting to stay here. There's a million other people in different timelines and worlds that don't. You should all work hard too to overcome your weaknesses so you're not stuck here anyway. There's people who do want to go home but they're going back to a place worse than this. Because it's home! Even if it's going back to their own death or being alone!

Even if it means losing everything here that is precious...

[A long, pregnant pause and Kushina finishes with a question after shaking her head a little.]

How many of you were given a second chance by being here?

[She closes the journal immediately after.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ Why indeed...? She has a husband, a son. True friends. For his part, though, perhaps it's just a bit of arrogance on his part, perhaps it's him wanting to show some amount of understanding for something he doesn't really full comprehend, or to hedge his bets with the support of a position without actually supporting it. And it's really her eyes, more than anything, which confirm that he can allow himself this.

So he answers, with his truth ]

Call it a man's indulgence, Kushina-san.

[ And with that, he makes to take the step into her house, even if she hasn't explicitly given him entrance. He kicks off his shows, even ]

[It's funny that of her friends, Masaomi is the one to visit her instead of say something on a journal. No matter his reasons.

She steps back, mulling over his words and tilting her head in confusion. She doesn't stop him from entering. He knows the house at least, where to sit. That Kushina is going to make tea and he should probably ignore the new crack in her table from gripping it too hard.

Or he can mention it even if she's ignoring it, moving to her kitchen.]

Nothing to do with what was on the journals?

[ He notices it. He doesn't comment though, mostly because he's not sure that he wants to have him broken in the same way the table was. He doesn't have the courage for that.

... Courage is a funny thing though. He'd called this a man's indulgence (and it is) but it's not one which is borne out of certainty or one seated in belief. He doesn't have the courage to face the whole of himself, let alone the whole of everyone else. No, what he is experiencing now is clarity. Clarity that the actions Shikamaru, Aang, and himself - that everyone took into the past have given his long standing goal a means to an end. And he is sure, in this moment.

That this is the end.

It feels like the end, even if it feels premature.

And, if it is, then it's highly possible that the "he" has been for four long years and is in this moment will no longer live soon. He doesn't want to spent that time fretting. He wants to face the undiscovered country before him, and dive into it, in a way he knows is right. But it's not courage. It's resignation, and it's fate. It's just time to bring it full circle. ]

No. No, not really. I'm acting purely for my own hedonism - if I thought that I might survive it, I could kiss you.

[A word like hedonism doesn't stick and is too smart but saying he could kiss her does. She goes still in the kitchen, her hand gripping the handle of her kettle tight enough to threaten to put a crack in it too. Then, once she schools her reaction a bit more, she turns to face him with her brow furrowed deeply. She's not in the mood for jokes, if this is one of them.

She's not even in the mood to hear that, at all.

After hearing that post, after talking to more people than she would have liked about what's right and wrong, who's right and who's wrong, having her heart torn in so many directions but knowing inevitably, to her, the right thing wouldn't change. While lecturing about it on the journals was a mistake, she doesn't regret it.]

I'd punch you.

[Maybe her anger has all run out, but she doesn't look mad. Serious, though. Maybe she just doesn't know how to react beyond that because she's still reeling.]

You would. And I'd probably end up in a hospital.

[ He says this without pause, just with an airy tone which isn't really committing to anything. His eyes don't leave her though, he makes direct eye contact as much as he's able under the situation ]

[Her frown deepens, eyes narrow, but a sigh blows out of her. Her patience is a bit more thin than normal.]

What's this really about? I am glad you stopped by... [Her glance is furtive towards the cracked piece of furniture and her journal sitting on top.]

You probably saved my table.

[ And he looks at the table, comments... ] Wow yea, alas poor table, I hardly knew thee.

[ And then he looks up from the table. His gaze is complicated, and it says a great many things. But he decides to answer, with sincerity - ]

I meant what I said though, a man's indulgence. I don't have the courage to face some people I'm closer to, and I don't have the intelligence to confront a problem like this head on. Really, all I can offer--

[ And now he stands ] is to try to give a woman stress relief. Want to come with me?

[It's still standing, at least. She's about to say so. But--]

Stress relief?

[After confessing he wants to kiss her, his wording is all wrong. It takes a moment but when it does her brain shuts down and her fists clench, cheeks going red. Wrong.

All wrong.]

WHAT!?

[Thank god Minato isn't home. Again.

But at least Masaomi has broken her right out of feeling drained.]

[ UM?? He said something wrong, didn't he???

He was being all cool there, but now he tenses up with genuine fear. He shrinks a little, but - ]

Beating up digital people!

[She's nearly breathing fire and someone is going to get beat up, that's for sure.

His clarifying saves his life.]

What do you mean?

Follow me and you'll see?

[ A world of pure imagination... ]

[If it's a chocolate factory that would actually relieve a lot of stress. Even better if ramen factory.

Though she looks dubious, she nods.]

Alright.

[And going to put on her shoes.]

[ What if he gives her a candy bar??

Either way ]

I don't assume you're hungry though, unless you burned a lot of calories

[ Either way, he slides up, and heads to the door ]

[That would be... weirdly sweet. Not just the candy badum tsh.]

Why, are you going to make me onigiri?

[Well, she has enough spunk in her to be a little teasing now when she felt like being anything but a couple minutes ago.]

Well, if you wanted, I would.

[ How cool would it be to impress a woman like her? ]

[That throws her off.]

You can cook?

[Because Minato and Naruto are a disaster in the kitchen. Chouji was pretty good though, if she remembers correctly. He was an Akimichi so no surprise. Most guys she knew here in Luceti ate (like animals) instead of cooked.]

[ what- ] Of course I can! I've lived alone for years and with a lazy guy for just as long.

Shikamaru doesn't cook at all?

[Geez. Now she feels like she needs to drop off food every now and then for those two. Especially now and she wonders if Shikamaru has gotten any more muscle mass or meat on his bones since she last saw him.]

Tell me what you can make.

[Distract her please. He's managed to get her to smile a little, in any case. Curious instead of stolid or pissed off.]

No, no, you're not in the Shikamaru zone. Of course he can - he just doesn't.

[ Because effort. But he's being mean here on purpose - Shikamaru does cook, they do work together to do all the chores and have a definite system here. Either way, he rolls his eyes at the end of that before he hums and - ]

Well... I'm best with Japanese food of course. But I can make a lot of thing - not sure I have a specialty though.

[Kushina knew they were best friends, they lived together.

But man when he says it like that it's like they're a married couple. She can feel her smile widen when she watches his eyes roll.]

I'm sure Shikamaru appreciates that.

Of course he does! He might have keeled over one or five times without me around!

[ He's definitely over-stating it ]

[Kinda notices.]

If he's as smart as you say, he'll keep you around. He probably knows how valuable you are if you're willing to make sure he doesn't keel over one or five times.

It's true. My most use is being that of the humble manservant.

[ He skips ahead of her then, smirking at her as he gets in front of her to walk backwards ]

[Keeps her pace but is a little bemused by him walking backwards to talk to her.]

I'd say it's being a good friend. Nobody else came to see me [yet], ya know? And I already know how much you care about your friends.

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

1/2

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject