medicalpunch | 1st Punch

[Action: Where the rivers meet in the village]

[Sakura's arrival in Luceti comes with a short, bitten-off yell of surprise and a splash as she drops into the icy water. The white-clad figure vanishes underwater, then reappears, struggling, fighting to surface long enough to catch her breath. It's shockingly cold, iced over in places -- although thankfully not where she fell -- and even if she knows nothing else yet, she knows she must get out of the water.]

[Flailing, gasping, reeling in shock from the sudden cold, it's extremely difficult for her to get atop the water as a ninja would normally go -- but she's too cold to swim properly, she knows that all too well, and with the ice besides, she has no other choice.]

[She's proud of her own strength and control, and she makes herself display it now, pushing up out of the water and working her way until she is balanced by chakra on the surface.]

[Now, though, she's exposed to the bitter air, soaking wet, with nothing but a thin, backless white dress to cover her. And she's freezing.]

[She makes her way toward the shore, where there's a journal waiting for her. Unfortunately, there doesn't appear to be a warm blanket or anything like one. Just the journal, with her name on it, and a biting chill to the air.]

[Video]

[Sakura's hair is is still damp when her face appears on the journals. She's managed to get dry and warmed up -- and much more warmly dressed than when she arrived -- but she looks disoriented, worried, and worn.]

I don't know what this place is, where it is, why it is. I'm not sure I even want to speculate. But if there's anyone... familiar out there, anyone who knows me -- I'm here.

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[Pause] Well, I don't like them much.

Mm. If you'd like to put things off that long...

[Quietly, she's itching to have a look at him, to see for herself that everything's been done right, but to ask for it would be an implication about Ino's medical skills, which Sakura's not really keen on doing. If Shikamaru requests her assistance, she'll give it, but otherwise, she'll trust Ino, as well as this other doctor.]

I'll see you when you're out, then.

[And when he's on the way back to his apartment, she'll be waiting for him by the community house door.]

... Something like that.

[Among other things, there's the prospect of speaking to someone she's seen die, as though nothing had happened. Or facing those she knows have lost near and dear, and they know nothing of it.]

Oh my gosh!

[She can't help giggling. All she'd expected was that he'd find something warm and generally size-less like a robe or cloak! Instead, he really went all the way, didn't he?]

I'm sure I'll find something that fits well in all of that! Thank you, you really went to extra effort!

Oh? Tell me about them?

[Hoho, you just dropped the bomb on yourself, bff.]

Is that so~? [This sing-song tone accompanied by her smirk getting wider.] Wanna bet?

[She holds a grudge against the people who killed her, but telling Sakura that just isn't on her list of things to do right now.] They aren't easy to reason with. They fight us as zealously as they fight the Malnosso.

[To his credit, he was assuming the others would fill her on things. She has Ino, who's been here for over a year, and he knows Lee in particular would trip over himself to abswer any of her questions.

Until he makes it back to the building and sees her waiting there that he considers maybe she had very specific questions. And he feels a little bad about making her wait, but at least this way she's at least settled.]

Yo. Sakura.

[If she's being astute, she'll see he's a good two or more inches taller than last he was back home. He's also a little thinner, having lost weight and some muscle mass in the hospital stay.

Still, he stops a few feet away with her with a short grin. It's good to see people from home, even if he wishes not so many would be stuck here.]

I see. So it's really a matter of which one's worse, then.

[The people who want to kill them -- for what reason? -- or the people using them as conscripts and test subjects. Wonderful.]

[The smart, realistic side of her is answering that with a Not really, no, since she knows her own pathetic love life, and as a newcomer... But then there's her fighting ire, which is most definitely up!]

Hmph. I just got here - that's an unfair handicap, I hardly know anyone.

But I'll do it anyway!

[Considering she'd just been seeing him before she was brought here, yes, the difference is notable.]

[And it's a pang to see him; she's been doing her best to act normally around Ino, to think only in the moment, to react to Ino's teasing. Ino's complete lack of curiosity about the war has helped. But she doesn't imagine Shikamaru will be that incurious, and she's going to have to work harder to hide the truth from him...]

Shikamaru.

[A hesitation. And then, quietly,]

You've grown.

Pretty much. All in all, life is usually comfortable here. [There's something in her tone that suggests that "comfortable" isn't exactly what Temari likes.]

[Either go full force or not at all. That's his opinion. Also, brownie points with people re always a good thing.]

Of course, not in my nature to do things the lazy way. So, yeah, one of everything!

[And she actually latched on the bait. Ufufu.]

Won't it feel even better if you win with that handicap? [Oh, she'll fan this fire even more.] That is, if you win.

[This is a bad idea, this is a bad idea, this is such a bad idea...

But she'll show Ino, her and her smug face!]

You're on! I'll have a date by Valentine's Day!

So confident! [Chuckles because lol she even gave herself a deadline on a task so impossible to fulfill!] Well, you'll have an entire month to do that, anyway. Plenty of time if you ask me. You can meet at least five guys in a day and you still haven't met everyone.

[A friendly pat on the shoulder and a wink.] But, good luck.

Aa...

[He rubs the back of his head awkwardly, smile dropping as he dismisses a more teasing comment. "Maybe you've just shrunk."

She doesn't look like she's in the mood. Most people who first come to Luceti aren't, but there's a more somber mood to her even aside from that.]

It's... been a while.

[He'll hold the door open for her.]

[At her insistence, he releases his hold and hops back a step.]

I apologize! I should have remembered... Your warmth is currently a priority!

Well, either way, I'm going to go pick up some food for dinner. You're free to come join me around six if you like, so I can help you out with your day and things like that.

Thank you.

[She wraps the coat around herself again.]

I'll get used to the wings, I guess. [Though if they stay this sore, she might just block off some nerves 8|]

[If it were, then she wouldn't live in the middle of the desert, man.]

Comfortable. Well, that's something for it, anyway.

I'd still rather be where I belong, uncomfortable and all. Of all the times to pull me out of...

[Hmph, we'll just see if it's an impossible task or not!]

It's more than enough time. I'll be fine, you'll see!

[Even if she's starting to have some misgivings about this plan...]

[Yeah, leaving off the cracks about her height is a good plan. She's already tiny!]

That you've been here.

[Not a question, just... a little confirmation, mostly to herself. If Shikamaru, the genius, now the sixteen-year-old strategist for the entire shinobi alliance, hasn't been able to figure out a way out of this...]

[She accepts the open door with a small nod.]

It's an adjustment to make. All of it.

[It's on the tip of her tongue to ask if Neji's going to be there -- because she's not sure she could eat dinner across the table from a dead man, from someone she just watched die and didn't even try to save -- but asking that forthrightly will only bring problems.]

That's a kind offer, thank you. Will... ah, will it be a group meal? Or just the two of us?

[He's nearing nineteen, biologically. He's been here over two years, and still he can't help but think that Naruto was here longer than that.

But he's gone now too.]

Just think of it as that, no matter how long you're here for. I might be used to this place, but I don't plan to live my life here. It's a temporary residence, until we can carry out that mission.

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