SoleAccord

In the Shadow of the Cherry Trees | A Naruto RP

I don't get that. I respect their enjoyment of the ships, but... Ron is an unappreciative cockwaffle and Hermione is an underappreciated genius nearly unrivaled in intelligence and hard work. Meanwhile, Harry is, well, Harry, and Ginny is... freaking BORING. Did Ginny have anything in common with Harry?

Sasuke and Hinata have never crossed paths directly, though they did know of each other. The only point without making it AU where they could connect is after the War that occurred in Shippuden, and that would take you reading up on how that shitshow ended and I don't want to put you through that. For my sake, we can IMPLY it, by Hinata being gone a lot more under the ruse of 'training', and for some reason or another Sasuke is helping her because maybe he sees a little of his younger, naive self in her. SasuHina is one of the more slower romances out there. I wouldn't worry about it for now.

The ending DOES suck. I won't get into it again, but Kishimoto dropped the ball big time and a significant amount of people think the man can eat a dick now. I'm on that train. NaruIno are much more alive and bouncy compared to Shikamaru and Sakura, who would be of the calmer, more relaxing variety.

Hmm, speaking of Ino confronting them, what time do you want those two to get off of training? I was thinking maybe a little before mid afternoon, around 3 or 4 pm? I wanted to know how long Shikamaru immersed himself in books before he headed home and Sakura can be the one to catch HIM just entering the Nara compound this time.

Sapphire Roses

Honestly, as I wrote that, I thought to myself, "Wow I bet this is going to make Gen feel even worse about it." What Shiori said in my post was so simple, but I felt like you would feel the pain of what Botan said to her, as I did.

The following sentence, "We could use some fluff after she tries to drown herself," is hilarious to me. xDDD You don't have to have her relapse here but I'm also not against it. It may be more of an emotional thing if she does it after her little scare, which prompts Shiori to embrace Botan and cry, because she felt so powerless to help Botan. And here she finds out she was drowning herself. Tears, tears all over Botan.

You can lead us to the end of the day if you'd like and I can continue us off in the next one. Gonna make the possessed student a girl, probably.

Kindling Spirits | A Legend of Korra RP

Thank you. I don't know what got into me, but it felt incredible.

It's nice, isn't it? And he's just stoked she held his hand now, even if it was just to confirm the flames weren't in his head. He just wants to spin her around and make her smile again, damn it >:c

In the Shadow of the Cherry Trees | A Naruto RP

I mean we say one-shot but we get attached and can't let it go lmfao. It's been too long and I'm not as immersed in the HP world as I was as a teen. I don't think I'd do Harry justice for you, but, like Shikamaru, I'd do my best for you ^_^~

Okay, whew, I'm trying to get into the exact amount of carelessness while still caring enough to have our plot move. It would suck if Sakura's efforts alone were driving us anywhere, and I think you've mentioned once before that someone had Shikamaru do very little in a past ShikaSaku project. Oooh, you'd do SasuHina for me? Aww~~ It would be hard, admittedly, since none of the areas you know Shippuden help leave room for Sasuke and Hinata to build a meaningful relationship. I think NaruIno would be easier and more relatable for the both of us, so I don't mind having that happen should we get farther.

I like your plan. Let's go with it!

And great post as expected. I'll have Shikamaru hit up the bookstore before going home, try to find some published advice for it, since I think he's too embarrassed to go to his dad about women at the moment. Maybe later though? Who knows~ Ino can catch Sakura quickly telling Shikamaru she volunteers and they can get right into the acting.

Kindling Spirits | A Legend of Korra RP

AND THAT MAKES THREE POSTS. WHEW, WHAT AN AFTERNOON.

Kindling Spirits | A Legend of Korra RP

As he feared, Asami wasn’t welcoming any touch that she did not initiate herself. Mako decided not to try again for now, having already pushed his luck more than enough. Once more she had brought up his attraction to Korra, something he couldn’t deny, but she had also brought up Korra’s uniqueness by downplaying herself to prove her point. Yes, Asami couldn’t bend, but that didn’t mean he didn’t see value in her. She had already proven herself a friend to the Fire Ferrets and a capable person, bender or not. To bring it up again in such a somber tone had killed him more inside. Even a girl as incredible as her could have her share of insecurity.

“I know you c—“ It was the briefest flare, but beneath Asami’s face appeared a sudden burst of flame, seemingly out of nowhere. Peering down, all he saw was her balled fist. Could he have imagined it somehow? “Asami…did.. did you—“Again, from the palm of her hand, now cupping it with the other, Asami had generated flame from nothing. That should have been impossible for all but two people: Korra, and a fire bender. Asami’s revelation was confirmed by her own words. She was the latter. She was a fire bender all this time.

His jaw dropped in awe. This reveal hadn’t stopped her from continuing to express herself, and to prove he was taking this very seriously he had to meet her eyes again. Difficult considering what his formerly non-bender girlfriend had just done, but he gave it his very best effort. Asami didn’t care for sorry and he couldn’t blame her for not settling for it. In an instant, the flames disappeared from her hands, and she reached out for his own. From the shared connection, Mako could feel the warmth that they had left behind. More importantly than confirming that his eyes didn’t fail him, that he wasn’t just imagining things, she had taken his hands in his own, a gesture which he did not hesitate to return.

“Asami, I swear, I just thought Korra would be easier to talk to without hurting. I already rejected her, I just didn’t think she’d translate it into me liking her,” Mako explained. He would not deny his hand in that kiss being made possible, but his intentions were not as secretive as she’d like to think. If it came between Korra and Bolin, he would rather have a bad discussion with Korra. It helped, unfortunate as it was, that he had already had a bad discussion with her prior to that one.

Mentioning owing Bolin the truth of what happened tonight had brought a greater sinking feeling into his chest. She was right, but for once he wished she wasn’t. If there was a shred of good in Korra—and he knew for a fact there was—then she might have thought that confessing to what happened was the best plan, too. But that didn’t change what he did--what the two of them did. It would hurt Bolin, he knew that, but sitting on the knowledge of what he did was much worse for him to bear.

“I… I know, you’re right,” Mako conceded, looking off to the side. “Asami… I… I’ll admit that I think Korra is attractive,” he faced her again, “but I swear to you that being the Avatar or even a bender has nothing to do with it. You don’t want to hear it, but that’s the truth, and I’m telling you because… because you deserve to hear me admit it. But I don’t want Korra, not like I want you. I need you to believe that, please, just… just try and believe me, even if it’s tough.”

In the Shadow of the Cherry Trees | A Naruto RP

Took me long enough, right?

Lol maybe one day we will do a Harry and Hermione thing, even if it's just a oneshot. I adore you too much to let some of your big dreams die. That's why we're back to ShikaSaku~

So I highlighted his insecurity a lot. He grew up around all the girls his age really craving for Sasuke, and natural good looks and flashy talent aren't things he can compete with, so I brought that up a few times. I just wanted that to be clarified in case you thought he believed himself an ugly person. Not ugly, just... not what a girl his age wants as a person.

I think there are a couple options from here to get into the main plot point, which is the fake dating:

A) Sakura mentions that the best way to show his desirability is to be taken, and she brings up fake dating someone, and he looks at her for it, so we go from there.

Or

B) Sakura tells him she'll talk to Ino and see what she thinks of him already, then get back to him later on, and then Shikamaru comes up with the idea of fake dating instead of Sakura, and she agrees from there.

A and B can be interchanged with who actually comes up with the idea, but A feels a little fast because Sakura has to suddenly get into character about liking Shikamaru who had just fake-asked her to be his girlfriend and she agreed. I feel like that level of acting is something she has to perhaps sit down and think on, or sleep on, because at this time she's been Sasuke-crazy for the last couple months since he failed to be brought back.

BUT if we went with A, and Sakura's faster than I think she is, we can have Shikamaru leaving Sakura to go, and Ino SEES him leaving her, and she asks what it was about. Sakura can CHOOSE to set up the fake dating thing from there to help him out and get back to him later about what she got him into, which could make for a funny interaction.

No option is wrong. It all leads to the same road, just a matter of how we travel. Let me know. And I hope it was an okay post.

In the Shadow of the Cherry Trees | A Naruto RP

Shikamaru Nara could not describe the day as anything less than perfection. Between the sun’s rays hitting him with the ideal amount of warmth and the breeze that graced him every now and then, today was one of the best days for him, where he could lounge about in peace and solitude. There weren’t any missions on schedule for Team Asuma; Asuma was on a mission only Jonin could attend, while Choji was out with his father training hard in preparation for the next Chuunin exam, and that left Ino to continue learning under Lady Hokage herself to improve her own abilities. Then there was him, already a Chuunin, doing nothing more than laying on his back and cloud gazing, not a care in the world.

At least, he wished that were the case.

The second Ino Yamanaka’s name crossed his mind, his eyes had closed so he could concentrate on her image entirely. He couldn’t name when it was or where it was, but lately just seeing her or hearing her voice had evoked something encouraging in him. When she was around he had worked harder than he typically would. He had occasionally visited her at her family’s flower shop, using whatever excuse he had. Each time he had left wanting to spend a little more time together, but inevitably her duties and desires had strayed from his own. It made sense; she didn’t have the time for a guy like him. He was boring, not as hard a worker as he could be, and he wasn’t that handsome.

He was no Sasuke Uchiha, either…

Shikamaru sat up and opened his eyes, lazily looking about the deserted training field that he and his team often used to practice. Were this a few months ago, this thought process wouldn’t exist, he would be asleep and at peace right now, under the very oak he was sitting under, without a care in the world. But instead insecurity rang its ugly head. He wanted more out of his life far sooner than he cared to openly admit. Ever since the failure to retrieve Sasuke from the enemy, his thoughts and feelings had begun to change about the world around him. Positively, of course. There was too much good around him to not savor it more. He saw a lot just lying down and looking up, thinking to himself about unimportant things. Maybe he could share that with Ino.

“She’d never go for this,” Shikamaru spoke aloud for the first time, no longer able to contain his thoughts. “Girls like her… I’d have to be exciting. It just wouldn’t be like her to buy into this so soon.”

As praised as his intellect was, Shikamaru knew that there were things he couldn’t figure out all on his own. He needed someone—an expert on Ino, or at least about women—that he could meet with to sort out his thoughts, feelings, and doubts. Right about now, Ino would have been preparing to meet with Tsunade. But she wasn’t meeting Tsunade alone. There was Sakura Haruno, Ino’s best friend, someone who shared a rivalry with her, but also likely shared similar interests. His eyes lit up. It could work: enlist Sakura for help, understand Ino more, and be lucky enough to be a guy that could match Sasuke in desirability, or at least get on her radar.

It was a lot of effort to race back to the village from the training field, but for this it would be worth it. Shikamaru reached Sakura’s residence, recalling it from visit with Ino and Choji back during their academy days. A few knocks on the door brought her mother promptly at the door. He addressed himself respectfully and asked to see Sakura, only to be told that she had left just minutes ago to meet with Tsunade. Thanking her for her time, he headed down the most direct street towards the hospital, and just after a minute of hustling he had caught her staring at a store window that displayed outfits.

Now, he paused. She would be in a hurry to get to the hospital, so there wasn’t any chance he could just sit down and build up to the dilemma he had. There was also little to no chance that he could convince her to take the day off, not to mention that would just be selfish. The weight of what he had to ask her seemed limitless. But he considered his only option left, as he had no other choice now: be forward about what it is he needed of her, and just hope that she wouldn’t laugh at his face and remind him of who he was: Anything but boyfriend material.

She was beginning to turn and head off again, and there was no more time to dwell. He had to act now.

“Sakura, wait up!” Shikamaru called from behind her, hustling over and coming to a stop beside her. While he did his best to seem calm, he couldn’t help but look at her with unease. “Would you mind if I walked you from here? There’s actually something I need to ask you.”

She had agreed, and this made him breathe a little easier. They had begun to walk together to her destination, leaving him to make whatever point he had to. ‘I should’ve rehearsed before I even knocked on her door, but it’s too late to have regrets. Here it goes…’

“There’s been something, or rather… someone… a girl, I should say, on my mind lately,” he began slowly, pocketing his hands. “I’m… well, look at me. I know I’m not the number one pick for a boyfriend in our age group, but… I just… I want to try and make myself more presentable… for Ino.”

So far, so good.

His dark eyes came to rest on Sakura’s green ones. “It’s abrupt and out of nowhere, and believe me when I say it’s troublesome, but I was hoping you could help… put me out there, or just give me some advice. I’m no Sasuke, I know that, but I think if I gave it my all, I could do for Ino what he isn’t here to.” Admitting all this out loud had brought a crimson color to his cheeks. He turned away bashfully, freeing his left hand to rub the back of his neck awkwardly. Looking at Sakura and saying all these corny things was too much. “Maybe just ask her what she thinks of me, and I could try and work around that on my own? It’s a lot to ask of you, and I won’t blame you if you said no, but I wouldn’t ask if I wasn’t desperate.”

Sapphire Roses

Whew, what a freaking delay. Sorry about that.

I know there isn't a WHOLE lot to get into, but I didn't want to end the dinner and rush them to bed without hearing what you wanted to brainstorm up. My second option was just Kurama taking Botan to his room to talk and see just how bad she has become. But it's still early. As hastened as her affliction is due to the possessed student knowing of her true identity, I think there may still be a shred of the true Botan in there who is against all that she is feeling. Hurting Shiori, I feel, would hurt Botan inside too, no matter how troubled she is, but the interpretation is of course all you, dude.

If there was nothing else, I could end up skipping them to the next day in my next post and having the appearance of the possessed student. You know how badly I want some fluff for these two right now?

Pretty god damn badly.

Sapphire Roses

It was clear as day to him that Botan was not, in fact, ‘fine’ as she described herself.

Kurama had made an honest effort in trying to make conversation as they ate lunch in the greenhouse. As they talked, it had become clear that her disinterest and low energy did not come from the environment she was in. Maybe, he thought, she had grown tired of trying to adjust to her role as a student, and the dishonesty was beginning to get to her. Mental exhaustion can weaken the body and render one very unwilling to act with their usual enthusiasm. That was what he wanted to believe at first. Everyone, even himself, had a slow morning and the occasional lack of interest throughout the day.

She was late for History, and even sat out when it came time to clean up and leave for the day, prompting him to try once again to get her back to her normal self. On the way home, he had tried newer topics, ones that directly appealed to having fun, but to no avail. Met with nothing more than silence and shrugs, he had been discouraged enough to stop bringing anything up, but not enough to get his mind off it.

This wasn’t the same Botan as yesterday, that much was clear, yet searching her body and energy brought him nothing. A lack of physical energy, the silence, the antisocial tendencies—they all related to something troubling. ‘Depression?’ Kurama wondered as he continued to home. Botan followed closely behind, but only because he was moving slower for her. ‘No, not truly that… she’s dealt with much worse than attending a day of classes. She’s too strong to be this way because of that. But if not that… then…’ His eyes widened as a new possibility began to cross his mind. ‘The presence from the previous night. It vanished as the imps did; both groups were independent in energy, and I hadn’t seen anything of it at the time. Nonetheless there was something else there, something far more menacing.’

He was used to his mind working overtime. As much as he wanted to call it just a possibility, Kurama was almost entirely certain that the artificial mood swing and depression, the ones that affected Anabe and Meiko prior to their suicides, was what Botan had come home with. He couldn’t feel it through her spirit energy, only see it by knowing her well enough to recognize the change. Confronting her about it now would do little for them both, and might even force her into outright denial of his claims. For the time being, Kurama would settle on observing her and making certain she did nothing outrageous or self-harmful.

The pair had returned home. Just before dinner, Kurama had already completed his share of schoolwork, and was unable to rouse Botan from the privacy of her room to join him in studying or looking over her answers. He had peeked inside the room to see her merely lying in bed, staring at the wall. ‘Good,’ he thought, ‘better than climbing out the window or finding something sharp.’

Shiori had finished dinner and that was enough to get Botan to leave her room to join them. Kurama looked over the results of his mother’s efforts. “It looks as good as it smells.” He complimented her before seating himself. He had taken to the offering of rice and eagerly moved to the tempura when asked about the day. “Nothing special, I’m afraid. I don’t want to bore you with the details.”

Normally, this was when Botan would pipe up and talk about school, reciting what she had learned and voicing her frustrations to Shiori. Tonight, nothing of the sort. A shrug, followed by more and more silence. Naturally his mother couldn’t ignore this strangeness any longer. When she asked Botan about the lie that was the state of Botan’s parent’s divorce, Kurama had stopped his eating and set his bowl down, turning to her with a creeping fear inching its way up his spine. This was the one time where he hoped she would merely shrug, offer little in response, and allow him to settle the conversation.

Regretfully, it had been different.

With an attitude that was less than subtle, Botan’s irritability coursed through her tone as she voiced her lack of interest in talking. Shiori was silenced, Kurama willingly joining her in it, and they let Botan continue, which would prove itself to be a mistake. She had come after Shiori’s good heart and trusting nature, stepping into the territory of how dangerous it was to take someone off the street no matter how desperate they were. She had even gone as far as to suggest that the two of them could kill her. But that wasn’t enough of a verbal lashing it seemed. Botan intended to go too far, and teetered dangerously close to speaking of things she had no right to.

His nearest hand shot towards her lips, fingertips pressing firmly against them in a move to silence her. Successful as he was, the speed at which he had done so, combined with the hard stare he was giving her without knowing it, had made the situation even more alarming to Shiori than it was before.

“Shuichi?” Shiori asked with concern.

‘That was too close. If I had been lax, she might have finished,’ Kurama thought while easing his stare. The pressure against Botan’s lips had remained, as did the involuntary rise of his spirit energy that permeated the room. Noticing Shiori shiver from the corner of his eye had told him that his aura grew too dangerous, and so he suppressed it. “Mother,” he began, looking toward her as he cleared his throat. “I want to apologize for not being honest with you. Botan’s situation with her parents hasn’t improved, and any hope she had of them reconciling has long since passed. She confessed to me earlier this morning, but didn’t want to bear you worrying about her any more than you were.” He returned his focus to Botan. “Please forgive her. She can’t apologize and truly mean it right now, but I assure you that this isn’t a side of Botan you would ever see unless her situation was truly desperate.”

Shiori’s eyes shimmered with concern as she looked upon Botan’s face. It hurt to know that she was in pain. It couldn’t be helped. “I-I see. Botan, I am truly sorry about what you’re going through. I wish there was more that I could do to see you through this awful time. And if it makes you happy, I’ll stop asking you anything you don’t wish me to. I only want to make sure you’ll be okay.”

Botan had removed all doubt of her affliction by the unknown assailant behind his school’s suicides. Shiori empathized with her regardless of her attitude, but that was just like his mother. He, on the other hand, was not so easily able to forgive someone who had disrespected her, much less nearly outed his secret. But this wasn’t Botan; Botan had not a single shred of true darkness and contempt in her heart, so he could not hold this against her. These feelings she felt now were fake, urged on by an unseen master, and the clock had begun to tick even faster to expose him and end whatever game he was playing.

“Yes,” Kurama muttered, easing the pressure on Botan’s lips and slowly letting his hand fall. “I feel the same way as my mother. I apologize for intruding in your personal space, but I wanted to keep you from saying something you would regret.”