[001] Accidental Audio

[redhotmama]

[There is a book laying on a near by table that Kushina doesn't see as she rushes toward the window. The first rustle of wind doesn't even jostle the pages, however when she flings the window open, the book flies open with it. There's a moments pause as Kushina takes in the contents of outside, the chill in the air, the foreign feel. The first thing she deems to greet Luceti with is:]

WHERE IS MINATO!? This isn't..!

[But then her angry heart-felt cry stops, the words dying mid-sentence as a wave of emotion tears into her. Whatever anger she felt quickly faded in lieu of grief. A loud bang against the window's frame and the rattle of glass.]

Naruto... Minato...

[It's quiet and sounds as though Kushina is on the verge of tears, if not already crying.]

This isn't the afterlife, I know it. It doesn't feel right. It's too real. I shouldn't be able to feel pain, y'know!

[Kushina slumps to the floor, the sound reverberating softly in the near-empty room. What was she supposed to do here? What was this place, even? It wasn't where she was supposed to be. Nowhere had ever felt more wrong in her life.]

Comments

[endgames]

[You know, he might have overlooked this if he hadn't, like so many others, caught Naruto's name in that.

It shouldn't be surprising - of course Naruto would have a mother. But years of classmate's and parents whispering in the schoolyard ("that awful boy; he has no parents") can make a guy forget. He'd question how to go about this, but Naruto's response on the journal is openly accepting. Even more so than usual for him.

So screw it. Thinking too much on this is troublesome.]

Ha. So Naruto wasn't dropped off by a stork summon after all, huh?

[redhotmama]

Is that what they're saying in the village?

[Kushina seems amused enough by this, though she knows the cruelty of children and their parents and wouldn't put it past any to have said it. She's smiling brightly, like some self-contained sun. It would be impossible to extinguish that light, given everything at the moment. Luceti might not be home, and she might not know everyone from her village, but who was there already - Naruto especially - she was happy to see.]

Of course he wasn't! He had two very loving, proud parents.

[endgames]

Oh. No, they call him a hero these days. Much like his father, who I found out about recently. [That was a weird experiment though, let's just leave it at that.] I suppose that made you his other half.

[redhotmama]

[Hearing this just makes her radiate that little bit more. It's obvious she loves both Minato and Naruto so much, and is likely their biggest fan respectively. And perhaps, it's almost like she's ready to fist pump and scream 'score!', though of course she's reigning that back. To be called a hero, disaster had to strike first. She knows this, and being excited for that isn't something that's smiled on.

So let's have a topic shift. Mom mode: on.]

So, does my son's friend have a name? You are his friend, right?

[endgames]

We're pals, yeah. [At least after all that, they'd BETTER be.] Nara Shikamaru. Hailing from the Nara clan - obviously.

[redhotmama]

Ah-! I should have known just by looking at you. You're Shikaku and Yoshino's son, aren't you? You look a lot like your mother.

[endgames]

--like my mom?

I shouldn't tag when tired lmao I forgot this was probably supposed to be audio /facepalm

[redhotmama]

You don't get that a lot?

LOL It's cool! And video or audio works fine.

[endgames]

Uh. [He laughs, something between amused and nervous.] No it's kind of a first. People were always saying I took after the old man.

<3 1/2 though

[redhotmama]

Really? [She peers at the little image on the journal more closely.] Hm.

The resemblance is definitely there, but I can see more of your mother's kindness. [Which is a nice way of saying 'her delicate features' without making him sound girly since he isn't.]

2/2

[redhotmama]

Ah, sorry sorry!

[She looks a little embarrassed.]

It's just a little strange seeing friends children all grown up. At least knowing what family you come from, I'm glad you're one of Naruto's friends.

[endgames]

[Wow this is so weird for him.

> mother
> kindness

Did you really know her?? Then again, maybe that's his fault. He wasn't even three weeks old by the Kyuubi attack. He probably drove his mother as crazy as she made him in those sixteen years Kushina's missing.]

Heh. Don't worry about it. I'd say thanks, but I think I'd be friends with him no matter what.

[Naruto's just that kind of person.]