033 -- [Action]

[endgames]

[In anticipation of a witch hunt, Shikamaru left the village a solid week or more ago for a spot he could wait things out and do as he liked. After John's report to the village, he trained with Twila's powers some and checked out the barrier. He never forgot that looming detail - that a deadline was approaching - but it wasn't the loudest though to linger in his mind.

"I've let your new attitude and wings slide, because we're friends. But it's starting to make you do things you wouldn't normally in a bad way. You should get it together."

It's troublesome but not untrue, which means that comes before anything else. Control is the name of the game here. Twila catered to his apathy, and while there's something nice about not feeling sad or anxious anymore, until they split ways he's going to be the one calling the shots. And after that week... he is for the most part, and ready to take care of things.]

[Since it's hard telling over the journals how much things settled in the village, so on June 9th he makes his way back on his very best behavior. Best. Maybe. PROVOKE HIM AND FIND OUT. He's still possessed by the start of the day, but in general, Shikamaru can be found attempting to mind himself while doing any of the following:

1. Observing people from high up places and making weirdly realistic shadow puppets to pass the time
2. Exploring the new parts of the tunnels
3. Searching out anyone he might have been an ass to, because he should make up for that 8|

One way or another he's back to normal by the end of the day, so people might find him in CH1 too after the fact.]

Comments

[etudes]

I don't think I saw anything that I could call "weird".. does Shikamaru-kun mean that he did see something like that?

[endgames]

[dot dot dot

To this, after a moment, all Shikamaru can do is adjust his (still huge) wings behind his back, fanning then out just so.]

[etudes]

[ Yeah. Still no reaction. Sorry if you were hoping for something, Shikamaru. ]

.. So he didn't, huh.. there must've been nothing weird at all after all.. [ Sagenodding to herself. ]

1/2

[endgames]

[FACEPALM.]

[endgames]

[Letting it go would be smartest, especially with the swelling eagerness he's feeling now. It's displaced enough that it could only come from Twila, which is usually a sign the spirit wants to do something mean-spirited for its own entertainment.

Even so, there's his own curiosity. Pressing his fingers into his temples one last time, he drops his hand and with is the shadow play below is dispelled as well.]

The large wings everyone had. That's what I'm getting at.

[etudes]

Ah..

[ Stare. .. It takes a few moments for her to stare, actually, but then it slowly seems to be connecting in her head. ]

Shikamaru-kun's wings do look like they're a little bigger than usually.

[endgames]

So the same didn't happen to you?

[etudes]

[ She stares over her shoulder at her wings and then looks back to Shikamaru, shaking her head a little. ]

They look normal, right..?

[endgames]

This would've been a week ago, that it started. But even you would've noticed if it happened to you, I'd think...

[etudes]

W.. wah, what if it happened to me and I never knew..?

[ Of course Kotomi would freak out over that. Only Kotomi. ]

What do I do, Shikamaru-kun..?

[endgames]

[OF ALL THINGS TO GET A REACTION LIKE THAT OUT OF HER. He mentally facepalms, before thinking of something to offer awkwardly.]

You could ask anyone who saw you...? You might never know otherwise, not that it's a big deal anymore. Your wings are already normal, so if you were possessed you aren't any longer.

[etudes]

Maybe I should a-ask Ikki-kun, oh g.. gosh, oh gosh.. [ She's still freaking out, gently grabbing one of her wings as if she's trying to make it stop growing larger.. even though it obviously wouldn't anymore at this point. ]

[endgames]

Oi, oi. Calm down, will you? Why does it matter after the fact?

[etudes]

I.. I need to make sure I didn't hurt anyone, of course.. That would be really, really rude of me, if I hurt someone without realising..

[endgames]

[...all right, that is a fair concern. At least it is to someone like Kotomi, who's so absent about such things.

A vague memory crawls back to him, from before he left Luceti; a break in her typical emotionless behavior when the subject came to bullies.

Turning that over his head, he shoves his hands in his pockets and pushes himself over the edge of the roof, using his wings to buoy him for a slow, easy landing.]

Did you see a lot of people, in those days?

[etudes]

Ikki-kun.

[ Normally she might be a little more concerned about him jumping off like that. But let's face it, Kotomi's brain just doesn't even realise it in time before he's already on the ground. ]

.. I just saw Ikki-kun. And Fuuko-chan, since she lives with me.