036 -- [Voice]

[endgames]

((Backdated to February 4th))

[It's been a long time since Shikamaru's failed a mission. All right. Failure might be too strong a word for this one. He can actually laugh at that. This isn't like when he was twelve. It's a personal embarrassment, not something that's going to keep him up at night, sick to his stomach.

A failure is a failure though, and that makes it a pain in the ass. He'd apologized to the MSF personnel profusely, and requested to be put on a different mission to make up for the screw-up. They'd looked nonplussed about the whole thing and stuck him back in Luceti, but eh. Shikamaru decides to keep his journal close to him anyways, in case they take him up on that. It's for this reason he doesn't go out to do any of the things he probably should. He passes the time by flipping through the journal instead, and thinking over the last mission.]

[Voice]

When I first came to this village, I remember going out. Left or right, it seemed anywhere I looked someone was using that so-called "filial magic". ...Haaa. [He scratches his head, and there's a smirk in his voice.] That's an exaggeration, but you get it. That was years ago, though. It seemed like it was becoming less common until that incident last year, when everyone got possessed.

Anyone learning anything from those guys now? Seems like the kind of thing that would spark interest, especially with one extra spirit hanging around.

Comments

[endgames]

Not gonna argue with you there, no. You got more in common than that, though.

[mischiefbreeder]

You think so?

[endgames]

[Shikamaru makes a face. It probably goes unnoticed; he's hanging upside down off the couch, journal on the floor so he doesn't have to hold it. But The Face is present in his whining, all the same.]

Does that mean getting up?

[endgames]

Gun to my head, I'd take it if it meant getting rid of the snow.

[endgames]

You're a couple of hotheads, the both of you. [...] Pun not intended.

[Voice]

[endgames]

[It was mostly a time thing, but "suits your purposes best" covers it better.]

That's true enough. So do they still have a class on this stuff at the school?

[Voice]

[wise_maiden]

Yes, indeed. It's an open course, so anyone who has an interest can drop by if they like. Perhaps even offer some insights, if they choose.

[respect_points47]

Well, at least it's almost over...right?

[Voice]

[niceguypose]

I suppose it does! On a technical standpoint. However, it still ranks highly!

voice;

[breezing]

I like Kipinn best!! He's the one I can hear.

[ ...There are some pretty obvious reasons for her affinity with the wind spirit, and Shikamaru gets zero points for guessing them. ]

Grandpa's been trying to talk to lots of them, and I'd like to try talking to them, too! At least, if I can talk to Nala then I can heal things a little bit like Katara, right? And maybe I could learn a little of the water stuff, too!!

[feistytrader]

[All of them but- whoa.]

Really? [Was it hard?...]

[mischiefbreeder]

You think so? I never noticed. [Yeah, he's screwing with you, Shikamaru. He knows he's a hothead. It's his thing.]

[markofthebrave]

Very troublesome. So... just random curiosity, then?

voice;

[endgames]

[Oh Ikki, he's missed you.]

You'd have to see Sona, for that last one.

[endgames]

[He hears that doubt in your voice, Katara. Hush, before you draw a million others with the same suspicions. Actually, in light of that possibility, he decides to be blasé and upfront.]

I was comparing which ones people are talking to. I wanted to see how many are working with Twila.

[endgames]

It should warm up around March, yeah. Might wanna look into a different pact after that, to deal with the wind and rain.

[endgames]

Yeah, but that many is too troublesome to keep up with. It was interesting getting to know the spirits, though. As well as one can, anyways.

[endgames]

We could fry eggs on your noggin.

[Voice]

[endgames]

I'll think about it. You got many students actively practicing things in there?

[Voice]

[endgames]

Yeah, fair enough.

[It doesn't answer his question, though, which momentarily puts the conversation at a dead end. Shikamaru's been out of the village for a while though; there's no doubt a lot he has to catch up on, when he thinks about it.]

So how have things been around here, Lee?

[Voice]

[wise_maiden]

... To the best of their abilities, anyway. Many are still in the 'contacting' stage, or otherwise study the pacts that are most interesting to them.

voice;

[breezing]

[ It's because she's such good company, right? ]

Yep!! But...I think I'll do it one at a time 'cause it's hard enough listening for just one.

[ Although the wind spirit is always worth listening for since wind.

...Well, it's not like she doesn't have practice meditating, but...Jinora's always been the one who would be better at this particular sort of thing. ]

How many can you talk to, Shikamaru?

voice;

[ura_no_ura]

Elaborate on "work for."

[ Kakashi doesn't mind a bit of hard work, after all. Especially if it might mean an increase in powers to offset the decrease in ability, no thanks to the power-dampening conditions of Luceti. ]

[markofthebrave]

[Yeah, she thought it was something like that. You -- big dolt.]

I just maintain my pacts with Sona and Nala. But I think people would have to be crazy to form a pact with something so interested in taking them over.

[Voice]

[savedtheworld]

I just haven't worked as much on all the spirit elements. [It is kind of redundant since he can do more than most of the spirits with his bending abilities already; one exception is Nala, which he sought primarily because he didn't have any healing to his name. But for the most part, he's mostly about connecting with the spirits in general, even if they don't have much to say.] But I mean to! I wanna get pacts with most of them.