endgames | 036 -- [Voice]

((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.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

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!!

[Oh Ikki, he's missed you.]

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

[ 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?

[Totes. It's relaxing, in its own weird way.]

I talked to a lot of 'em before, but not so many now. It's like you said.

[Hard enough keeping up with just one.]

Which ones do you talk to? Do you have a favorite? Is it Kipinn???

[ It's probably not Kipinn, is it. ]

[He couldn't get the hang of Kipinn for longer than five minutes, it was a sad affair. Dude's cool in his book, though.]

Hah. [He's not thought about it, really.] If I had a favorite, I guess it'd be Tsinku.

Electricity? Why's that?

[ It's not shadow-y so it can't be because it's like his...well, shadow-y thing.

Shadowbender. ]

You ever talk to him? He's a cool guy.

No...just Kipinn, really!! Does he like watching clouds and stuff like you do?

He likes different clouds from the ones that I do. It's a better day for him if the sky is gray.

But he's smart. He makes an interesting shogi partner.

You can play shogi with spirits???

[ SINCE WHEN. No one told her they were into board games!

Remind her to bug Kipinn about candyland. ]

Not in any traditional way. [And it's been a long time since he and Tsinku had a match, but he tries to describe best how it went then.] I had to move the tokens for him. The challenge he put forth was correctly determining which one he wanted to play.

[ ...SOUNDS A LITTLE BORING, but Shikamaru likes boring things sometimes.

...And she respects him, in her own way, so she will actually not point out how boring that sounds. Because she also likes him, so. ]

That sounds like something Jinora'd like. Did you win?

[He is the king of boring pastimes, let no one think otherwise.]

Yeah. Not that it matters. It was a good match.

[ Yes, but the small modicum of tact she has acquired through patient tutelage tells her maybe she shouldn't SAY so.

...Maybe.

She's considering it a bit, but. ]

Has anyone here beat you at shogi, anyway...?

[He smirks, just a little.]

No one here, no.

[It'd be more fun if they would, though.]

I'm gonna learn a lot so I can be the first person to beat you here, then!!

[ ..................this will MOST ASSUREDLY never happen but hey it may entertain her for a week or so. ]

Edited (clarity) 2014-02-20 04:18 (UTC)