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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.
[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.
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[Riku still does, of course. His raft's still out there, and the memories that come with it. Somebody has to make sure that thing stays together.]
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But does that mean you don't have any pacts yourself?
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It's a tough call. Are there really any benefits to using their power, if you can already control elements in a more powerful form? I guess Sona's got some perks, though, since I haven't learned any water spells...
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It makes for a good back-up.
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[Maybe there are creative ways of using their powers he hasn't thought of yet. It's hard to say.]
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[He pauses for a moment, mulling over Shikamaru's words. Working with elements familiar to him... well, he knows for a fact that he won't be dabbling in that dark spirit any time soon.]
I wonder if combining, say, some filial fire magic with a Firaga spell would amplify it or not. Guess it's something worth experimenting with.
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[That is an answer to both questions, though it may not sound it. The skills Twila's taught him have complimented Shikamaru's original abilities tremendously. Then again, he's not sure he could say that if he had, say, a water affinity. Katara's waterbending is much more impressive than anything he's seen with Sona.]
...it might vary. It's hard saying, with something as dependent on the user as it is the skill in question.
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[And at that, he bristles, his voice taking on a low, uneasy tone.]
Then again, possession presses all the wrong buttons for me. Maybe others have had better luck.
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[He hums in thought. Maybe Riku's not one to talk, anyway. Despite his own problems with the darkness, he managed to work up an immunity to it and uses it freely. Could it be possible to do the same with Twila?]
How's it been communicating with it since then?
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But Riku must mean a time before even that. Were they more heavy-handed then, he wonders?]
Communicating's not an issue. Twila's selfish and seeks attention. But it hasn't shown that manipulative streak I remember from when we first met. It's never satisfied, but it's content. I think it's just happy to have its freedom again. Makes for one eager teacher, anyways.
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...That might be a mun fail.Regardless, the Malnosso certainly were heavy-handed before. He remembers all to well the way they demanded the villagers turn against their own, lest they end up killing the possessed themselves. Nasty business, especially when he'd only been there a few weeks at most.
Selfish and attention seeking, though... Hah.]
So, basically Twila's like a hungry toddler that just got let out of the play pen. And you're sure it hasn't tried pulling any fast ones?
[Hmm, if nothing else, he could always investigate it. Pull back if it's too big of a risk...]
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[It's one of the things he respects about Shikamaru, really. He actually uses his head, unlike some people.]
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There hasn't been much to be on top of, with this. I haven't had to do more than tell Twila to back off and let me have a breather, now and then. It pushes a lot at once.