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

Before, when you said you sought them out, you said all of them but Sona and Kipinn. What had you leave Twila out?

To be honest, because of the time we were all possessed. There's an element of fear in contacting darkness in any capacity, even though in my world we're taught that darkness isn't necessarily evil.

It doesn't make me less cautious about Twila, of course, and I left it out because I honestly am still unsure. I'm certainly open to the idea, but given that Twila is new, I'd rather be cautious before contacting it.

[Shikamaru drops his chin into the palm of his hand. He was expecting an answer like that - it seems to be the concern of everyone.]

It's not unwarranted. [Given what he's experiencing, anyways.] But not for the reasons you think, I'd say. The other spirits had just as selfish motives for possessing us as Twila did, after all.

On that I agree. They aren't entirely benevolent, and when Eferin possessed me I felt urges that I should not have. I don't think of any of them as evil, but they most definitely are not human. They think differently, like all spirits.

I'd be just as cautious about contacting any of the others, without either a lot of evidence of their benevolence or a guide at the very least. And even then, I'd never walk into such things blindly. That's asking for trouble.

Was that what you did for the others?

I spoke to Eferin on my own. Helios guided me with some of the others. And there were enough people who'd learned from them to make me feel it was alright to move forward with it.

Twila, on the other hand, seems relatively unknown.

How troublesome... It'll probably continue that way, if everyone avoids it. No wonder you're asking me.

All I can say is it's something to try at your own risk.

Well you have firsthand experience, and that's more than me. Even if we have never met.

Which, I hope you'll forgive my rudeness. My name is Rei, Rei Hino.

Nara Shikamaru. [He obviously doesn't mind it, introducing himself in turn as if an afterthought.]

I wasn't saying that lightly, though. Personally, I feel Twila's more interested in maintaining its own freedom and being accepted than it is stirring up shit. There's no harm in establishing contact.

But if you want to learn its magic, there may be a risk to yourself involved.

There's always a risk, with anything like that. I will exercise caution, and I will definitely consider establishing contact.

Thank you for answering my questions, Nara-san.