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]

I get along with it all right, now that that business is settled.

[stilldontgotit]

Really? I don't know, maybe it's just my own experience with darkness talking. Not like it was the first time the spirits went crazy, anyway. I'm just glad the Malnosso didn't pull any death threats this time around.

[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?

[endgames]

[Hadn't they, though? He remembers that being the final motivation, to separating himself from Twila at that time.

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.

[stilldontgotit]

[...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...]

[endgames]

Heh. Give me some credit. [But he's grinning. It really is an apt metaphor.] After what went down, I've been watchful of that.

[stilldontgotit]

Good, but I guess I shouldn't expect anything less. You always seem to get on top of things.

[It's one of the things he respects about Shikamaru, really. He actually uses his head, unlike some people.]

[endgames]

[He shrugs his shoulders.]

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.