dangerouswind

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[006]

[Do you know what a wind user does in the rain? She kicks up one hell of a localized storm just outside the village. She's no waterbender, but she's seeing if she can concentrate enough on those gusts of wind to send the water in whatever direction she deems necessary.

It's not all that productive -- after all, raindrops aren't the best weapon -- but focusing on her control is always good training.

Besides, she's just happy to play in the rain.

Later, she'll be found wandering the village, soaking wet and not going in any particular direction. She might stop in the bakery for something sweet and she'll be popping into Good Spirits a little later for something bracing to drink.

She'll even address the village at large, via an unfiltered message in the journal:]

I love the rain.

[So sue her. She's actually in a good mood.]

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Too troublesome. I'll pass.

[He takes a moment to orient himself again, conscious of which direction the wind is pushing those rain drops. This is warm up for him - it's been a while since he's worked with Kipinn, and he has far less experience with him.]

So what brings you out this far? Since it's not the spirits and all.

[Of course it's too troublesome. She expected no other answer.

She shrugs.]

It's raining so I decided to train a bit.

[Wind blowing northeast; rain at the back of his neck-]

Seems like a lot of us had that idea. [And there's a shift there, about a foot from his position where the wind begins to curve around him.] We're all nuts, doing it in this weather.

[She's watching him; she knows that expression. He's got other things on his mind. After all, he did just basically admit to being out here to practice and train.]

It's invigorating. Different.

For you. We get rain sometimes in Konoha. [~~Conveniently after someone dies.~~ And speaking of rain, it's following that current of air - not quite in the direction he wants it to go though. He tilts his head, trying to get the current to circle back.]

[Her answer is a noncommittal hum; her attention is on the rain following that current of air. Ah, so that's it, is it? Wind is her territory, Nara. What are you trying to do here?

One corner of her mouth quirks upward as he tilts his head and she just shakes hers.]

You're trying too hard.

[Whut.

There's a change in the wind, and then he loses the current altogether, rain falling against his back once again. He twitches, then spares a moment to frown at her.]

Huh. First time I've been accused of that one.

[Let's try this again, then. 8|]

[She shakes her head, watching curiously as he loses the current. It's not often she sees him have to work for such things. After a moment, she decides to have pity on him. It's heartless to watch someone struggle.

... Well, sorta. He's not doing that bad, but he could use a few pointers.]

It's wind, Shikamaru. You're trying to control it and that's never going to work.

[She hefts her fan and sends a gust of wind into the rain. It's precision work; Shikamaru would be able to see the slice curving through the raindrops, until it tapers off and gently buffets a tree at the far end of the clearing.]

Wind wants to be free. I'd wager that even a friendly spirit like Kipinn would rail against being caged. It's wild and powerful and it won't respect boundaries. The more you try strict control, the more it will resist. Don't control wind; you never will anyway. Unleash it.

You could say the same thing about any element, but people manage anyways. I don't see how wind should be that different.

[Whether he can see it or not though, it's obvious Temari has the right idea here (and admittedly, not a surprise considering it's her element). There's a breeze from Kipinn yet again, gentler this time and warm in agreement.

...Traitor. Must not sulk. But he's clearly outnumbered here.]

Even if it is [And yes, he's admitting you're right here, okay] ...you're making it sound too easy. It has to take more than that.

[He's not so good at the 'unleashing' thing.]

People manage because they understand their element. Besides, you're not seriously going to stand there and tell me that all elements are the same. It's not the simple and you know it.

[Him and his logical mind. Temari sighs. Clearly, she's going to have to approach this differently.] You, me, and Chouji are on a mission together. You and I? We're not close-range fighters. We'll manage, if we have to, but we'll be finding ways to fall back and rely on our strengths. Chouji and I aren't the most stealthy of ninja out there; that's your thing. The last thing you'd do is send Chouji out for recon; he's your muscle.

It's the same thing with the wind. You play to its strengths. Wind isn't something that you conjure up, set loose, and then it's gone. It's always there, always wanting to move. Give it direction and it will be a valuable ally. Try to contain it and you'll find yourself with more trouble than it's worth on your hands.

[An ally, Shikamaru. Not a tool. Surely you can make that distinction.]

[Put into those terms... yes, he thinks he can. His expression remains loosely attentive; processing.

Shikamaru is not a powerhouse. He has no elemental affinity and his clan's jutsus are a subtler art, but exacting. His only other strong-suits lie in his strategy and his creative use of weapons - and that would be where he made his mistake.

He wouldn't use wind to put out a fire, same as he wouldn't use Chouji or Temari for a surveillance op. Different strengths; different tactics. He can aim a bolt of lightning, but he can't throw it like a kunai.

Similarly, using filial magic wouldn't be the same thing as using his weapons, then.] Aa.

[And he ducks his head, lowering his voice in an apology for the wind spirit's ears only.]

[But there's a grin on his face when he raises it.]

Oi. Show me that move again?

[She's quiet while he thinks. He's so obvious at it; it's almost cute. It's like she can watch him cataloging and processing information -- and she's ridiculously proud of herself for managing to put it into terms that made it click for him.

And then he gives her that grin and she returns it. Yeah, he's got that brain of his on it.]

You got it.

[And she sends a gust slicing through the rain once again.]

[There's a large difference in what you can do with a jutsu and what you can do with Kipinn. Magic will only let you manipulate the air directly around you - no tornadoes or gusts of wind strong enough to put a scratch into a tree. Hell, Shikamaru would be surprised if anyone in Luceti could come close to doing something like what Temari just did with nothing but filial magic.

He'll never be able to match that... so it's a good thing he'll never want to try. Just moving the wind, though - that's a process he imagines is similar here. And aside from Kipinn himself, there's no one else better suited to learn it from.

When she finishes he lifts one hand, drawing up a current again. It's not so slow-moving this time, instead whipping the rain from behind him and propelling it forward.]

Not as flashy on my part, but how was that?

[That was actually pretty good, especially so since he managed to change his whole approach to the process in the span of a few minutes -- if that.

Not that she'll tell him that, but she will give him something.]

Better.

[He takes to that better than he would an actual compliment. Between the two of them, it may as well be.]

Any suggestions, oh mighty one?

Sometimes it helps to move a bit like the wind: fluid and fast. Be sure to follow-through, in both motion and thought. Remember: wind doesn't just disappear. It's always going somewhere. You need to be sure you're not cutting loose too soon.

[She's fairly certain he'll find himself comfortable with it in a matter of days. Which, on one level, sucks ass, because she worked for years to figure this stuff out. On the other hand, though: he'll never be the wind use she is.

It's a small comfort.]

'Move like the wind'... Heh. Just so long as I don't have to carry around a huge-ass fan like yours to do it.

[He tries again, this time giving the wind more direction. The raindrops caught in its current are streamed a little closer to the treeline. Close, but not quite, and not nearly as neat.]

Just because you can't even pick it up...

[She's watching him, paying a little more attention to the movement of the wind than his movements; it'll tell her more.]

Oi, I can pick it up.

[She'll find that the wind dies down sooner rather than later, not enough force behind it to keep it going.]

It just doesn't go very far after that.

Wanna try?

[She'll be amazed if he actually does.]

You can't learn the ins and outs of an element in one sitting, Shikamaru.

Tch. No point. I got nothing to prove. [He's already done it once here, after all. How do you think your fan ended up in his apartment after you were kidnapped, Temari?]

And I know. But I can get it in theory.

[He's actually been working at this for longer than you'd think, as can be said with the rest of the spirits he's met. That said, Kipinn's magic has been a troublesome thing to put to practice. What he's managed today is probably the most progress he's made in the last month.]

[Shikamaru, someday you'll learn that throwing logic out the window for the sake of snarking is a tried and true practice.]

Theory's all well and good. Doesn't do much without practice, though.

That's the point of me being out here, isn't it? [The wind dies down, and the rain's picking up now.] It'll just take more time than this.

[Whereas he's picking up the theory behind it much quicker now. It will come in handy later, the next time he's out here practicing wind magic.]

[Her answers is a hum of assent. It will take time, yes.]

Why are you working with the spirits here?

[006]

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