markofthebrave | .048 [ Action, Voice ] June 30-July 2nd

[There's a somewhat familiar voice over the journals this afternoon. The setting is clearly the forest, as there are small woodland creatures scampering about. The voice itself seems to have an almost musical lilt to it.]

Hi, everyone! I'm back. I'm sorry if I worried you. Everything seems to be in one piece, and I'm making my way back to town now! Of course, my powers are missing, but they'll be back soon enough!

[Does it seem a little odd for Katara to be casually mentioning such an obvious weakness over an open network, or to be referring to her bending as 'powers?' It gets weirder. Because eventually she'll make her way out of the forest, and you may bump into her as she'll head towards the fountain and all around town. Is she... are those sparkles? And weren't her eyes blue? Why is her hair lighter? What is going on here?]

((OOC: Katara's mallynap effect: She has been turned into a Mary Sue. Click on the link for further details! ...or run for your life. >> You can catch her in the plaza today or walking along the river on the 1st! She'll also spend sometime in the Battle Dome ~~ogling~~ observing through the windows. Pretty much name a place and time if it's not 'today' and I'll work with it!))

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[July 1, now.

Shikamaru's just out in the forest not too far from the river, working on his shadow jutsus. With the help of some deer. Still can't get the Kage Mane's hold back up to five minutes...]

[Katara is walking down the river, humming, yes, humming to herself. The sparkles are particularly bright this afternoon, so it shouldn't be hard to see or hear her coming.

...especially since when she sees a bunch of deer just standing there, she gasps and rushes forward, her hands going to the captured deer's necks, her eyes a concerned crimson.]

Are you all right? Talk to me! What's happened?

[For bonus points, she misses Shikamaru's presence and the shadows connecting the deer to him entirely! \o/]

[Kinda hard to miss her, yes. 8|

He sighs. No avoiding her now, is there? All right, well once he deals with the deer-]

[Did she just do what he thinks she-]

Are you an idiot?! [Oh god, she really did get a lobotomy, didn't she?] They're deer, not kittens, you can't rush them like that!

[It might be hard to tell from the way they're always getting slaughtered around here, but deer aren't as defenseless as people seem to think. Startle them like that and there's a good chance they'll charge, and it's not like he can hold them for that longer-

...actually, they're not looking very startled. Whut.]

[The deer just sort of strains towards Katara in a pleading way - it can't move, naturally, but it sure seems like it wants to nestle against her hand.

Katara's concerned, luminous, vermilion eyes turn at the sound of Shikamaru's voice to find the source of the deer's troubles.]

Oh, Shikamaru! You have to help them! The deer seem to be stuck, and I can't do anything about it without my powers!

[What. The. Fuck.]

...right. I see that.

[A hand comes up to massage at his temple. All right. She's obviously not herself. That was clear yesterday, but that she seems to have lost a couple of key details about his jutsus along with her common sense...

The best option would be to just indulge her in her delusions in this instance, if he wants to get her cooperation.]

It must be some sort of genjutsu. I'll try to break it, but uh... maybe you should step back, yeah?

But they'll get scared!

[Her sparkle seems to intensify.]

Katara, I don't think I can help them when you're that close. If you're in range when I try to use that move... it might not work.

[Please tell him you're buying this bullshit, Katara. And that doing so will make you less shiny. 8|]

Oh. [she pats the deer's neck soothingly a few more times before she steps away.]

If you're sure...

I'm sure they'll feel your moral support from the sidelines.

[Resisting the urge to roll his eyes. At least she's stepping away, though. He'll try to hold the jutsu long enough until he's satisfied she's a safe distance off.]

[Meanwhile, Katara holds her breath in anticipation.]

[Just in case, Shikamaru positions himself between her and the deer, that way if something goes wrong he can stop them.

...not that it looks like it will. While yes, they still seem to be focused on Katara, they're calm. - almost at ease.

And Shikamaru is So Unimpressed. 8| But all right. He prepares himself, and releases the jutsu.]

.048 [ Action, Voice ] June 30-July 2nd

And then there was an action thread

3!

Could have been worse. 8|a

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Wow, I can't believe this was over a week ago...

Yes, the horror seemed so much closer

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