* Isaac floats/flies to the most open place he can think of at the moment... The top of the fight tower. He looks disturbed and shaken... Something that he doesn't normally exhibit. * Far below, people walk about the courtyard taking care of business and pleasure. * A bird snaps out of a dive and lands next to Isaac. * Isaac looks down, then at the bird. He glances back at everyone down there. ~HEY! CAN ANYONE HEAR ME?!~ * A lazy voice comes from another side of the Fight Tower. "Oi, oi. No need to be so loud." * Isaac snaps and turns around. He goes to where the voice came from, literally going thru any obsticals in the way. * Isaac's ghostly face bumps into someone's back as he goes through the tower roof and out onto the other side. Hey, that tickles! * Isaac looks at the person strangely as he floats back to a normal position... His watery eyes flash red briefly. ~Who... are you?~ * There's a young boy with spiky black hair and a pair of headphones perched behind his ears. He's wearing an open button-down shirt over a black t-shirt and a pair of jeans, and a pair of loose sneakers. I'm Yoh. Asakura Yoh. Pleased to meet you. ^_^ ~Um, yeah. Nice to meet you too. You can see me?~ Why wouldn't I be able to? * Yoh blinks a couple times in confusion. ~Oh, I don't know... Maybe because I'm DEAD?~ Oh. Bummer. How long? * Isaac starts counting on his fingers. ~Oh, about two years, I think... What does that have to do with anything?~ Oh, you're not that new, then. How come you're still angry? ~My team's composed mostly of morons... Oh, and they're the only people I can talk to ever since I showed up here.~ Morons? Really? And if you're dead, how are they your team? Is your Shaman on that team? ~Shaman? What are you talking about?~ Shaman. Shamans are the link between the spirit world and the material world. ~Link between the spiritual and material world? I dunno, I think I'm pretty linked to the material world... Heck, whats-her-name even hit me with a piece of chalk.~ The teachers can do that. It takes a powerful warrior to see spirits without the shaman gift, let alone hurt one. ~But if you're so smart about this stuff, why can't I communicate to anyone else anymore?~ ~And isn't everyone here a powerful warrior?~ Because you're a spirit. Spirits communicate with Shamans. And with the occasional person who has enough shaman blood to see spirits. Speaking of that, if you can talk to your whole team, they can't be that bad. People who can see spirits have a good heart. ~Are you saying that Karasu, who ripped a soul from his competetor's heart, is a good guy?~ * Yoh nods. "Yeah." * Isaac quirks his eyebrow. He's also getting a bit calmer now. ~I hope you got your facts straight. So all those people I talked to in two years... they were part shaman too.~ Sometimes good people do bad things. That doesn't change what they are, deep down. * Isaac frowns. ~Yeah... But I don't believe that nobody else in this entire school has good hearts.~ Oh, you probably just haven't found them yet. There are two other full Shamans, that I know of. Tao Jun and Tao Ren. Jun is in my class, and Ren is in yours. * Isaac floats up to Yoh and looks him in the eyes. ~How do you know what class I'm in?~ Easy! You're too young to be in any class but the Freshman! ^_^ ~Dude, I haven't aged a day since I died.~ Ooooh. So you're NOT a freshman? * Isaac smirks. ~I didn't say that either.~ So, who's your Shaman? ~I don't have one, I think~ ^^; Ooooh. Wanna stay with me? ~Stay with you? No offense, but I don't think I could take that. Your mind is too... blank.~ * A smooth, deep voice comes from behind you. "I agree. Master Yoh's head is far too empty of thought." * Isaac turns around. ~So you can see me too? Well, isn't today full of surprises?~ He seems to have completly forgotten about the incident earlier. * Yoh spins in place. "Amidamaru!" * Behind Isaac is the ghost of a large, large man, dressed very much like a fourteenth century samurai, with long white hair and an utterly bishonen face. * You can tell he's a ghost because his legs trail off into wisps of nothing where they would normally be feet. * Isaac looks at the big ghost guy. His eyes flash red. ~Another bishi. Who woulda thunk?~ There's no need to be insulting. * Amidamaru looks offended. * Yoh giggles. ~So you're not a true bishi. For a true bishi would just ignore that comment.~ I wish I knew why people insist on calling me pretty. * Isaac sits down in the air. ~And I wish people would stop calling me short.~ Just wait until you meet Tao Ren. He's about your age, and about a foot shorter. ~Someone shorter than me? That'd be a first.~ And a dozen times more vicious. ~So, um... what's this about who's your shaman? Do I need a shaman? I didn't need a shaman for the past two years.~ Oh, you don't _need_ a Shaman. Amidamaru here went without one for six hundred years, after all. ~Well, he looks like he's been around that long. No offense, big guy.~ None taken. ~So if you don't need a shaman, what's one do?~ ~And why don't I see a lot more dead people? Like... well, you know.~ We let you interact with the world, help you meet whatever goals are necessary to send you on to the next world. That sort of thing. And if you don't feel like passing on, then you're free to stick around and help us out. * Isaac looks thoughtful. ~So there's something that is keeping me here?~ Pretty much. ~And I have no clue what it is.~ Oops? Did you forget? You are very young. Did you die before your time? ~Yeah. Stupid train...~ Oooooh, that's right! I bet you just have to stick around until you feel like you've had a full life! ^_^ * Isaac grins softly. ~Heh, that's kind of hard when I don't have a life to be full.~ That's what shamans are for! ~Oooookay.~ Shamans merge their souls with spirits. That's how they let spirits interact with the real world. Amidamaru was a powerful warrior. When I have a battle, I merge with him and we fight together. ~Hmmm... That's kind of like what Kai did, except neither of us wanted it to happen. I hope he's not still upset about the clothing incident.~ * Yoh nods. "Sounds like he might have Shaman potential." ~But Kai doesn't know anything about shamanism, not that I know of.~ ~And believe me, I know a lot about my team.~ That's okay. Sometimes the potential pops up in someone not of an old bloodline and there aren't any trained Shamans around to train the new guy. So he never develops his potential. ~Huh, weird. Hey, if someone dies and they don't have a good heart, can they not see themselves?~ Nah. Once you're a ghost, you're sorta part of that whole ghost thing. ~I'm going to have to write a book on this stuff... The worlds first book from the other end!~ ~Err, side. Yeah, side.~ Not the first. Not even close, actually. Some of Shakespeare's best plays were written after he died, you know. ~That doesn't surprise me too much, actually. He used a shaman, though, right?~ Yeah. ~Doesn't that merging stuff take a lot out of you?~ It depends on what you're doing, and how powerful the shaman is. * Isaac nods. ~Right. I'm going to have to write all this down... do you have some paper and a pencil?~ Nope. School stuff. I came up here to get away from it. ^_^ * Isaac peers into Yoh's eyes and smiles. ~I see that. So Kai has the potental to become a shaman, but nobody to teach him. That boy is going to be so busy learning stuff.~ * Yoh smiles blankly. "Oh, I'm sure there'll be someone to teach him. If he wants to learn." ~Oh, another thing. Can one spirit have multiple shamans or vice-versa? Is there some sort of link or bond or something like that?~ ~Besides not wanting to channel a complete stranger?~ :P Nope. They usually just sorta stay together. All my friends stay with me because they like me. And they've got nothing better to do, too. ^_^ ~Well, at least I won't be stuck in one place.~ Actually, you probably will. It's a big place, but you're still stuck. Most ghosts have an anchor of some sort. A place that's significant to them. Their grave, the place they died, their family home, stuff like that. ~Hmmm... well, I was on my way to Chicago from San Jose when I died, and my home is in San Jose as well.~ I wonder why you ended up here, then. Maybe it's near there. ~In the US? Possible.~ ~Unless some sicko decided to carry my corpse to this school.~ That would be kinda strange, yeah. ~But what am I really supposed to do here. I'm not really a fighter... I don't think, anyways. Sure, it's fun, and I'm decent at it, but I'm a lot better at more analytical things.~ That's okay. Spirits help shamans do all sorts of things. One of my friends was a class bookworm who killed himself from despair. He helps me pass all my tests. ^_^ * Isaac smiles to a silent joke. ~While I don't really approve, it works.~ And if you like fighting, there's nothing wrong with doing that, either. ~There's too much of that going on already.~ You think so? ~It's all anyone ever does around here.~ ~Only reason I know how to use a sword is 'cuz the class bullies kept beating me up.~ It's not all they do. People do all sorts of stuff. ~Well, it's all *my* team ever does.~ It is good that they are dedicated to perfecting their fighting arts. ~Their brains are turning to mush... except for Ao-Lang. But she's different.~ Oh, they can't be that bad. ~Well, maybe I'm streaching the truth a little.~ I understand. ^_^ ~I... I guess I should get back to them, actually. Ya know where someone could start trying the shaman thing?~ You'd need to find a teacher, I think. It's not an easy thing to pick up. ~Well, I'll tell him about it, see if he's interested. If he isn't, guess I'm gonna be looking for someone else. Oh, and Amidamaru, if you really want, I'll take you on sometime.~ ~_^ * Amidamaru grins. "Find yourself a shaman, and then we'll duel." ~You usually up here, Yoh?~ I'm around. Where slack can be found, I'll be. * Yoh grins widely. * Isaac grins. ~I'll see both of you later then. Rest assured, you'll know when I'm around. Thanks for listening, by the way.~ No problem. ^_^ * Isaac waves to both Yoh and Amidamaru as he floats down thru the floor.