All Unwritten Prompt #2: No one knows, but above the clouds...
No one knows, but above the clouds there are secrets.
Shikamaru was just a simple man. He had a small family and they were in charge of the deer in the area. As such, he had grown up herding the magnificent creatures of the Nara clan. The deer was his family's livelihood. Their antlers had medicinal properties that were sought after by all ink-makers and medics alike in the nearby villages. His summers were spent lounging lazily on a gently sloping hill while looking up into the very Heavens. In the winters, he spent every spare moment staring out the window, into the Heavens as well.
His preoccupation with the skies, with the clouds, with Heaven itself was a topic of wonder amongst his friends and family at first, but they eventually had grown accustomed to his oddity soon enough. Even with his preoccupation, he was still a responsible caretaker and had never lost even one stray deer.
Some of his friends had asked him once, "What do you see in those clouds? They're all the same, right?"
Shikamaru, too lazy to explain, merely grunted and feigned a deep sleep. They left him be soon after.
Naturally, his friends' questions awoke a part of his natural curiosity. It had never bothered rearing its head until then, but once awoken, it would be very hard for him to calm it. Troublesome as it was, Shikamaru decided to indulge his curiosity, just that one time. Why were the clouds so fascinating to watch?
Was it because of their seeming freedom? No, even he knew that clouds were just little drops of water suspended in the atmosphere above the surface of the Earth. They were nothing special, they were not alive.
Was it because they made interesting shapes? No, Shikamaru decided, after a moment's deliberation. Although that was what intrigued him when he first started cloud gazing, it wasn't what made him continue. Shapes could preoccupy any simpleton. Shikamaru prided himself in being an intelligent man.
It all started when he passed by an old couple at the temple. Although he wasn't religious to any degree, his mother had demanded he visit the temple at least once a year. The couple were close to him when they knelt for prayers, and he always did have a good sense of hearing. Instead of praying to the gods like he had expected, they had called to the Sky, to the Heavens directly.
It occurred to him then that the couple weren't the only ones relaying their secrets, their hopes, and their dreams to the sky. Statistically speaking, it was impossible for just a pair of people doing so. Once awoken, his curiosity got the better of him. What were those secrets? It intrigued him and perhaps, if he peered close enough, he'll be able to see it. To this very day, he has seen nothing.
Shikamaru was just a simple man. He had a small family and they were in charge of the deer in the area. As such, he had grown up herding the magnificent creatures of the Nara clan. The deer was his family's livelihood. Their antlers had medicinal properties that were sought after by all ink-makers and medics alike in the nearby villages. His summers were spent lounging lazily on a gently sloping hill while looking up into the very Heavens. In the winters, he spent every spare moment staring out the window, into the Heavens as well.
His preoccupation with the skies, with the clouds, with Heaven itself was a topic of wonder amongst his friends and family at first, but they eventually had grown accustomed to his oddity soon enough. Even with his preoccupation, he was still a responsible caretaker and had never lost even one stray deer.
Some of his friends had asked him once, "What do you see in those clouds? They're all the same, right?"
Shikamaru, too lazy to explain, merely grunted and feigned a deep sleep. They left him be soon after.
Naturally, his friends' questions awoke a part of his natural curiosity. It had never bothered rearing its head until then, but once awoken, it would be very hard for him to calm it. Troublesome as it was, Shikamaru decided to indulge his curiosity, just that one time. Why were the clouds so fascinating to watch?
Was it because of their seeming freedom? No, even he knew that clouds were just little drops of water suspended in the atmosphere above the surface of the Earth. They were nothing special, they were not alive.
Was it because they made interesting shapes? No, Shikamaru decided, after a moment's deliberation. Although that was what intrigued him when he first started cloud gazing, it wasn't what made him continue. Shapes could preoccupy any simpleton. Shikamaru prided himself in being an intelligent man.
It all started when he passed by an old couple at the temple. Although he wasn't religious to any degree, his mother had demanded he visit the temple at least once a year. The couple were close to him when they knelt for prayers, and he always did have a good sense of hearing. Instead of praying to the gods like he had expected, they had called to the Sky, to the Heavens directly.
It occurred to him then that the couple weren't the only ones relaying their secrets, their hopes, and their dreams to the sky. Statistically speaking, it was impossible for just a pair of people doing so. Once awoken, his curiosity got the better of him. What were those secrets? It intrigued him and perhaps, if he peered close enough, he'll be able to see it. To this very day, he has seen nothing.