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video; un:mako

Uh, hey. Mako here.

[ Nailing it so far, right? Mako's standing in front of a half-blue, half-green wall, dotted with small lunar sconces. Everything looks kind of dusty and half-finished, and the watery afternoon light illuminates yet more dust drifting around him.

Notably, a small dragon, red-scaled and content, is draped over his shoulders like a scarf, watching the Omni with bright eyes.

Mako glances momentarily off the screen, mouths something, and then looks back, clearing his throat. ]

It's come to my attention that a lot of you have been setting things on fire left and right since we washed up here. Obviously, this is dangerous to you and the people around you. If that's you, you need to make an effort to control it immediately before something worse than singeing your clothes happens.

For those of you who just washed up, I'm a firebender. That means I can do—

[ He holds up his left hand (scarred with strange marks) in front of himself and splays his fingers, making a small puff of fire appear and hold over his palm. It flickers there like a candle flame, dancing between Mako's fingers, before he drags it in a small arc and lets it go out. ]

—that, and—

[ Another flick of his fingers, this time producing little purple-bright sparks that zap between the tips and then dissipate. ]

—that. And a lot more.

So. If you need help learning to control your powers, and you do, come to the Raccoon Room in Cellar Door on Wednesdays. You'll see the sign. I've been doing this since I was a kid. Anyone else who wants to help, feel free to drop by too.

[ Finally, he looks up, his serious expression dropping just slightly. ]

Trust me. If a bunch of snotty six-year-olds back home can learn how to do it, you can.

[ The little dragon huffs in agreement, fire puffing out of its nose, and Mako reaches forward to cut the feed. ]

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N-no! No, I--well, [he grimaces. is he entirely certain? not really. but:] well, I...I mean the, the being cold all the time, and when it rains, it just...freezes on me? But it's a cold like--like the death flu. [quickly:] Not the ice part! Just the being...cold...

[his tone tapers off feebly, realizing he's basically just dropped word spaghetti all over the floor and it's a mess.

in exasperation, he rubs at his face and ruffles hair on the back of his head.]

Look--I mean. Clearly...a lot of weird stuff is going on right now! I just...don't have a benchmark of how weird is weird... [or where a stupid nosy dog fits in.]

[ No, that's actually fair. It's not like Mako was perfectly comfortable discovering he suddenly had control over an element the polar opposite of his own. It's taken him nearly a week to come to terms with it, and that doesn't mean he can actually control it yet.

It might actually be a good thing to stop and acknowledge how weird everything is, if only for Mako's own peace of mind. He's so used to hitting the ground running, adapting as quickly as he can and making sure that everyone around him is going to be okay. He rarely remembers to slow down, or even thinks that he should. ]

Alright, I get you. I don't think you're sick. I think it has something to do with our blood—you looked at your own blood yet?

[man, everyone is obSESSED with blood here! Manabu kind of hates it! but he has to relent at some point, right?]

N...no... Why? Is that what turned out to be what's up with you? [dragon-making blood?

his shoulders draw up in revulsion, and he shivers at the notion his very blood's been messed with? that's a bit too close to the heart.]

Yup. Pretty sure, anyway: I can bend ice now, and my blood freezes the second it's outside my body. It's... also blue.

[ Just. Grimacing harder and channeling all his feelings about THAT into petting this little dog. We're fine, it's all fine, can't afford to feel any kind of way about that!

Mako is fully on the ground now, cross-legged. He's weak to animals, as much as he'd never admit it. ]

I don't know. You're right that the bar for weird is... different. I thought life with Korra was weird. This is a completely new realm.

[Manabu mirrors the pained look, a veritable yeesh in face-form. their suffering seems to be the dog's gain, because he is all for the aggressive pets. by all means, get comfortable here!

"the bar for weird," Mako says, and Manabu almost mentions something about how it doesn't count if he's from a place with flying livestock. that's not fair though, is it? that'd imply his life of space trains is the real baseline here.

gah. baselines, benchmarks, blue blood... Manabu sighs, rubbing at his face.]

...Right. Okay. Suspending disbelief is...there's really no choice there. [his hand moves from his face to the back of his head as he frowns down at Mako and the mini menagerie he's got going on here.]

So at this point it's...just...deal with all of that now. Okay. I mean-- [his expression scrunches.] Wu did insist I ask for help sorting this out from you, but, but I don't know if it's the exact same thing...

Yeah, you're right. Fighting it just takes energy we'll probably need.

[ Mako sounds almost resigned about this, and would look it if he wasn't so busy petting a dog. It's hard to be resigned about anything when petting a dog. If he's really tied to Manabu, does Manabu want pets this much? Does it mean something? Fritter and Wu seem to mirror each other, and Zuko adores Wu so far.

Huh. More to just accept. At least Mako's good at that. He squares his shoulders off and scritches at the dog's soft, pointed ear. ]

It's probably not the exact same thing, but we have to try anyway. It's either that or you're a human candle. Or popsicle. Or, you know, both. Worth a shot, right?

[ He waves a hand at Manabu, crooking his fingers to indicate he should come sit across from Mako. ]

C'mon. We can start now. I don't know if this guy's [ scritch scritch ] gonna let me get up, anyway.

[part of Manabu wants to suggest just...throwing the dog. but that's 1: mean and 2: not gonna work, because he definitely did that himself and he felt bad about it until the dog started biting him. again.

he...really needs to get this omen-thing sorted, because this literal battle with an aspect of himself is going to leave him covered in dog bites.

anyway, Manabu sits down as requested, frowning at the sight of the damn dog just living it up over there like there's no bigger issues going on. jeez...

he sighs.]

Right...So. How does this work? If it's meditation, I, uh...I don't know. Vira-Lorr and I already gave that a shot, and...I mean, it did keep me from sparking repeatedly, but...

It's...

[ Mako grimaces, settling himself a little more comfortably. A heavy dampness in the air promises later rain, and the chill of the cobblestones creeps through Mako's pants. ]

I don't know. It's kind of like that, but more focused. I'm not great at real meditation, but I find this pretty easy, and it's a good way to get a handle on your powers if you can pull it off.

[rather than take the advantage of a free lap, the dog seems more keen to just sprawl out at Mako's side. meanwhile Manabu frowns, crossing his legs, scratching at his shoulder idly.]

I mean--it...it's worth a shot, right? [and if anyone knows what to do with fire-stuff, it's Mako. has to be. the guy makes fire just happen! surely he can make it...not happen, too.]

Yeah, it is. You can do it, you're smart.

[ Helping! Mako looks around for something to light on fire, realizes he has nothing, and spends a moment making eye contact with Zuko, coiled around his shoulders, before snapping his fingers. ]

Okay, uh. I don't have a candle, so... look at my fingers. You're gonna concentrate on this fire, alright? Not your breathing or anything like that. I want you to tell me if you can feel it at all.

[ And with another snap of his fingers, Mako lights a small, controlled flame, holding it up over two index fingers like candle. ]

...

[Manabu frowns, immediately doubtful of this whole venture, but...but he wouldn't be himself if he didn't try, right? and if Mako's going to go out of his way to entertain this, he can't let him down!

so despite doubts, he furrows his brow and dutifully stares. feel the fire...without touching it? it's a bit obtuse to him, but...

...]

...

[...]

...........

[he squints.]

.......................................................................

[this

this might go on

too long

Mako

do something]

[ Mako waits in the heavy silence, watching Manabu, feeling the fire himself—something he's practiced since he was a kid, something he kind of has to actually try to isolate now because he's so used to it. It's very possible nothing will come of this. Varian barely managed it, and Manabu isn't used to having any powers either.

Mako wavers, and the flame wavers with him. ]

...you're not feeling anything, are you.

...No.

[he sighs, shoulders sagging.] And if I am, I don't know it. Kinda hard to know what I don't know...you know?

[he hopes Mako knows. because Manabu doesn't! and if he says know one more time, it's going to lose all meaning.]

Yeah, I know. Varian had a lot of trouble with it, too. You're not used to having to think this way at all. Can you tell me what the ice feels like? What it happens?

[ He is going to SOLVE THIS so help him. Manabu is his friend, and Varian had an edge of panic to him that Mako doesn't want repeated here. He's been through enough already, has had to adjust to such a hostile world after what seems like a lot of loss.

If Mako can help, he's going to. ]

[what it feels like...Manabu's expression scrunches with the effort of recollecting.]

I mean, besides being cold...? [but he's cold all the time now! he shakes his head. focus, Yuuki!] No, it...I notice it...when I see it. [he hesitates, then rolls up one of his sleeves, looking down at his bare forearm.] It's like...a layer of frost over my skin. It was like that when I first got out of the water, when...when Peter got me out of the water. Freezing cold...like, like teeth-chattering cold. And no way to warm up.

So you don't notice it's happening... until it's actually already happened.

[ Mako shifts up onto his knees, looking at Manabu's bare skin. He gets the cold thing—he feels a little like he's been plunged into icewater sometimes—but he can't fathom not being able to feel the energy under that.

It must be hard. Like learning to use a limb you just grew. ]

You noticed any patterns yet? Like, what triggers it?

[he rubs at his forearm.]

It gets bad when I'm having a bad time... [beat.] I mean, like. Worked up. Angry. Scared. Annoyed? [he shrugs.] I don't know. I mean, does that even make sense? Suddenly...bursting into flames because the stairwell you were walking on gives out and sends you down a flight...Is that a thing?

[because if it's not clear: it was indeed a thing two days ago.

he sighs, now rubbing at the back of his bowed head, feeling the weight of the seemingly impossible.]

I don't know, Mako... Stuff like this? This...it doesn't happen to people like me. I don't get it.

I know.

[ There's real sympathy in Mako's tone, at least. ]

Seriously, I get it. Varian was freaked out too. Waking up with ice powers I shouldn't have was bad enough. It'd be a lot worse if my bending was completely new. That what you mean by people like you? Does anyone have abilities like this in your world?

No way. [he shakes his head, looking back up. there's a slight hesitation after that, though.] ...Not...not without converting some of yourself into a machine, at least. And even that's a choice. [supposed to be.] Not something that just...happens.

I mean-- [he grimaces for a second.] For humans, you know? As for other species...I guess anything's possible, right? That's why people made all the different advances in technology - to make up for things like that. [...well not...spontaneous combustion specifically! but. jeez, Mako's on the same wavelength; he doesn't have to spell it out so precisely!]

So... you're freaking out about this because having powers means something pretty different, to you.

[ The more they talk about it, the more it kind of seems like a mental block to Mako's ears: the kind of thing that was holding Korra back from learning airbending, so fundamentally opposed to her nature that it was nearly impossible until she learned to adapt. ]

Because it isn't supposed to happen, and now it has, and that's... hard to deal with.

I mean-!

[Manabu makes another face, accompanied by a soft, frustrated sound. he doesn't like the way he seems to be coming across, but he isn't the most eloquent of people around, either. so what the hell can he do about it? just rub at his face and try again.]

I mean...it's more that...not only isn't not supposed to happen, it's that...it happening at all can't be good, right? I'm not. Made for it. Designed for it? [eugh. he huffs in exasperation.] You know what I mean, right?

It's like when something changed in Deerington. I can't really think of a time when something changing was ever for the better, you know? So...

[ Understanding dawns on Mako all at once—or something like it, anyway—and with it, a whole lot of sympathy. He nods, holding Manabu's gaze for a second. ]

When Wu first found this place— [ Mako waves a hand back at the Raccoon Room, or what will become the Raccoon Room, now just a run-down building with shabby paint and an old sign ] —he was so excited, and... all I could think about was that it was going to go wrong somehow. Nobody just hands you a free house.

It's... not exactly the same thing, but I think I get it.

[it's not exactly the same, but it's close enough to give Manabu a bit of hope and relief that Mako's picking up on what he's putting down. he shudders a bit with a relieved exhale, nodding.]

No, that's--it's pretty close to what I mean in a sense, though. So like, me having to...to deal with this now, that's not like...it's not the sign of things getting better. It's...more...things warping to get...worse...

[...even if he has gone through bouts of jealousy in not having powers at all. being jealous and knowing it's not practical to have powers go hand-in-hand for him!]

So I guess it's more a matter of...how do I stop things from getting worse, right?

...yeah. That's what we're aiming for. If this is already bad—and I'm with you, I... don't think it can mean anything good—then we have a duty to stop that as much as possible. Which means figuring out how you're controlling it. Because you are, somehow, even if you shouldn't be able to.

[Manabu shivers, which prompts himself to fidget. honestly? sitting still this long is a feat for him these days. a feat, a gift, just for a friend.]

Right. Yeah. It's--it's gotta be something I can master, right? Since it's not...not happening all the time. Like right now.

[beat.]

I guess...sitting and talking to someone helps? Since between you and Vira-Lorr... [he hesitates.] But that's no good in the long run, right? I can't just...force people to sit down and talk to me any time I'm sparking up, you know?

[grabbing a friend to talk to when wigging out - who does that?]

video; un:mako

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