video; un:mako

[arclightning]

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. ]

Comments

[siriusly]

[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?]

[arclightning]

[ Mako is HONORED. Truly. If only he knew what an honor it really was. ]

I mean... you can call me. Or, you know. Text, or just come find me.

[ He scratches at the side of his nose, glancing away like offering to help a friend is an awkward thing to do. ]

[siriusly]

[Manabu fidgets again, definitely feeling his own kind of awkward about the offer because of course. such things are nice to say, but actually following through? isn't that too much of an imposition? it'd seem that way...Mako's got so much going on as it is! and Wu.

he rubs at his neck, looking away in another direction.]

That's...I mean, that's a nice thought, but...I think I oughta...I mean, it's not like you have to bug people any time you're about to do some fire stuff, right? I need to figure out how to have that kind of control on my own, too.

[the dog laying by Mako whines, wondering why boys are like this.]

[arclightning]

[ Mako makes brief, understanding eye contact with the little dog, his face twisting in something like frustration. Why is it so hard to be nice? ]

...Manabu, I'm a firebender. I've been doing this since I could walk. Of course I'm not gonna bug somebody about it, but that's not—you're my friend, alright? I want to help.

[siriusly]

[quickly, hands up:] I know! I, I know, I'm just! Just saying... [powers aren't like...platoons, right? teamwork isn't actually a core part of having fire powers, is it?

he ought to take a moment outside himself and question why he's even this flighty about the help, especially when he's here specifically for help.

he sighs, trying to chew through this hefty serving of humble pie.]

Thanks, Mako. I'll...listen to whatever you've got, since...I mean, it's not like I'd know what to do myself without probably making a bunch of bad mistakes.

[arclightning]

Yeah, you and everybody else stuck in this shitty boat.

[ Mako reaches out a foot to nudge it into Manabu's knee. A kick of friendship. ]

We all got a lot to learn. I'm gonna train with Korra on the ice stuff because I'm tired of freezing stuff out of nowhere. It's... a lot. And I hate it. I shouldn't be able to use ice like this, but now I can, so.

[ But he kind of gets it, he realizes, and looks up at Manabu after a moment. ]

Look. I... hate getting help like that. It wasn't exactly an option for most of my life, and I figured most people would try and... get something in return, you know? That's what people do. But Korra kind of changed my mind about that. We're not gonna get anywhere if we try and go at this alone. As much as it sucks to know you can't figure something out yourself, it's worth it. At least, to me.

[siriusly]

[Manabu's attention is pulled by the prod, blinking. it's a very familiar, brotherly gesture he doesn't expect from Mako who strikes him as a more reserved sort compared to hangs-on-you-at-even-the-slightest-inclination Wu. perhaps why they compliment each other.

that aside, Manabu's a little surprised by the gesture...and the words that come with it. it makes his stomach flip, feeling as though he'd done something wrong to cause the change.

We're not gonna get anywhere if we try to go at this alone.

oof. talk a little more like the Sirius Platoon, Mako; maybe Manabu can miss it more. he swallows, face flushed with shame and gaze downcast.]

Y...yeah... [he shivers.] Yeah, I-I know you're right.

Thanks, Mako.

[arclightning]

Do you?

[ Muttered more to the dog than to Manabu, really, and it's not like Mako can blame him. It's not like Mako accepts offers of help with open arms: he hates feeling like he owes people, like he can't do it on his own. He should be able to do it on his own, even when other people can't.

But he's trying. Letting those notions go, bit by bit. ]

Just. Keep it in mind, alright? For now I want to see if you can make ice on purpose.