This can only end in NO TEARS. (Closed)

[browbeater]

WHO: Mako (browbeater) and Souji (tarotcards)
WHERE: An isolated part of the beach
WHEN: September 16th
WHAT: Fire training! Or training in general.
WARNINGS: Injuries later! Will amend for more if it becomes necessary.

[His fire was still, frustratingly, giving him trouble. The accidental burning had decreased at least, but Mako still only felt it was partway under his control. He couldn't get it to work when he wanted, and he wasn't the best at controlling the strength... it was often far, far too weak.

It was hard pinpointing exactly what triggered it. He knew anger did, and he could vaguely feel the flow of energy through his body in a way he hadn't before. But it was still difficult, so when Souji had proposed training together, Mako didn't mind. Having an outside perspective probably would help?

Probably.

But honestly? It was a good chance for them to get caught up after the previous month. He glanced around the empty beach.]

How did your friend even find this? I thought spots like this were going extinct.

Comments

[tarotcards]

It's all right. I cleared out the rest of my day so you can take as much time as you need until we get it to 100-0. Or at least 55-45.

[ he would hope it's more than 55-45 but!! he's cheering for you, mako, try again!! ]

[browbeater]

[look, he's trying, but it's really hard. And it's kind of obvious he still doesn't have the fire completely under his control. Sometimes, it comes off weak, other times, it's just entirely too strong? And the differential occasionally knocks him off balance. But it's obvious that he's trying, and that he's thinking hard about the forms.

Maybe too hard.

Maybe he needs to chill out and let it come, but who knows. It's not like he has a real mentor here.]

55-45 would be good enough for me at this point.... [a sigh]

[tarotcards]

[ After they give it a few more tries, Souji will just walk up to Mako and pat him on the shoulder. ]

Hey, don't take it too hard on yourself. You'll get it eventually, I know it.

[browbeater]

[a glance over at Souji, and at least he's smiling, even if he looks a little tired from constantly Trying so much. He knows he was good at this in his previous life, but now he's just... not.]

Thanks.

How long did it take you for your persona?

[tarotcards]

[ Souji will be Mako's #1 cheerleader to make sure that Mako doesn't give up. ]

For my first one, it took maybe a month and a half? Then for the second, it took a month. For the one I just got, it should probably take the same amount of time?

[browbeater]

[Souji.... you're a pal, especially as he struggles through this.... He looks a little impressed.]

You have more than one? And you just got another one?

[tarotcards]

Yeah, I just got my third one about two weeks ago. Based on the times I've gotten each one, I think I'll be getting a Persona every other month.

[ which is true because i want him to get 10381910 personas during his run here ]

Want to see my new one?

[browbeater]

Uhhh... Sure. A break wouldn't be bad.

[and admittedly... he's kind of curious about them. It's not every day that you run into someone with monsters? demons? personas? that they can project. So, he wants to know.]

They have names, right?

[tarotcards]

Yeah, Mada's the one you saw before and Kohryu is a large dragon. I don't know what this one is called though, not until I get a memory of it.

[ but okay, time to show him this sweet persona and Die soon from Fire. the blue tarot card appears out of nowhere as usual but instead of crushing it, he spins it, changing its image from mada to sraosha. he then crushes it and his new persona appears, hovering over him. ]

He looks like he's magic-orientated.

[ probably because of the scroll and all ]

[browbeater]

[it's ok to be a little in awe, right? Because that's what Mako is. He's just in awe. The concept of a persona is... Weird, but kind of cool? Especially with that summoning. It's all very artsy. And all very close to Dying From Fire, soon.]

They don't trigger memories when you get them, do they?

[he rests his hand on his hip, and then focuses back on Souji]

Do you know what he can do yet?

[tarotcards]

[ i can't wait until souji Dies From Fire and mako has a meltdown hahaha puns make everything better ]

I think summoning them triggers a memory of when I first fused them in my other life, but that's about it.

[ since that's how he got back the memories of mada and kohryu's fusion ]

Not completely. I know that he can use some sort of talisman-based attack but I still need to practise with him to find out.

[ talisam-based attack = mahamaon ]

[browbeater]

[This weekend gonna be lit

see what i did there]

Fusion?

[he's going to need more context, if he wants. It's not like they don't have time, right?]

So you create them?

[tarotcards]

[ our jokes are on fire, sarah ]

Yeah, I think so. In both of my memories of Mada and Kohryu, I saw a few tarot cards floating in the air before they combined and summoned either Persona. I also talked to Elizabeth and she confirmed that fusions between Personas are possible.

[browbeater]

Huh. That's... confusing, but cool.

Even the summoning looks really cool, too.

[one day, he'll learn he has lightningbending, and he'll be really cool too? one day.]

[tarotcards]

I don't know, it's not as cool as being able to create fire out of thin air.

[ firebending is just super cool and souji wishes he could just throw fire around ]

Do you think you can breathe fire like a dragon?

[browbeater]

I did on accident once, actually. At Bolin. That was when I was grounding him.

[he may have been mad, but he looks a little guilty at that.]

It freaked him out, and I don't blame him.

[tarotcards]

[ oh, that definitely would have been......... bad ]

You didn't set anything on fire, did you?

[browbeater]

No, we were outside, thankfully. And it reminded me to calm down. It gets harder to control these powers when I'm angry. I'm getting better at it, and I don't think something like that would happen again.

[he sighs and then offers a shrug.]

But it's still annoying.

[tarotcards]

Then how about we get back to training? Or do you want to call it for now?

[ souji's okay to getting set on fire some more and for real this time ]

We could crash at each other's place and watch a bunch of Jet Li movies.

[browbeater]

[a sigh.]

Break's over, huh? Alright, alright...

[welp, he doesn't know the difference, but he's definitely in position.]

Not a bad idea. Or Bruce Lee.

[of all the times for him to perfectly nail this move, to even have it be too strong, this would be the worst time. What had been something he'd taken for granted (that he wasn't good at this, that souji was fireproof), somehow had lended him the confidence to pull off this move.

He wanted to get better, after all.

The fire cuts across Souji's neck and collarbone, hot and intense, much stronger than normal. He'd been trying hard to avoid his clothes.]

[tarotcards]

[ souji doesn't think twice when mako gets into position and throws another wave of fire at him. after all, they've gotten so many done before without a problem. what's to worry about another blast? that's at least what souji was thinking when the fireball comes at him but this one... this one takes him by surprise and the next thing he knows, he's screaming. ]

[ an unbelievable amount of pain shoots through him, his neck and collarbone suddenly a bright and solid shade of red, skin peeling off the sides, and it just looks something out of a horror movie. the shirt that souji was wearing is burnt, still slightly on fire, and he has fallen back from the intense pain, just writhing on the ground. ]

[ looks like someone should have told him that you need to have a particular persona if you want its immunities ]

[browbeater]

[that... was not the normal reaction. It feels like he's taking entirely too long, but really it's only a microsecond before he calls out]

Souji!

[he lunges forward. What happened? How-- what-- it had been fine before? He'd thrown so many fireballs at him, that he'd practically lost count. But he's next to him, trying to recall the training he'd been given on the police force.

What did he do...?]

[covenantal]

[ Sometimes they say twins can feel each other's pain, even if they're apart.

Is it an accident or fate that Yu isn't far away when things go wrong? That he isn't sure if he hears or feels that screaming, somewhere in his core? It hardly matters. Only a few minutes pass, but Mako will soon find he isn't alone with Souji - Yu is pelting towards them as fast as he can run, a little wild around the eyes.

That's his brother. That was his brother's scream. ]

Souji!

[ Yu skids to a stop and drops to his knees, pulling Souji into his arms, curling over his brother like he can protect him from the world. The look Mako gets is pure poison as Yu crushes the tarot card he's summoned with far more fury than usual. Ishtar appears over the twins, and Amrita will rain down on Souji. Healing something other than simple lacerations is complicated; Yu found before that their healing spells didn't work on burns of any kind. But he has another Persona now, though he hasn't used her much, and she can do different things. Things that let him treat a burn. Amrita can't heal the injury, but it will take the sting of the burn away, even as it drains Yu to the point of gasping. He hasn't practiced much yet with Ishtar, and using her takes a lot out of him. You think he cares, though?

Nah. He immediately swaps to Kohryu, that huge gold dragon both the twins can wield, and the healing magic of Mediarahan will sweep through all three of them. Of course, only Souji needs it, but it's a group spell; Yu can't exactly control its focus.

Hopefully that will be enough. Yu just keeps Souji cradled against him, trying to fight down the terror that tastes like bile in the back of his throat. ]

[tarotcards]

[ The sheer amount of pain ripping through Souji's neck and collar seemingly makes everything slow down to the point where mere seconds feel like hours for him. Even as quick as Yu is, Souji feels like he's been in agony for years but the magic of Amrita and Mediarahan comes just in time before the pain tips him over into passing out. His body relaxes as the cool, soothing flow of healing energy runs through him and he feels like he can finally breathe again. ]

Yu...?

[ He can barely see with the tears in his eyes, the result of shutting his eyes so tightly as a result of the burns. He tries to turn his head to see where Mako is. He's still there, isn't he? ]

[browbeater]

[yu may hate him right now, but he's immediately relieved to see someone that can heal. Waiting for an ambulance would have been torture, even with his first aid training (clean the wound as best as you can -- something that didn't matter with healing, right?). He starts to look relieved, even, despite his confusion over how this could have suddenly happened. He takes a step towards the two and then stops.

Something was wrong, and whatever color was left in his skin drains from it. He'd lived through memories before, but this one was worse, just based on the scene in front of him. In fact, it feels like it takes an eternity. He slowly puts his hands to his head, and sinks to his knees in the sand. He closes his eyes tightly and tries to mentally get himself back in the present moment, but it's not working too well.

It's very hard not to feel like a helpless kid.

He grits his teeth, losing that fight for the moment.]