[ Sometimes Varian says things and it is like talking to a younger version of himself. It hits Mako hard enough to make him sigh, just a little, something oddly like guilt curling in his belly. ]

...yeah. I get it. Asking for help is one of the hardest things to do.

[ He snorts, almost bitter, and kicks at the sand under his feet, sending it away in a glittering arc. ]

I hate it. But there aren't any strings attached here, alright? Nothing except that I don't want to see you burning things down.

[ But that's what Mako is here for, and that's what he's trying to do: unconditional help, help because he wants to offer it. He doesn't think Varian is weak for needing it.

Maybe he needs to remember that.

Twisting, he searches for a moment, then pulls up a loose bit of the log they're sitting on, roughly as long as his arm. ]

No idea if it works like bending. Bending's all about using your chi to do things. This might be different.

[ Holding the stick up to his face, Mako sucks in a breath and blows out a little jet of flame, just enough to light the tip. It catches, burns clean. ]

I want you to focus on this. Just on the flame. See if you can feel it at all.