[It makes him feel uncomfortable, like letting down his walls a little too much for his comfort. But Mako is different. Mako is safe. He knows he can trust Mako, resolutely. ]
And thanks, I know you wouldn't- uh, attach strings. But thanks.
[For confirming that. For making it clear Varian's very hard-won trust isn't misplaced. He watches as Majo grabs the stick, listening to him as he speaks, trying his best to understand what he's saying. This is nothing he ever thought he'd have to deal with. It's not hard and solid science, he can't figure this out with an equation or by lab testing. He has to actually learn how to harness his own power.
He's never really noticed how much control Mako has over his power until now, when he's realised just how uncontrollable fire generated by a person is. It's really impressive. He glances at Mako, then down at the flame. Right. Concentrate. He tries to focus on the fire, tries to ignore the voice in the back of his head that's still screaming at how wrong this is. ]
I...I don't know. It doesn't feel hot? But apparently, I'm freezing and I can't feel that either. [His brow furrows, almost comical as he squints at it.] Um- what- what sort of feeling should I be...looking for?
[ The problem is really that Mako has never had a proper bending teacher outside his own mother. Zolt taught him lightning, but Zolt taught through fear, yelled at Mako until he got it right. There was nothing gentle about his training there, and his training with his mother was cut short entirely too soon.
He is, maybe, a little out of his depth. All he has to draw on is his own experience, and Mako has a hard time putting that into words.
What is he doing to control the flame? He has to think about it for a moment, stopping it from burning down too far on the stick, and then sits up straighter. ]
I'm using my chi to control it. You used to be a nonbender, so you're probably not used to being able to even feel your energy like that. It should feel like an extension of you, or like it's flowing inside you.
[Mako might feel out of his depth, but as far as Varian is concerned he's the most qualified person in the entire damn town to help him right now- hanging on his every word.
No pressure. ]
Right. So... so like an extra limb or something?
[He's trying his best- he's trying to think how Rapunzel connected to her hair and the power it held, or Cass to the rocks. But this can't be controlled by some ancient incantation- nor is he the one watching this from the sidelines. He needs to make this connection himself.
He tries to focus on the fire, trying to get over the substantial roadblock in his head that wants to dissect this as a science thing- to force logical sense where it doesn't really belong. He watches the flame flickering, how it dances and moves, after a while of intense staring he starts to realise he can predict the movements. ]
...This feels weird. [Sorry, Mako, he's not going to be an easy study. ] But yeah...I- I think I get what you mean?
[ Mako has to think for a while. He has to put this in terms Varian gets, rather than using his own words, inadequate as they are. If Varian's starting to get it, thinking about limbs—
Ah. ]
It's going to feel weird. You've never done this before, but it's kind of like your leg. When you walk with that, you're not actually feeling what it feels, but you can still control it.
[ Lifting his other hand, Mako drags it flat through the air, and the fire goes out, then points two fingers to light it again with a quick motion. ]
I noticed that not everyone's power works like mine. Some people can make fire without even moving, but bending's all about the body. It's energy you already have in you. What makes you a bender is the fact that you can use that energy to manipulate or create an element. That make sense?
[Mako's onto a winner with that sort of thinking. He can put that into a logic he can work with. Like his leg, okay.
He's nothing if not a good student. He does listen to everything Mako has to say to him, filing it away in that big brain of his. He watches Mako's movements with the flame, snuffing it out and bringing it back like it was nothing. Varian's experience so far has been panicked mistakes. He never meant for any of his fire to happen, it just did- wild and uncontrolled, and that's exactly the problem he doesn't want to have to deal with. ]
Yeah, that makes sense. So instead of expending energy to walk or climb or talk or...well, anything, you're expending it on creating and controlling elemental forces?
[He's genuinely not trying to be a smart ass about it, and that's evident in his tone. He's just making sense of what Mako says to him in the only way he knows how. If he can science enough at this maybe it'll stop making him want to crawl out of his own skin.]
Mako smiles and holds the branch up again. It's blackening at the end, but he's keeping the fire where it is with small motions of his hand. ]
Yeah, something like that. Firebenders are the only benders who can actually create their element. Found out pretty fast that isn't true for people from other worlds. What you're looking to feel is the energy of this fire. That's what you can control. It's not just a thing. You're connected to it.
[Mako's a better teacher than he gives himself credit for. ]
Huh, so waterbenders can't just create water from nothing? I think I remember talking to your brother about this, actually. How he was looking into different minerals to see if he could bend them, depending on their sediment ratio.
[He sciences at bending before now- but it wasn't part of his skillset then. He nods, still squinting at it.]
Right, right. It's not to be treated as something separate to you. I...I think I can understand that.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
reddosmod) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
countryclub2021-08-09 05:25 pm
no subject
[It makes him feel uncomfortable, like letting down his walls a little too much for his comfort. But Mako is different. Mako is safe. He knows he can trust Mako, resolutely. ]
And thanks, I know you wouldn't- uh, attach strings. But thanks.
[For confirming that. For making it clear Varian's very hard-won trust isn't misplaced. He watches as Majo grabs the stick, listening to him as he speaks, trying his best to understand what he's saying. This is nothing he ever thought he'd have to deal with. It's not hard and solid science, he can't figure this out with an equation or by lab testing. He has to actually learn how to harness his own power.
He's never really noticed how much control Mako has over his power until now, when he's realised just how uncontrollable fire generated by a person is. It's really impressive. He glances at Mako, then down at the flame. Right. Concentrate. He tries to focus on the fire, tries to ignore the voice in the back of his head that's still screaming at how wrong this is. ]
I...I don't know. It doesn't feel hot? But apparently, I'm freezing and I can't feel that either. [His brow furrows, almost comical as he squints at it.] Um- what- what sort of feeling should I be...looking for?
no subject
He is, maybe, a little out of his depth. All he has to draw on is his own experience, and Mako has a hard time putting that into words.
What is he doing to control the flame? He has to think about it for a moment, stopping it from burning down too far on the stick, and then sits up straighter. ]
I'm using my chi to control it. You used to be a nonbender, so you're probably not used to being able to even feel your energy like that. It should feel like an extension of you, or like it's flowing inside you.
no subject
No pressure. ]
Right. So... so like an extra limb or something?
[He's trying his best- he's trying to think how Rapunzel connected to her hair and the power it held, or Cass to the rocks. But this can't be controlled by some ancient incantation- nor is he the one watching this from the sidelines. He needs to make this connection himself.
He tries to focus on the fire, trying to get over the substantial roadblock in his head that wants to dissect this as a science thing- to force logical sense where it doesn't really belong. He watches the flame flickering, how it dances and moves, after a while of intense staring he starts to realise he can predict the movements. ]
...This feels weird. [Sorry, Mako, he's not going to be an easy study. ] But yeah...I- I think I get what you mean?
no subject
Ah. ]
It's going to feel weird. You've never done this before, but it's kind of like your leg. When you walk with that, you're not actually feeling what it feels, but you can still control it.
[ Lifting his other hand, Mako drags it flat through the air, and the fire goes out, then points two fingers to light it again with a quick motion. ]
I noticed that not everyone's power works like mine. Some people can make fire without even moving, but bending's all about the body. It's energy you already have in you. What makes you a bender is the fact that you can use that energy to manipulate or create an element. That make sense?
no subject
He's nothing if not a good student. He does listen to everything Mako has to say to him, filing it away in that big brain of his. He watches Mako's movements with the flame, snuffing it out and bringing it back like it was nothing. Varian's experience so far has been panicked mistakes. He never meant for any of his fire to happen, it just did- wild and uncontrolled, and that's exactly the problem he doesn't want to have to deal with. ]
Yeah, that makes sense. So instead of expending energy to walk or climb or talk or...well, anything, you're expending it on creating and controlling elemental forces?
[He's genuinely not trying to be a smart ass about it, and that's evident in his tone. He's just making sense of what Mako says to him in the only way he knows how. If he can science enough at this maybe it'll stop making him want to crawl out of his own skin.]
no subject
Huh.
Mako smiles and holds the branch up again. It's blackening at the end, but he's keeping the fire where it is with small motions of his hand. ]
Yeah, something like that. Firebenders are the only benders who can actually create their element. Found out pretty fast that isn't true for people from other worlds. What you're looking to feel is the energy of this fire. That's what you can control. It's not just a thing. You're connected to it.
no subject
Huh, so waterbenders can't just create water from nothing? I think I remember talking to your brother about this, actually. How he was looking into different minerals to see if he could bend them, depending on their sediment ratio.
[He sciences at bending before now- but it wasn't part of his skillset then. He nods, still squinting at it.]
Right, right. It's not to be treated as something separate to you. I...I think I can understand that.