riverviewlogs | june closed prompts

[ That gets an amused snort. ]

Cisco is a very good person to have in your corner if you need tech.
>Especially someone like me who essentially needs a mechanic from time to time.
>And yes, absolutely. I've had 'powers' since I was born and recently developed an interesting new one. So this is territory I am quite familiar with.

[ There's a pause as he goes to flip on the kettle to make some tea. ]

Would you mind elaborating? Or would you rather wait until we are face to face?

i don't mind, but i have to warn you that i don't have a whole lot of explanation to give either

( in fact, she's still trying to figure out her elevator pitch for this whole thing. until then, she'll settle for a video she took under doctoral supervision. in it, skye stands in a white observation room, a table approximately six foot away littered with everything from glass bottles to thick black rocks. every few seconds, pulses of vibrational force rock from her hands, and eventually, everything shatters, even the table itself. at the end of the video, the camera pans back to skye; she's clearly panting and a little embarrassed to be on video, but proud all the same. )

so an in-person demo's also on the table if necessary

[ Genji watches the video, brows raising slowly as it progresses. Well, that's certainly unique. He can understand even more why she would want to ask for help. ]

Truthfully, I have realized focusing on the "how" something happens is less important than the "why."
>If we can figure out what exactly happens to cause your abilities to activate, then we can figure out the best way to control them.

sometimes it's on purpose
that was, anyway

( the video had been purposeful, an attempt to showcase the extent of her abilities in a safer environment. )

sometimes it's not
that's the part i'm trying to figure out
i know that's not much to go off of

Don't worry, that's plenty to go off of. That you can control it in some capacity at all makes the first few steps easy.
Do you have any thoughts on what it could possibly be?

( it's tempting to give in to self-preservation, to blow off his question with some half-serious remark or an earthquake pun. but she sought him out, and whether skye wants to admit it or not, she needs this. she needs to figure this out more than she wants to stay comfortable, and if it means she has to feel a little uneasy in the process, then so be it. )

it happens at the worst possible times
when i'm afraid or angry
it feels like my body is buzzing with a million bees
as if my insides are going to explode out of me like boiling water in a closed pot

the worst part is that it feels good when it happens
terrifying, uncontrollable... but a relief

[ A lot of making progress involves making yourself uncomfortable. If it was easy then nobody would ever struggle with it, or ask for help. Or break down.

He pours the freshly boiled water in a tea pot as he contemplates his response. ]

I am not surprised. My theory is that a lot of these powers people get is directly tied to the body's defense mechanisms. Fight or flight response, animal hind brain, amygdala, whatever you wish to call it.

[ Genji's no scientist but he's spent the better part of the last decade under the care of them, so. ]

Interesting. It might be tied to something you need to express.
Or it's merely adrenaline, like runner's high.
I suppose it makes sense, for earthquakes.

( skye's not a scientist either, but she's at least capable of recognizing when something doesn't sound totally bananas. )

no, that does make sense
it's the worst when i can't leave
when i feel like i'm stuck somewhere and things are getting out of control

other than literally running away, is there any way to stop it?

[ Ah, yes. That seems like an important tidbit of information. Genji files that away. ]

Then yes, I agree. That does make sense.
I think working on not letting your fear take control in those stressful moments would be a good starting point.
And work on only tapping into those powers when you want to.
That was partially how I was trained, as a child.

[ A pause. ]

I suppose I should tell you my circumstances, to make it fair.
My soul is linked to a spirit dragon.

focusing on something else, you mean
a friend of mine said the same thing

( how is that even fair??? she's got the shakes on steroids and genji gets a goddamn dragon? )

okay, soulbonding to a dragon sounds amazing, first of all
but also ... how??
do you breathe fire?
can you fly????

It sounds easier than it actually is. It's very hard to fight your body and mind's defenses.

[ Genji laughs. Yeah, that tends to be the reaction. ]

It's a family thing. We're just born with the ability. I don't know the specifics, I was never privy to that information.
And that would certainly be exciting! But no. Nothing so fantastical.
It can just possess me when I need it in a fight. But that in itself took a lot of training to accomplish.

so basically i need fight or flight boot camp
sounds super exhausting and also terrible
where do i sign up?

( new small business opportunity in riverview, obviously. young fledgling supers need a place where they can hone their incredibilities... )

okay look
you can't just say I'M SOULBONDED TO A DRAGON and not elaborate a little
how much ass do you kick when a dragon possesses you? because i'm sure it's a lot

You are more than welcome to join me for a chat sometime. I can only give advice based on my own experiences, and then perhaps point you in the right direction if I'm not the one who could help you.
But yes, unfortunately it isn't easy. But nothing worth doing is in life.

[ He should write a self help book at this rate. He's sure Master Zenyatta would find it enjoyable at least.

He sits down with his tea and laughs again. ]

I kick considerable amounts of ass, yes.
It just heightens my strength and reaction time, for the most part.
My brother uses an arrow as a focus and unleashes them physically. It's quite a sight.

[ He can do it too, but, it's not his preferred method. ]

your advice is still pretty stellar, sensei, don't sell yourself short
i think i just need actual practice rather than zen meditation
not that i'm against meditating or anything

( sitting still just isn't her forte, to absolutely no one's surprise. )

please tell me you have a cool catchphrase
is it like a power rangers situation?
do you have a coin or a fancy totem necklace or a keychain?
is there a dragon tattoo?

Some techniques for calming the mind could be helpful. Learning how to meditate is a process in itself, it's not quite as simple as the movies make it seem.

[ Man, he wishes he had a cool sentai thing going on. Alas. ]

I do have a phrase I saw when I summon it, yes.
And there is indeed a tattoo, you catch on quick.
It's on my back, if you know what 'irezumi' tattoo style looks like.

[ Cyborg ninja born into a yakuza family, how scandalous. ]

alright, alright, you convinced me
we'll split it 50/50 between superhero boot camp and zen af mind-mastery class
i won't say no to some weird tea if you know what i mean

( skye, please don't ask your sensei to do magic mushrooms with you ... even if it would be really amazing ... )

i don't actually know what irezumi means but the only tattoos i've ever seen that would fit on a ninja would be the stuff that looks like it should be in a watercolor painting
koi fish and flowers and lots of insane line work

( her mental image is something like this, but she definitely wouldn't know the words to connect it to. )

That sounds like a perfectly reasonable compromise. I'm up for it.

[ He pauses... then laughs, throwing his head back. ]

Unfortunately that's not really my area, as fun as it sounds.
With all of these cybernetics, I can't get drunk or high anymore.
Easily, anyway.

That's exactly it. I have a green dragon on my back.
My brother has his wrapped around an arm.
It's the focus point for the spirit, essentially.

if it makes you feel any better, i haven't really tried since i figured out i can shake and bake half a city block
losing control hasn't been on the to-do list, you know?

( she's had a drink here or there... but white girl wasted? not so much. )

ps how many lessons do i have to pass before you show me the dragon tattoo?

That is a very wise decision. It's always best to avoid unpredictability when you don't have all the answers for the time being.

[ Genji's still snickering. ]

Unfortunately it's rather hard to see nowadays, I have a lot of things covering most of my back.
But you can see its head peaking out on my shoulder.
I'll be sure to wear a tank top sometime.

i'll take the compliments where i can get them

and i look forward to your tank top show-off session
i promise, your heroic sacrifice will be appreciated

june closed prompts

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