"Gotcha. That is useful. And I remember you saying something about an ability that makes your reflexes and all that better but you have to be full-out running?" Did he make that up?
Concrete Jungle! Improved agility and endurance as long as I'm in constant motion. Doesn't have to be flat out, it's just that slowing down makes it less effective.
10% Furry gives me pigeon powers. Only one at a time though, so I couldn't, say, fly and use magnetoreception and see in UV at the same time. [ A beat. ] … Probably? I'm not sure how it'd work now, since I'm actually part pigeon — and demon-ish, according to Red Son — instead of a human with pigeon-themed branding.
Evolution … I think I've got Evolution? — is Wild City's other transformational power. It's, uh, a kind of … get out of immediate mortal peril free card: about to get stabbed, temporarily manifest carapace; trapped underwater, temporarily manifest gills. That kind of thing.
[ As she finishes the last bite of her granola bar, Macaque's sensitive hearing will pick up on the ninja-subtle sound of machinery in the walls. ]
And there's more! [ She crumples the wrapper and teleports it away into the recycling. ] Pack Behavior is the strength buff that I can share with one other person at a time. … By, um, biting them, and that's a whole — [ flappy hand ] you know, it's a thing.
[ SPEAKING OF THINGS ]
Primal Instinct is … I'm not gonna get that one; it's useful but I don't like it much.
Then there's Sparrrow's shield magic. Physical and mental, but they're nowhere near as strong or versatile as mine and as long as I've got the ninpo, I've got mental shields covered too. And my feather blades, which are like — [ she uses shadow magic to demonstrate, weaving together an extra primary feather that looks like it's attached to her wing. As she 'plucks' it, it sharpens and turns more rigid: sword-like. Katana-esque? But still very much a feather at heart. ]
[ BOSS apparently decides this is the optimal time to take a potshot at her from behind with a dodgeball. It's a super quiet launch, and fast — and Korone notices just in time to pivot and slice the ball in half with the shadow blade. She blinks owlishly. ]
Macaque is nodding along until she uses the shadow-feather blade to slice open that ball. His feature briefly flicker in surprise, which quickly melts into a smile.
"Guess you don't need that one. Great job, babygirl. I'm so proud of your progress. That's a pretty advanced use of shadow magic."
[ It takes Korone a hot second to understand what he's talking about.
She looks at the ball.
At the shadow blade she's still holding, grip sure, stance solid.
… And finally — slowly, wide-eyed as realisation sinks in — at Macaque. At first she was too focused for the objective hit to leave her flailing, and now she's too stunned. She opens her mouth. Closes it. ]
I … I did that-?
[ Holy shit. ]
I —
[ hoLY SHIT her wings go full fluttery puff like a dandelion clock ]
[ words fail her and she just chirps instead, chirps and cheeps and she's too happy, too utterly ecstatic, to feel self-conscious about it. or about the way she starts bouncing giddily, wings fluttering and flapping; she dispels the blade so her hands are free to flap too.
half a minute or so of that and she tops it all off by throwing herself at him for a hug ]
"Sometimes that can help to establish a skill. Either instinct takes over and you just do it, or a time of great need makes you tap into power you never realize you had."
He holds her below her wings until she's ready to get down.
"This means I'm cranking up the difficulty level when we train, you realize." He expects that she'll have no objections.
[ some people (most people?) would probably be intimidated by the prospect. not this bird. ]
You're the best! [ she kisses his cheek ] And I'm one step closer to kicking your butt!
[ finally hops down ]
Oh, but first — [ because yes she 1000% meant it when she said Right Now ] Did Papaque have any thoughts about which power I should get back? Sparrow's shields are out, and the featherblades too I guess.
He chuckles and accepts the kiss readily. "One step of several."
Hm, which ability...
"For both reasons selfish and not I like the idea of you manifesting certain abilities when in mortal danger." He'll sleep better and also-- "You'll probably do better against me with that in your back pocket."
"I don't doubt you, babygirl." The whole point of training was for her to get that strong.
"Less a spar, more a fight with some asshole who is trying to kill you. I can't help being a little protective." There's an element of sheepishness to that last sentence.
… Yeah. [ And gosh, it's almost wild how … easy? easier, comparatively? it is for Korone to hear that. To trust that he really means it, and that he'll be honest about the things she needs to work on. ]
[ Some asshole he says, and Korone huffs softly, just shy of a laugh. ]
You're allowed to be. [ She tilts her head, studying him. ] Wanna talk about it? If this has been weighing on you. I know I can't stop you from worrying, but maybe it'd help ease your mind a little.
"Want to, not really. Only because the very idea gnaws at me. Should I, probably. So we can try it. No promises that I won't get stupid about the concept of you getting seriously hurt or killed."
[ Wordlessly lets BOSS know that target practice is on hold via her fancy (but blessedly inconspicuous, thank you Donnie) HUD glasses. ]
'Kay. [ She offers him a hand. ] We can stop or take a break if we need to. And if moving or doing other stuff while we're talking helps, that's fine too. [ He should know that already, not least because he's spent plenty of time around her and Donnie and Wash. Just in case he needs the reminder, though. Or permission. ]
I'm not gonna get mad, run away, or think any less of you for feeling your feelings. [ Challenge, sure, if it's warranted, and she can and will call him out if he acts like a dick. But he's not going to scare her off. ] That's a general rule, but ... when it comes to things like this especially. It's too important. Too raw.
"I know you wouldn't think less of me." The tip of his tail starts twitching, a nervous habit. "It's more that speaking my fears might trigger you. I don't want to hurt you just to get things off my chest."
I can understand why you're worried. [ She's got a lot of trauma, a lot of triggers, and he's seen first-hand they can hit; how quickly she can get dragged under. ]
If it helps ... I think I know some of what to expect, and I feel calm, safe, and ready. It might be uncomfortable sometimes but I doubt I'll fall or spiral. [ She gives his hand a squeeze ] 'Uncomfortable' in the sore but healing, helping more than hurting, constructive kind of way? ... And, for me at least, there's an element of —
You know how Donnie takes comfort in planning and setting up contingencies?
That's okay. [ She could argue that he wouldn't be the one hurting her. A younger Korone probably would try to argue that she doesn't mind the pain; that it's okay, worth it. Hardly the biggest sacrifice she's made. She's suffered worse for worse reasons! It's fine!
It isn't fine and it clearly wouldn't be worth it. ]
If it gets to be too much, say the word and we can stop. I'll let you know if I need to. Promise. [ Promises were a Big Damn Deal to her years before she got saddled with the taboos. ]
[ She smiles a little. ] Yup. … There's differences, obviously - [ particular traumas, coping mechanisms, the obsessions and compulsions Donnie wrestles with - ] but we've got some things in common. One of my long-standing habits is making contingency plans for possessions, violent status effects, and other associated bullshit, tailored to individuals, with conditional branching for various circumstances and tolerance for curveballs. It's weirdly comforting. And it helps me process some of the Big Yikes stuff I've been through, so talking about it feels ... easier.
He relaxes noticeably when she promises. He knows those are important to her, so he believes it. He also knows that she wouldn't want to -- in her view -- hurt him by hurting herself.
"Makes sense. Things have slightly less teeth if you have a plan for them."
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10% Furry gives me pigeon powers. Only one at a time though, so I couldn't, say, fly and use magnetoreception and see in UV at the same time. [ A beat. ] … Probably? I'm not sure how it'd work now, since I'm actually part pigeon — and demon-ish, according to Red Son — instead of a human with pigeon-themed branding.
Evolution … I think I've got Evolution? — is Wild City's other transformational power. It's, uh, a kind of … get out of immediate mortal peril free card: about to get stabbed, temporarily manifest carapace; trapped underwater, temporarily manifest gills. That kind of thing.
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[ As she finishes the last bite of her granola bar, Macaque's sensitive hearing will pick up on the ninja-subtle sound of machinery in the walls. ]
And there's more! [ She crumples the wrapper and teleports it away into the recycling. ] Pack Behavior is the strength buff that I can share with one other person at a time. … By, um, biting them, and that's a whole — [ flappy hand ] you know, it's a thing.
[ SPEAKING OF THINGS ]
Primal Instinct is … I'm not gonna get that one; it's useful but I don't like it much.
Then there's Sparrrow's shield magic. Physical and mental, but they're nowhere near as strong or versatile as mine and as long as I've got the ninpo, I've got mental shields covered too. And my feather blades, which are like — [ she uses shadow magic to demonstrate, weaving together an extra primary feather that looks like it's attached to her wing. As she 'plucks' it, it sharpens and turns more rigid: sword-like. Katana-esque? But still very much a feather at heart. ]
[ BOSS apparently decides this is the optimal time to take a potshot at her from behind with a dodgeball. It's a super quiet launch, and fast — and Korone notices just in time to pivot and slice the ball in half with the shadow blade. She blinks owlishly. ]
— Oi!
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"Guess you don't need that one. Great job, babygirl. I'm so proud of your progress. That's a pretty advanced use of shadow magic."
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She looks at the ball.
At the shadow blade she's still holding, grip sure, stance solid.
… And finally — slowly, wide-eyed as realisation sinks in — at Macaque. At first she was too focused for the objective hit to leave her flailing, and now she's too stunned. She opens her mouth. Closes it. ]
I … I did that-?
[ Holy shit. ]
I —
[ hoLY SHIT her wings go full fluttery puff like a dandelion clock ]
Dad! I did it!
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Also she's cute but he's keeping that to himself.
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[ AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA ]
[ words fail her and she just chirps instead, chirps and cheeps and she's too happy, too utterly ecstatic, to feel self-conscious about it. or about the way she starts bouncing giddily, wings fluttering and flapping; she dispels the blade so her hands are free to flap too.
half a minute or so of that and she tops it all off by throwing herself at him for a hug ]
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He won't go further with the praise, lest he embarrass her further. So he just hugs her. "Hi."
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[ she did it. she did that, and he's impressed; he's proud of her, and - ]
[ aaaa. she buries her face against his shoulder, giggling, and hugs him with everything she has. ]
Hi. [ she doesn't let go even as she starts to calm down from the rush, catching her breath. ] I can't believe I - I wasn't even thinking about it?
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He holds her below her wings until she's ready to get down.
"This means I'm cranking up the difficulty level when we train, you realize." He expects that she'll have no objections.
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[ then he talks about cranking up the difficulty level and she gasps, peeling back just far enough to deliver a max strength Earnest Enthusiasm Beam ]
Yes! Right now!
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"Consider it done. Level up granted."
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You're the best! [ she kisses his cheek ] And I'm one step closer to kicking your butt!
[ finally hops down ]
Oh, but first — [ because yes she 1000% meant it when she said Right Now ] Did Papaque have any thoughts about which power I should get back? Sparrow's shields are out, and the featherblades too I guess.
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Hm, which ability...
"For both reasons selfish and not I like the idea of you manifesting certain abilities when in mortal danger." He'll sleep better and also-- "You'll probably do better against me with that in your back pocket."
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[ It'd be easy to mistake her playfulness as genuine overconfidence if he didn't know her better. ]
[ Korone's smile doesn't fade with that last line of his, but the look she gives him is thoughtful. Shrewd. ]
To clarify, is that in the context of a spar or bullshit status effects? 'cuz it's hard to imagine the former.
[ #teamnesiaveteran #mightaswellbetuesday ]
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"Less a spar, more a fight with some asshole who is trying to kill you. I can't help being a little protective." There's an element of sheepishness to that last sentence.
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[ Some asshole he says, and Korone huffs softly, just shy of a laugh. ]
You're allowed to be. [ She tilts her head, studying him. ] Wanna talk about it? If this has been weighing on you. I know I can't stop you from worrying, but maybe it'd help ease your mind a little.
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"Want to, not really. Only because the very idea gnaws at me. Should I, probably. So we can try it. No promises that I won't get stupid about the concept of you getting seriously hurt or killed."
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'Kay. [ She offers him a hand. ] We can stop or take a break if we need to. And if moving or doing other stuff while we're talking helps, that's fine too. [ He should know that already, not least because he's spent plenty of time around her and Donnie and Wash. Just in case he needs the reminder, though. Or permission. ]
I'm not gonna get mad, run away, or think any less of you for feeling your feelings. [ Challenge, sure, if it's warranted, and she can and will call him out if he acts like a dick. But he's not going to scare her off. ] That's a general rule, but ... when it comes to things like this especially. It's too important. Too raw.
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I can understand why you're worried. [ She's got a lot of trauma, a lot of triggers, and he's seen first-hand they can hit; how quickly she can get dragged under. ]
If it helps ... I think I know some of what to expect, and I feel calm, safe, and ready. It might be uncomfortable sometimes but I doubt I'll fall or spiral. [ She gives his hand a squeeze ] 'Uncomfortable' in the sore but healing, helping more than hurting, constructive kind of way? ... And, for me at least, there's an element of —
You know how Donnie takes comfort in planning and setting up contingencies?
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"I understand. But I'll still want to stop if you're having a rough time." He doesn't want to be the cause of pain for her. She has enough of those.
He nods. "Mmhmm, that boy is a planner for sure."
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It isn't fine and it clearly wouldn't be worth it. ]
If it gets to be too much, say the word and we can stop. I'll let you know if I need to. Promise. [ Promises were a Big Damn Deal to her years before she got saddled with the taboos. ]
[ She smiles a little. ] Yup. … There's differences, obviously - [ particular traumas, coping mechanisms, the obsessions and compulsions Donnie wrestles with - ] but we've got some things in common. One of my long-standing habits is making contingency plans for possessions, violent status effects, and other associated bullshit, tailored to individuals, with conditional branching for various circumstances and tolerance for curveballs. It's weirdly comforting. And it helps me process some of the Big Yikes stuff I've been through, so talking about it feels ... easier.
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"Makes sense. Things have slightly less teeth if you have a plan for them."
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