no seriously / original bones don't steal / or commit arson

[roc_on]

The news gets worse.

The police nailed down a pattern - the guy found with the missing bones was one thing, but there were other missing persons, alternating genders, late teens to early twenties, all taken from the same part of town. Cops, including cops of the relevant age range, stalk the area, and one of them gives chase to a man who proves to be a firebender. He burns out most of a liquor store, proving it, and the cop loses him trying to meet him on the other side and goes back to help evacuate the units above the store.

There's security footage of the fire and some of the chase, rescued from the liquor store, and the media gets ahold of it.

Chali says this still isn't an Avatar matter. Beila, who has no detective skills anyway, defers to his expertise, meditates, reads her book - turns up to her firebending lesson.

Comments

[thinklikethis]

Owww, that smile.

"Okay, cool, let's sit on your couch, I will hug you."

[in_silk]

They do that. Spider doesn't quite collapse into a small miserable lump, but he does lean on Dao quite a bit.

[thinklikethis]

"So... it occurs to me that like, nobody's caught you yet," says Dao. "So if you just stopped murdering people, they'd have a pretty hard time catching up to you, especially if you left the city and moved somewhere way far away and, I dunno, changed your name in case they find weird stuff in your basement after you leave, or whatever. Even if you don't trust me not to go to the cops over you, it still works, it's not like I have magic powers and can tell them where you decided to move to, you know?"

[in_silk]

"...that's true," Spider says slowly.

He contemplates this.

"But... what if... what if there isn't anything that helps?"

[thinklikethis]

"I mean, the first thing you tried is 'being a serial killer', I wouldn't give up just yet if I were you," says Dao, smiling a little.

[in_silk]

Spider giggles softly. "Yes. Okay, yes. But. But what else do I try?"

[thinklikethis]

Dao thinks about it.

"I mean, I don't really know a whole lot about you, except that you're apparently some kind of waterbending genius - like, unless the thing where bloodbending only works on the full moon is just in the movies? And the thing where people stagger around like creepy puppets?"

[in_silk]

"N-no..." he says. "No. It was like that for me at first too. When I practiced on animals. But I had to get it right before I could use it, so I practiced more."

[thinklikethis]

"Okay," says Dao. "I stand by my 'some kind of waterbending genius' assessment, then. Like, I'm not a bender, but I have, you know, met some."

[in_silk]

"There really aren't any... good uses for bloodbending, though," murmurs Spider.

[thinklikethis]

"No, admittedly, but like. Who says bloodbending has to be the only thing you know?"

[in_silk]

"...it isn't," he murmurs. "I know... combat waterbending, too. A lot of it. But I don't want to - do that."

[thinklikethis]

"Okay, so don't," says Dao. "Learn new things. Be - be a healer, that's like the exact opposite of a serial killer, right, it's like the most obviously good thing bending can do, I bet you'd be great at it, why not?"

[in_silk]

"...maybe," Spider says softly.

[thinklikethis]

Hug.

[in_silk]

"I... I never... I wasn't allowed," he murmurs. "To learn healing."

[thinklikethis]

"You mean by your dad," says Dao. "Who is dead. Which I think means he pretty conclusively doesn't get any more input into your life. Right?"

[in_silk]

He smiles hesitantly. "Right."

[thinklikethis]

"So! Learn healing, be a healer, see if it helps."

[in_silk]

"...if I leave the city, though... and it doesn't help... you won't be around to help me think of more things," Spider says consideringly.

[thinklikethis]

"I can help you think of a bunch more things now in case that doesn't work," he offers. "And. And, I don't know - you could try it. Healing, I mean. Like. Right now."

[in_silk]

...Spider looks at him.

[thinklikethis]

"I mean, it can't be that hard, right, and you seem like you're really smart and good at waterbending, so you can probably figure it out, and - I don't - I don't mind if you practice on me," says Dao. "To learn how and find out if you like it or not."

[in_silk]

Spider looks very conflicted, and then he nods slowly. "Okay. I know - I know a little bit. About how it's supposed to work. I've just. Never tried. But is it - is it really okay, I mean - I'd have to hurt you, to practice healing on you. And I. I don't want to hurt you."

[thinklikethis]

"It's fine," Dao assures him. "Totally fine."