[Open Log] Faith alone can't get me where I need to go

[rustyhonesty]

WHO: Jean Kirstein & you
WHAT: Jean's training arc continues, with new skills, old skills and slightly overworking
WHEN: December
WHERE: Specified in the prompts
WARNINGS: will add as needed


A. New Skill Unlocked
[Dayrise, Grand Coliseum] [Warning for Elastic/Extending Limbs]

At first, Jean had only been able to make his fingers longer. It had felt really weird, so he hadn't tried it again for the moment. But with time he got used to the feeling and kept practicing.

So now someone may walk into the coliseum and see Jean with a three times longer right arm, grabbing onto something in the distance. He was still testing how well he could use his fingers when they were so far away from him. Not very well, especially when it was hard to see what he was grabbing.

Another problem was when the arm returned to its regular size, it... kinda came back with a force and ended up slapping Jean in the face. All part of the learning curve. But also very frustrating.

"GAH!"



B. Fire Control
[Dayrise, Grand Coliseum]


Practicing fire was something Jean was more accustomed to, but he was still struggling a little bit with a certain fire skill. So instead of going around throwing fire punches or kicks in the air or forming fire weapons, he's focusing on his breathing.

A tiny ember formed with a short breath. Then a deeper breath and a longer trail of fire, going through the air where he wanted it to go, not catching anything else on fire. Everything was going like he hoped. He could do controlled fire.

Then he took a deep, deep breath and put all his strength into blowing out fire. The goal was that it would just travel through the air, harmless. Just like the other two had.

It went straight to the ground and started burning sand all over instead. It definitely didn't go where Jean intended it to go, so that was still a work in process.

"Fuck."


C. Training, training
[Dayrise, Grand Coliseum]


Does it ever feel like anytime you run into Jean, he has a different weapon? It probably does feel like it, since he has so many different weapons he was trying to master the use of. A sword that he was already pretty good at, a polearm that he was still studying but getting better all the time, and most recently a chain whip that he was really new at.

If he doesn't have a weapon in hand, he's practicing hand-to-hand combat in different kind of forms he's learned from various people or doing simple parkour around some obstacles in Dayrise.

Yeah, it's more common to see him training than not. Recently, he's even gotten more fuel to his training fire, thanks to new arrivals that he very much wanted to keep safe and sound.


D. Exhaustion catching up
[Solarpeak, Dayrise, Blossomcrown]

Of course, when you train too much, eventually you run out of energy, which means Jean is often taking a nap in a little unexpected places. He may be napping at the Solarpeak beach, or maybe he's crashed in the middle of the Grand Coliseum in Dayrise. It's also entirely possible to see him almost falling asleep at some bench in the Blossomcrown Park when he's supposed to be watching one of his and Mikasa's three dogs (a white husky named Snow, a German Shepherd named Hazel and a Pegasus Puppy Akita Inu named Maru).

Yeah, he might be overdoing it, just a little bit.

Comments

B

[abnormalizes]

The first two looked good, at least?

[Evangeline feels like she should offer some kind of constructive criticism since she also has fire breathing, but honestly, it's a difficult skill to put into words.]

[rustyhonesty]

[Jean looks over to Evangline, nodding.]

Yeah, it starts to get tricky when I start putting more power into it. It's like I'm forced to give up control for power.

[abnormalizes]

This might be a weird question, but have you ever done deep-breathing exercises? Like for meditation and stuff?

D.

[sunspotted]

Marco's been by Mikasa and Jean's house enough times that the dogs know who he is. So, when he's traipsing through Blossomcrown and Snow runs up to him, he also recognizes the dog.

"Hey, Snow," he teases the dog gently, petting behind their ears. "What are you doing all the way out here? Where's Mikasa and Jean?"

At the sound of his owners name, the dog leads Marco to where Jean is most definitely asleep on the bench. Marco bites his bottom lip a little, holding back a laugh as he observes his friend. He clears his throat a little.

"CADET KIRSTEIN! ARE YOU SLEEPING ON THE JOB?"

He bellows it in his best Shadis impression. Snow barks after he does it.

[rustyhonesty]

Jean jumps immediately into a straight pose - even saluting on instinct. If Shadis had arrived to Ellipsa this was the worst first impression he could give.

"Sir, sorry sir!"

It's only after that he dares to look up and sees Marco. A very amused Marco. He drops his salute with a long sigh.

"Don't... do that again. You almost gave me a heart attack."

[sunspotted]

Snow immediately runs around both of them, barking like they're impressed with the salute. Marco giggles, raising a hand to try and muffle it, but he's relatively mirth-free when he finally drops his hand.

"Sorry, couldn't resist," He tells Jean, looking him over a bit more closely. Jean doesn't look dire, but he has those lines on his forehead that indicate he's a little exhausted, which makes him twitchy.

"What are you doing sleeping out here?" he asks instead, tilting his head a little. "I found Snow wandering around."

D i guess we're threading it this time--

[wingbound]

Levi had thought the last time, few months back when he had insisted on dragging Jean home and telling Mikasa to keep an eye on him, would have been enough to make him kick the habit. (In hindsight, he really should have known better. That wouldn't have stopped him, either.) So the first time he notices Jean being slower than usual, he figures maybe he's had a rough night or something.

When he finds him passed out in the middle of the coliseum right before their supposed training session, though, there's no room for excuses. He walks over and prods Jean with his foot.

"Oi. Horse boy."

oh no-

[rustyhonesty]

Jean hadn't meant to fall asleep. He had just wanted to close his eyes for a short moment before they'd start training. A very basic mistake to make. He groans when he feels something prodding him, but opens his eyes slowly.

And then jumps up into a sitting position. "Levi!"

Ah, shit, he really fell asleep. It was almost a repeat of what happened a few months back, wasn't it. Or at least it was about to be.

Out of respect, he doesn't even try to go the 'I just didn't sleep well last night' route. Jean's pretty sure Levi knows what this is. Instead, Jean settles to looking like he was caught doing something he shouldn't.

terrible

[wingbound]

Good, because that excuse wouldn't work. It's also good that Jean realizes that he fucked up, but Levi is going to rub it in just a little bit more.

"Jean. Tell me, if I were the enemy right now, what would you be?"

A

[littlesilhouettoofaman]

[Over time, Wanderer's earth-bending skills have improved a lot. For once his columns are sturdy and he can even manipulate them a little. And there's definitely a thing where wind can help lifting large rocks and launch them towards certain directions.

But right now, he is looking at this other guy not far from him. It seems he is quite profound at being long and stretchy. And not that it fazes him or anything. No.

Its just really funny when that arm bounces back right in the idiot's face. So all Wanderer can do is chuckle at first, but that chuckle changes into a laugh quite fast.

And when he's done giggling he speaks.]

Ah. Do that again.

[rustyhonesty]

[Jean hears the laughing and turns to look who it is. It's a person he's never seen before, at least not that he remembers. A quite rude one, though he admits if the situation was reversed he'd probably be the one laughing. So he can't really judge the guy.]

Not for your entertainment.

[littlesilhouettoofaman]

[Wanderer keeps chuckling softly.]

Why not? [He moves to fish a couple of moon coins out of his pocket.] Here. Perhaps it is better if I pay for my amusement, not?

B

[bigporkenergy]

[Neat!]

Can you show me how to do that?

[Someone is still a fire newb, and he'll take any pointers he can get.]

[rustyhonesty]

[Everyone has been new at some point.]

Breathing fire is actually an advanced skill. It takes a few months until you start learning those. I can show you other things, though.

[Like making different colored flame, as Jean demonstrates by making the fire on the ground forest green.]

[bigporkenergy]

It's all new to me. I'll take any pointers you can give me.

[Galliard watches with interest as Jean changes the colour of the flames.]

Like that. How do you do that?

B

[colchismagecraft]

[On one hand- the fire was still going. In fact, for a moment, the flames seemed to intensify as more magic was cast to fuel it.

Three guesses who's responsible for making even more arson?

Still, as the witch manifested her physical form nearby, she turned what she could of the flames to a harmless purple-blue shade.]

If you were going to start burning things, you really should have invited me sooner~

[rustyhonesty]

[Behind every arson, there's a Caster-]

Why should I when you just appear everywhere there's fire?

D (Despair/dissociation, sororicide mention)

[corpsewarblade]

[Mukuro knew that she needed a change of pace. A break from her usual training regimen, now that it was no longer helping her take her mind off things like it usually did. And so, she'd gone down to the beach in the hopes that a swim would be different enough to change things...but no. The thoughts of despair still rippled through her all the same.

It was as she was coming out the water- in her usual cameo tankini that covered most of the scars on her torso- that she noticed someone she knew sitting on the beach- no, napping-...huh.

She quietly went over to sit by him, and the intrusive thoughts came crashing in immediately; It'd be too easy, wouldn't it? If she fell asleep here, then when he woke up he could dispose of her quickly. That was what Junko said, that if she let her guard down, she would be killed. And it was...normal, right, for siblings to keep each other on their toes. To want each other dead or to try and kill one another. Certainly, with one as disappointing as her. That was a good thing, then, it meant they were looking out for each other.

No, Jean wasn't like that...Mukuro took a deep breath to try and quiet those thoughts, realising only then how detached everything felt.]

...Jean?

[She wasn't sure if he was awake, yet, but the voice she didn't recognise as hers drifted out all the same.]

[rustyhonesty]

[Jean hadn't intended to fall asleep on the beach. He was mostly there to take a break, maybe read a book he had with him. But sleep had won over anything else he had planned.

He wasn't in a very deep sleep, because once Mukuro said his name, he opened his eyes. After blinking and shielding his eyes from the sun, he finally looked over at her.

They hadn't really talked after the artifact incident. Which was honestly awkward when you lived in the same house. But somehow they had missed each other and kept ignoring the actual need to talk. Or at least Jean had, still feeling embarrassed.

Jean realizes he's been quiet for a little too long.]

Hey.

C

[mayoninofukucho]

[Hijikata hasn't seen Jean ever since the incident with the possessed amulet. Of course he checked on him in the aftermath, but Jean wasn't home when he visited, didn't answer his calls, and only gave him the most bare-bones reassurances that he was OK in response to his text messages. Between Hijikata's police work and the quests he embarked on, it's only now, about a month after the incident, that he happens to run into him at the summer guild's training grounds.

Part of him immediately wonders if Jean has been training here to avoid him, knowing that Hijikata usually trains at the Grand Collosseum, but he dismisses that thought right away. Don't be paranoid now. He probably just needed some time to himself in general. He puts on a smile as he approaches his sworn brother.]

Long time no see. Do you want to give that chain whip another shot?

[The first time they practised with it, right after Jean pulled it out of his chest for the first time, it was a pretty chaotic spar. If not for his Aura, Hijikata would have ended up with some nasty gashes, but he considers it all the more important to help Jean get good at using it. It can do a lot of damage!]

[rustyhonesty]

[Jean was avoiding Hijikata, but being at the summer guild training ground wasn't part of it. He just felt like a change of scenery was nice.

Still, it makes Jean a little nervous to see his sworn brother again under normal circumstances. He glances away nervously, but doesn't immediately come up with an excuse like 'actually, I was already done training'. He's holding a polearm to his side, the weapon of choice for today's practice.]

If you don't mind waiting for a bit. I need to take a break.

[To put the polearm away, drink some water. But also...]

We.... probably need to talk, anyway.

[It's awkward, but at least he's done avoiding it. It's been a month. He's had time to do that for a good while now.]

Christmas Woof - 25-27th December

[rustyhonesty]

Despite it being winter holidays, after sundown Jean's staying home in Sunwaning. As always, his minor werewolf curse was taking place, and he's still not ready to just go out in public looking so... cute. He has very fluffy wolf ears, close to his hair color, and a fluffy tail. Really, he's more like a wolf cub than a wolf. And he also has fangs, good for tearing jerky into pieces.

So Jean stays home, celebrating the evenings there, eating different kinds of meat, playing with his and Mikasa's dogs in a more animalistic nature and occasionally running in their garden. Of course, a huge part is spent cuddling Mikasa.

At least he hasn't gotten the urge to howl at the moon... yet.

26th

[sunspotted]

Marco was supposed to join Jean earlier in the day, before the sun went down. But he's been overwhelmed with running around delivering gifts, and getting given them in return! So, he shot Jean an apologetic text that he'd likely be over in the evening, and he'd let him know if he couldn't make it for a dinner.

But, he's made it! Huffing his breath a little as he steps up to the deck - it feels like even in Sunwaning, it gets mightily cold after the sun goes down - he knocks on the door, humming to himself.

Summer Flower Yard

[rustyhonesty]

Sometime after his conversation with Levi, Jean decides to visit the Summer Flower Yard. It's the first time he's come here after he was revived, and things sure have changed. It's morbid to see so many flowers here, knowing all of them have grown because someone died. His flower was the second here, and it didn't feel like it has been that long (it has, half a year now).

Jean's not entirely sure if coming here would accomplish anything, but he figured that if he had to properly apologize to himself (for various things), he might as well do it to his flower, rather than at a mirror. Not that it would be easy. Especially what came after that (forgiveness).

When did he get himself into this many knots, mentally. It all started because he died. After that it's been one thing after another. He became better, but started doubting himself again. He worries people needlessly by overworking himself and not stopping, even if he's learned more than enough (Has he? Would he ever have learned enough? Was he enough-).

For now, he's mostly standing there, staring at the giant pink peony in full bloom that was his. It was hard to believe he came out of it, but he had to believe something he experienced.

is this before or after the brain blast thing just for my reference?

[dreamsofwings]

Through some coincidence, or through Eren seeing Jean and following him here like a weird stalker, Eren ends up stopping at the Flower Yard as well. He knows other people have died and emerged from these flowers. He isn't all that worried about it happening to him; he's hard to kill and he's always seen his time as limited anyway. This place isn't like anything they ever could have imagined.

And then…there's Jean, staring at a flower. Eren's seen this kind of flower but he forgets the name. He's not exactly a flower expert here.

He comes up alongside Jean, hands in his pockets, quiet for a minute.

"Is that one yours or someone else's?" he asks softly.