maskormenacelogs | Tell me tell me is life just a playground

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Tell me tell me is life just a playground

WHO: Jacob and Manabu
WHERE: Maria-Francis Foundation Danger Room, De Chima
WHEN: Early July
WHAT: Jacob promised to help train Manabu to hero better, to prepare him for his police career. Then he found out about the new training room in De Chima
WARNINGS: Simulated training violence?

[Jacob's dressed for combat, not for a workout. He's wearing his white-and-grey protector armour, complete with utility belt around his waist. He pushes a few final buttons on the appropriate interface console, then turns to Manabu with a smile.]

All right, this is it. I know I said we'd be training at Helix Station, but when I heard about this new place I just had to give it a shot. Ready to get started?

[The new 'Danger Room' looks a little intimidating to Jacob's mind. It's just a enormous featureless silver sphere right now, with no visible furniture or equipment aside from a couple consoles, waiting for hidden holo-projectors to generate the training environment that will be guided by an AI. He's not used to this kind of training, but he's eager to give it a shot. And he knows Manabu is just as ready to give it his all.]

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[jeez...forget standard SDF duty, duds like this are the kind the Panzer Grenadiers would get to have on the regular. and considering he doesn't expect to be in straight-up front-line space combat, he foregoes most of that heavy armor in favor for just one of the vests that the facility actually provides. he's just going to have to get good enough to not need armor.

or, y'know. invest later.

he gives the space another look-around, feeling a bit more at home with this kind of thing. he's used simulators before, back home. he's pretty jazzed, honestly, and he gives Jacob an eager smile back, nodding.

but a thought hits--]

Wait. Is the combat fire holo-based, too? Or are we going to have live ammo? [he doesn't want to accidentally shoot gear he's not supposed to...]

Pretty sure it's all holo. But it doesn't really matter anyway. Today, I thought we'd move away from combat and focus on practicing rescue.

[Jacob smirks a little, then touches a button. And then suddenly everything is on fire. It might not be real fire, but it sure is bright and hot enough- gouts of flame shooting up from sudden vents in the floor and the walls, smoke starting to fill the air.

The fire is between Jacob and Manabu. His voice comes through the flames, shouting to be heard over the roar of burning gas.]

You just entered a burning building, officer. You need to save me. How are you going to get to me to get me out of here?

-!!

[he flinches, bringing his arms up to his face when flames lap up. the rest of the room fills in to reshape into some kind of residence, which Manabu can sort of discern through the billowing black smoke.

less impulsive people would've been a bit annoyed with the lack of context for this, but let's be real. Manabu would be the sort to lunge into a burning building without context. (actually, he did...back when Hornets were still a thing...)

right.

first he needs to see where Jacob is. he sidesteps one of the spouting vents and reaches for one of the heavy drapes on the window nearby, yanking it free and tossing it over the floor ahead to smother flames for a brief moment and clear a new path.]

[Jacob did his fair amount of running into burning buildings while responding to the Hornet's attacks as well. In fact, that's one of the main reasons he started taking superhero training and equipment more seriously, and learned how to be a rescuer as well as a fighter. He wishes he had a room like this back then- it would have made his training a lot easier.

Anyway, when the drape comes down enough of the flames are smothered to give Manabu a clear line of sight to where Jacob is. He's in the kitchen of the 'house', crouched on top of an island counter, surrounded by flames. He cups his hands and yells to Manabu:]

Good thinking! But you need to hurry!

[And then a burning beam crashes down from the ceiling, obstructing the hallway between Manabu and the kitchen. How will the space cop get past it?]

Gyah-!

[that caught him off-guard, since he'd been focused on Jacob. he recoils a little, before the heat at his back warns him to get his footing back.

this beam...not only is it up in flames, but the angle it's fallen in doesn't give Manabu much room to duck it. and vaulting it?

vaulting it...isn't...the worst idea, but--but that's a lot of fire. and--

and no real chance to deliberate options; he hears something dangerously behind him crash, which spurs him to move. bad idea or not, he bounces up a step, then springs forward, launching himself up and over the slanted beam. he has enough space to at least curl up and roll the rest of the way in, bumping back-first into the counter Jacob's perched on.]

Owh-- [he has to hastily swat fire off his pants and sleeve before climbing back to his feet, squinting over at Jacob.] Hi!

[huff. now what. he swivels his head to look around. this a kitchen? kitchen door? exit?]

Nice moves, Manabu. I wasn't sure you'd try that jump.

[Jacob sounds impressed. He is impressed. The kid has guts.

But they aren't done yet. Jacob hops down from the kitchen island and spreads his arms to encompass the flames around them.]

All right. You got to me. Now how are you getting me out of here alive? Remember, I'm just a scared civilian, so I'm not going to be able to help you.

You don't look scared! [with a little exasperation, he reaches over and yanks him down.] Put your head down! If it's real fire, then it's real smoke, too. Gi-give me a second!

[he needs to find an exit that doesn't involve vaulting fiery beams. and for how hot it is, busting a window open is just going to make more problems than it'll solve, so...

kitchen door. that's what he wants. the gets up, arm over his face, and ducks lapping flames to get over to the door.]

[Jacob tries not to chuckle and doesn't entirely succeed as Manabu yanks him down. Seeing the space cop take charge is neat.]

Yes, sir. Right behind you.

[He follows Manabu over to the door, watching. How is he going to get it open safely?]

[well. well, if it were just him, he could probably just barrel on through, consequences be damned; he could get yelled at by medical staff in the afterward. that sort of thing typically worked out...but only if it were just him blasting through the door.

not a whole lot of time to think about the consequences here... he stops Jacob, waving him backward a little.] Wait on this side!

[he himself steps away from the entry, reaching over for the handle, willfully tightening his grip against heat real or assumed, and gives it a shove before hopping backward into his friend.

hey, it's either that or enjoy getting caught up in the smoke and fire blasting out to escape before them, and that kind of stuff works better in movies.]

O-okay, now we go! [once the little explosion eases off, he grabs Jacob's wrist and yanks him along.]

[Jacob allows himself to be yanked, which is a little amusing considering he's six feet worth of musclebound space marine and Manabu is a fluffy-headed noodle. But the kid is getting things done, and Jacob's impressed.

Which obviously means it's time to make things a little harder.]

Careful, officer. These fumes are starting to make me dizzy.

[He wobbles theatrically as he follows Manabu through the flames.]

If I pass out, you might have to carry me the rest of the way.

[Have fun with that, space cop.]

Eh-?! [oh, now he plays along. he better not be teasing... he shoots a look over his shoulder, a kind of come on, really?! face.] That--that's why I said to duck your head under the smoke! Come on...!

[speaking of rest of the way...how much of that is there? so much for the hope of a kitchen door opening straight to the outdoors. or...what passes for outdoors in simulation-end. but if he thinks on that too much, he'll keep losing the urgency he needs to impose on himself, knowing they're not really in danger.

at least this room is-- wait, what the hell is this room? passing through the door he expects to be leading outside leaves him straining to see through the thick plumes of smoke that rushed before him and he catches glimpses of metal glaring back at him in the flames. it takes seconds more to register this is a garage and that's a car.

that's all well and fine, but...the smoke is so thick in here, he can hardly see even that. he's starting to worry, which, in Manabu-terms, means he's not moving enough.]

Wait here a second! [he gives Jacob a little nudge to go by the concrete wall, away from the door, while he ducks under a cloud and disappears.]

[Jacob crouches down beneath the smoke and waits as Manabu ducks away. He's looking forward to seeing what the space-cop is going to do in the garage. They're almost to the end, but they don't have much more time- the simulation fire is getting more intense as time passes. He calls after Manabu:]

Seconds are all the time you've got!

[that's not encouraging.

somewhere in that haze, Manabu is struggling to find a mechanism to open the garage door and, failing that, something to hoist it open.

but those flames...it's to a point where Manabu's straight-up grabbing onto things that are clearly on fire regardless, only encouraged since there's no real consequence to touching fake fire.

except the simulation triggering a failure tone and starting to turn off.]

What-? No, come on! [he swivels around, watching the rest of the garage up and around him start to fade out.

frustrated, he kicks at the garage door just before it vanishes.]

Dammit-!

[Jacob straightens up, frowning, as the flames- and the rest of the simulation- start to disappear, and the rest of the room returns.]

Damn. You came really close to getting us out of there. But I guess that means we both just burned to death.

[A downer, to be sure. But better to learn these lessons in a simulation than during a real fire.]

[he shakes his head, turning and walking back toward Jacob.]

Turn it back on, I can do this. I, I know what the layout is better this time, so--

[Jacob holds up his palm in a 'stop' gesture and shakes his own head.]

Sorry. Not happening. You'll run this exercise again, but it'll be a different layout. You won't know what to expect- just like you wouldn't in real life.

[He lowers his hand, and crosses his arms.]

But until then, I want you to tell me what you just learned. What are you going to do differently next time?

[he looks ready to protest despite the hand, shoulders going up with some sudden indignation. but-- he realizes, shoulders sagging again --Jacob's right. even if it's not fair.

he sighs loudly, frustrated, and brings his hands to his face, dragging the heels of his palms up, pushing hair out of his face while he muses on the question. his first annoyed, flippant conclusion is that he ought to have just walked through it all because it was fake, but that's childish and he knows it.

but...

he blinks, realizing something. he moves his hands away from his head, to his hips.] I...shouldn't have hesitated. [shooting Jacob a glance, looking for some agreement.] Right? I mean, I can heal. Since the fire was already that bad, taking the time to try and dodge things I can take is a waste, right?

[the answer is self-endangerment, right?]

[Jacob can't help but half-smile. It's the same kind of answer he probably would have given, when he was younger and in training. Something he and Manabu have in common: a strained relationship with the concept of self-preservation.]

I don't think so. You were brave as hell in there. If anything, you could have hesitated a little more. Maybe you would have had a better hang of the layout if you had been moving less and looking more.

[He shrugs, spreads his hands.]

Hard lesson to get, I know. In a situation like that, you don't exactly have the luxury of planning things out. But you have to make the best of every second you have.

[Manabu frowns, biting his lip, and looks down while he chews on that bit of food for thought. he knows he's definitely not the think-before-acting type, but he really needs to try to be...if not for his sake, but for whoever gets stuck with him in a pinch.]

That's...easy to say... [but Jacob already said it's a hard lesson, so this is just weightless complaining. he sighs, picking his head up and nodding.] I understand. I'll--try to stop and think more next time.

Great. I'm sure the next round will go better.

[Jacob steps forward and places an encouraging hand on Manabu's shoulder, squeezing firmly.]

You did real good today. And if you keep working hard, it's all going to be uphill from here. You can feel good about that, okay?

[well, it sure is nice to get approval from Jacob; there aren't a lot of reputable soldier-types here to look up to, so when the best one says you did good, that's gotta count, right?

he dips his head, grateful.][before he can get away, though, he pipes up again, maybe a little too loud.] But! [dialing it down:] Ah...But, can I still stay here for a little bit longer? To practice on my own? Or--or does this place have some kind of restriction on who operates...

[It totally counts! Even if Jacob isn't necessarily the most reputable, criminal-record-wise.]

Sure thing. As far as I know, we can stay here until someone else needs to use the place.

[He spreads his arms out at the big room around them, an inviting gesture.]

Go nuts. But don't hurt yourself. I need you in good shape for our next session.

[this perks him up. he smiles broadly, nodding, looking ready to start bouncing into step.] Ha! You know it! Thanks, Jacob.

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Tell me tell me is life just a playground

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