Firepower

Lucia had daydreamed about fighting fires before, but she never put much thought into the idea. In theory, firebenders fighting fires was probably the best way to go about the job. She wouldn’t be surprised if they made up a good portion of the profession on Manta Carlos. And if the opportunity arose, she could save lives, yes. But when she pictured herself in a brown fire-resistant suit, she crinkled up her nose. Yuck! There were plenty of other pyrokinetics on this island to take on that feat.

Other than the conversation they were having now, Lucia really couldn’t remember any time when she put serious thought into how she could use her powers to help society. Fire fighting was already ruled out. What else was there? Grilling? Gothic mansion aesthetic candle-lighting? She had no idea, but Havoc seemed passionate about the topic.

“I can totally see you being one of those professional birthday candle lighters. Honestly, we need more of them in the work force!” Lucia remarked. “It’s fun, it’s easy, and there’s minimal risk--Although, mess up and you’ve gone and ruined some kid’s birthday! Hm. Maybe not as risk-free as I thought. Well, don’t beat yourself up about it! I’m sure there’s some other way for you to use your powers...like…” Lucia trailed off, staring expectantly at Havoc as if daring him to finish the thought.
@Romi

“I mean, you could use it for that, too, I guess,” Lucia said, tilting her head and looking off to the side as she thought about it.

“Picture that! You, on the battlefield, with your little fire-guns,” making firing gestures with her hands, “Pew, pew!” She looked at the scar on Havoc’s face. “Pew,” She noticed his unwaveringly calm disposition. “...pew.” The way he carried himself, his manner of speaking. In her head, she imagined the scene she just described. The puzzle pieces clicked together.

“Ooooh. You’re a soldier,” she realized, surprised she didn’t pick up on it sooner. “I didn’t even know Manta Carlos had a military. Do you guys, like, fight the big countries? Wait, what side were we on in the World Wars?” Conspiracy theories flew around in her head like crazy. What if Napoleon was a werewolf? It wasn’t entirely impossible.
@Romi

“Ah. Ok,” she nodded along to the description, not really understanding the high-end superpowered ultra military technique he was trying to explain. Still sounds cool as hell, though.

Listening as he explained his previous stationing, Lucia couldn’t help but wonder about the specifics of his situation. Was he transferred here because of complications with his powers? Was there more to it than what he was letting on? Those on the island seemed to have uniquely interesting origin stories, but at the same time, sometimes they were too personal. It was probably best not to probe too much. She continued nodding to show her attention.

“Yeah, as far as you’re aware,” Lucia retorted, immediately picking out the crack in Havoc’s argument. In the past few seconds, Lucia had become vividly aware of the deceit and trickery of Manta Carlos. The government couldn’t be trusted! Nor the history books!

“You’ve gotta be careful of what you trust,” she said, leaning in and lowering her voice to a level of great secrecy, “Don’t believe everything the island tells you. If they could hide dragons, they could hide anything.” She quickly glanced around as if she were afraid of someone listening in to the conversation, possibly invisible government spies.
@Romi

“Cameras! Spies! Who knows,” Lucia said, throwing her hands in the air and raising her eyebrows. She kept her voice at a low level, still maintaining the secretive facade, even though Havoc and Lucia were positioned far away from the other pyrokinetics in the gym.

Havoc, on the other hand, didn’t seem to understand the gravity of the current situation. “Anyone could be listening. We could even be tapped--!” Her eyes widened suddenly at this revelation. Their conversation, while enlightening, simply could not continue here. Not like this...not like this.

“Talking in public like this is way too dangerous. We could’ve painted a target above our heads already,” she said. If she had a business card, now would be the time to hand it to Havoc. However, Lucia was not an important public figure or businessman, nor did she have a card. “So, if you ever want to talk more privately just...shout, really loudly.” Maybe she would hear it, someday, somewhere.
@Romi