dev 2 - shutdown

It's rather difficult to master something so entirely new. Something that could prove to be rather.. complicated in its nature, something that could very well be the end of what he operates- and how he operates it as well. But to digress.. he also imagines that it's something he would absolutely have to master, no matter how much toll it takes upon him, for if he doesn't do so..

Then his advancement as a whole may halt.

They're brought to the distant, far-away lake amidst the forests. Here, where the serenity of the nature could take hold of just about anything, he figures that it would be the perfect grounds for something which he intended to study- as much as he managed to lay a significant blow upon the witch the other day, it was also something which he considered a 'lucky' shot, something in which she was easily overwhelmed without a way back.

But mostly out of her inability to defend herself.

"Just as a warning, this may be unpleasant to you." Of course it wouldn't. In what way blocking out the mana circuitry could be pleasant? "And if you don't mind, I'd like for you to have your back exposed. I'll probably need to feel out the mana circuits."

"When Wano was teaching me Energy magic, he somehow overflooded my circuitry, and somehow spotted out these 'targets'. I'll need a living sample of someone to learn where to target."

After all, in his bout against the witch.. the technique was rather sloppy and weak, and even if it did disable her for a while, it was rather futile effort.

"My further training will have to continue elsewhere after this, though."
(Nerin)

"I can't imagine interrupting someone's mana coils being...Anywhere near comforting." She finds herself beginning to look elsewhere. Perhaps, somewhat anxious over the thought of feeling what brings her 'life' suddenly coming to a pause. However, for the sake of learning...And practicing against those with that power...Some could say that she's willing to bite that bullet. Nevertheless, so long as he advances then she doesn't see much of the issue with it. Actually, she finds it to be rather...cute that he'd like to get stronger.

"If that's what I'll have to do then...I suppose." There is no more complaining. However, she'd move rather slowly within the endeavor, carefully doing straps and turning her back to him to reveal her flesh...A gentle, careful sigh spilling forth. "I believe you should look at the mana coil as someone's own identity. It's all different, admittedly...A complex thing. But when you focus on what drives and channels the mana, then that'd be easier. Look for pressure points, Nerin."

It was a word of advice.

"The more precise you are at hitting the key points, where the body filters, the easier it becomes to aggress on another being. I'm certain that wano hasn't taught you this...Perhaps, because his own style is a lot more reckless and ruthless than graceful. But you and bone magic...You have potential."
(Marísol)

He knows the body well. For he already managed to bend its bones out of their shape to become the weapon of destruction that he often seeks to bring, so much that it becomes a rather threatening endeavour in which there's no telling just how far he could go. If anything, at times.. it almost feels as if there's really no 'stopping' him for how far he could go - so long as he stays determined to continue pursuing this path.

One way or another, he had to do it. He knows that he falls terribly behind comparing to the rest.. and even if his talent and natural strength still carry him far, for all that he knows, this is very, very far from enough.. and it will never be enough either. Instead, it becomes an aspiration to become something greater.. and so, he carefully settles himself right behind her, his eyes pointed at the bare flesh of her back.

Inhale, exhale. He seeks to remember the way that Wano has done it.. the way that he concentrated and suddenly, majority of Nerin's circuitry was overwhelmed. Considering how uncomfortable it felt to be overridden, and in fact, even a bit painful.. he knows that Marisol would have to endure that much.

Still, his hand is carefully placed onto her back.. tracing around, as if to find the keypoints in her flesh and body.

"Are you sure about this, Marisol?" He glances over to her, then his gaze returns to her back. Though, as much as he speaks, he's certainly rather focused on the fact of locating the said pressure points.. something that would no doubt aid him in this study.

"It'll most definitely be uncomfortable, and it might hurt as well. There's no shame in calling quits." Both of them know that it's rather necessary for him, but.. he's also hesitant to hurt her, even if it's needed; instead, he opts out to be careful in this process, in which the pressure points are steadily located..

And they're set ablaze with azure.

For all intents and purposes, Nerin meditates upon their flow, one in which he tries to find the necessary bridge between her and himself. Though..

"But.. if you're ready anyhow.."

"Then we can get started."
(Nerin)

"I've been through worse."

The difference between him and her is that she doesn't bare those scars. While she might've never went through physical pain - she feels as if emotional pain can be ranked amongst the highest. For the fragility of the mind is akin to that of a rubber band. And when pulled upon time and time again, the elasticity only wears until one could snap...But regardless, as much as she dislikes 'pain'...She does not mind allowing him to find these key points within her frame. Instead, she merely stays silent with her eyes closed...Option to meditate and merely 'practice' her illusions amidst the moment..

"I won't call it quits...If it hurts too much, I'll tell you to lighten up a little bit. I promise." Either way, she couldn't help but to smile at his concern, despite being rather weary of what might happen throughout her form. Nevertheless though...When he moves carefully, to touch and meditate upon her flow..

These illusions would flourish...Her shadow dancing beneath her, flexing, melding...Carefully being pulled into reality once more amidst the search and flexing. However, when or if he'd hit a nerve...He'd soon see a glitch. Where it flickers in and out of reality. When it seems to falter back into the ground...As if sinking, only to rise once again if he were to let it go.
(Marísol)

Calm circumstances and access to another's body in such way is what he required. If anything, he imagines that if he were to throw himself out there time and time again.. he might've picked something up, eventually, but the process would be terribly slow- instead, he opts out to learn more about these pressure points and something that would actually help him out in the endeavour of blocking out said points. For when they're lit ablaze in azure colors..

Carefully, he places down his fingertip upon it..
One encased in the blue lights of Energy.

It's at that point the shadows that she bends would flicker with uncertainty, as if there's a clear disruption, a glitch, one that makes the flow of her magic that much difficult. Though.. the fact that she actually toys with the shadows like this does bring about the idea to him.

"You know.. you should actually keep toying with the shadows, and I'll see just how much I could disrupt them. That way, it should be easier for me to tell which areas are the right ones."

It's different when you keep 'randomly' pressing about and hoping for result, and it's a different thing when you see the result right before your eyes. At least, that's what he expected with the constant markings that he would litter across her body.. ones that would shine bright of azure colorations, almost enough to suffocate the shadows around..

"It doesn't hurt much, does it?"

It feels like a needle. One that enters her skin and keeps poking and prodding about- and when the first mana circuit is finally interacted with after Nerin's exploration, it feels.. like a sting, like an invasive body that tries to do something wrong - as it should, considering the blue brilliance of Energy seems to try and shut her down.

How peculiar.

"Tell me if you feel something."

By now, the shadows should grow worse. For the azure flames of raw Energy spread across her circuitry, blocking out the flow otherwise.. one that doesn't stop the magic altogether, but seems to tamper with it.
(Nerin)

She seems a little too preoccupied in maintaining control. But where the shadow does not feed- it seems to grow irate with the careful tampering amidst moments such as this. Where the blackened mass would threaten to deform...Or perhaps, when the light around her would become terribly, terribly concentrated- eating at the shadow...Before creating something akin to a null zone...Where it refracts from the sun and create a shadow within one specific area. It becomes miniature blot upon the land during his experimentation...As if it is a mirages from the lack of water. Or perhaps, a blob thats ask for more stable mana to form into a more 'humanoid' shape. Nevertheless, he bares witness as it becomes a miniature light show.

Regardless...

The constant flow of mana uprises- perhaps, as if she were challenging him amidst her own imaginations. Where she no longer creates shadows of herself...But instead, they would slowly move closer and closer to her being. To meld with one...

"It stings- but it doesn't hurt. When you twist it...It's different." The shadows do grow worse. Aggressive. Of course, he'd already notice that they're not necessarily 'sentient'...But simply, their directive is from a life perspective. To persevere, they need mana. So, they begin attempting to latch on the thing that's 'stopping' that flow.

"Kind of like...A swell. I can tell something is wrong, but if I want to fix it, I'd have to use more mana.." She doesn't though, instead, she merely watches as the shadows reach out weekly to grasp the warrior.
(Marísol)

To rob them of their essence would mean their aggression. It is something that he expected entirely, and in truth, he isn't surprised in the slightest.. for when the twist and turn is made upon the mana circuit, he assumes that it's something that would very well last for a little bit, making the endeavour of manipulating shadows that much more difficult for Marisol.

It's all about the way you invade another's circuits. Or at least, that's what he perceived from his days of work with Wano. But to digress.. here, he finds himself occupied in attempts to ward away the shadows from reaching out to him, his eyebrow curiously rising at the sight of such..

"..Well."

"I hope you're prepared for this, then. Do keep in mind that if it becomes rather.. too much for you, then you can just let me know about it." He did warn her about the fact that it might be painful, did he not? And as much as one may want to manipulate circuitry in a way that doesn't threaten the user.. in many ways, that's just not possible.

For something that makes up her nature to be disabled, and her not to be hurt.. that's pretty much something which cannot happen- but with that warning spoken, the charge of pure, refined Energy pulses through the circuit which he has a hold over, one that courses through, much like a 'shockwave'; it could be equivalent to an actual strike, for the way that he pushes it through could threaten to weaken her magic significantly.

So much that these shadows would no doubt become crippled.

But.. it doesn't end there; the pulse continues, spreading out, much like a virus- an infection that disables the local area. As much as her magic could still exist.. she'd find out that it's terribly weakened at his behest. A power that if exercised further and trained, no doubt, would become rather terrifying in its own right..

"It seems that it's different. Try to move them."
(Nerin)

To be quite honest, she believes that Id has a decent reason for not wanting to teach the likes of Wano. To Marisol, while the Felinae was terribly to himself- he didn't seem to respect the gracefulness and the art of the fist. From the way she viewed his power...She doesn't believe it to be necessary for him to play hit and run, when he was always constantly in his enemies face. Which only left him open to more attacks..

Nevertheless, when the circuitry becomes manipulated once again...She finds herself beginning to jump briefly. Another sting. This time, slightly painful...But the shadows that continue to grasp ahold of his being slow within their pursuit...Writing as she tries to maintain her hold on summoning them. It is weak...Different. The local area that becomes cut off does not shut her mana doing completely....

And due to that, it causes the rather realistic shadow to falter back to the ground. There...It becomes 2-d...Merely reaching for Nerin out of it's own volition as a means to sap and tug at mana. "Ah...Sorry, don't mind the shadows. But...It seems to me that you should work on hitting multiple ones at once...Unless you're focusing the main organ..." a pause. A hum.

"You only pressing the one on my back isn't good enough. Try the stomach, the areas near my joints, and my heart. When you do that, I think that it'll cut off mana completely.." However, as she tries to move the shadow beneath her..

It seems 'docile' from the weakend state of mana. The hold upon his form is gentle...albeit, the intent to pull from him remains.
(Marísol)

"If you're saying that, keep in mind that it may shut you off completely- but I may also work on restoring the flow as part of the studies."

It should be good, no? If he can shut her off, and then re-start the flow once more.. then it could offer a rather nice insight on how exactly this circulation of mana works, and how exactly he could affect it in many different ways. Though.. when she says that she's willing for him to try such out, he doesn't hesitate to take her up on the offer.

How often do you get someone who would allow you to do such thing to them?

Perhaps she's doing so out of concern for him, so that he may fulfil his dreams and actually get ahead of those he sought to destroy.. or perhaps, so he could take his vengeance at last. After all, he imagines that there's only so much that's being done about the whole thing without involvement of command- and in his eyes, these people are terribly, terribly disorganized..

At this point, he would rather take matters into his own hands.

But knowing this could be necessary. Where she beguiles him to continue and do more.. the steady flow of the mana spreads out, and so do the touches- there's a single 'poke' upon her stomach that reaches out, one to the upper chest, then another to the limb, and another to second, third, fourth..

Which means a sting, and another, and another..
The poking 'needles' pushing through her body all over.

It becomes overwhelming, terribly so, and Nerin doesn't even seem to mind the shadows. Steadily, the azure glow overwhelms her entirely, as if it would practically snuff her out- except, this strangulation is intended at her metaphysical 'self', one in which the body breathes just fine, the heartbeat continues, and she may function physically as well..

Yet she feels terribly limp..
Almost as if she could fall over any moment.

The physical 'strikes' hold no power- it is the mana circuits in her body that he targets all over, in a way that suggests she could give in to this weakness anytime and become practically immobile. For the way that she's steadily overwhelmed all across her body.. it gives little hope of resistance, even if she were to try and push back - for allowing him this close is signing your own inability to resist.

The azure glow captures her, like a feverish presence. The dizziness comes over her.. and there's no telling if she could persevere..

"..Are you okay?"
(Nerin)

The fighting is subconscious. For the retaliation of mana isn't something that she would attempt to do- but moreso, the result of her own illusions shattering within the distance. And causing her own mana to backfire in terrible ways than one might not would be able to imagine. For the abundance of light that once appeared around her frame would soon possess negative effects...Where mishaps and misfortunes of the rays of sun would result within charred grasses. Or shadows within the area becoming formless and lost...Like the metaphysical mind soon faltering into nothingness amidst the continuation of strikes..

It is akin to drowning.

Where the body becomes a gentle haze of azure. And this mana causes her vision to tunnel briefly...Swimming, the illusion magic attacking her own mind...If only briefly, forcing the world around her to swim and bend, making colors fold into one anotherbefore he finally falters...

To which she responds with..

"I-I'm fine...Just, don't do anymore. IT gives me a terrible head ache and...I think that I might just fall over at any moment." Moving is more difficult. For her actions are slow...And she swears that she possesses a light case of vertigo. However...

"You-...I think you've done well enough for today." Or so, she feels.
(Marísol)

It's rather difficult to not harm another in any way. Despite the fact that his 'hits' against her hold no physical strength behind them whatsoever, he imagines that the aspect of metaphysical drowning is more than enough to make up for such- and instead, where she tries to swim against the current of Energy that seems to overpower her like this.. it becomes nigh impossible.

For these azure waters swallow her whole.

With each mana circuit blocked, with each stunning effect that this overwhelming Energy produces.. she finds herself struggling to really do much, and even attempts at performing magic terribly backfire by causing more ache and pain. For all intents and purposes, it should be success..

Even if it happened on a willing target that does not resist.

The purpose of this, however, was to let Nerin know which areas to target, and where he should seek out the spots to strike - and he achieved just that. When he realizes that he's gotten just enough.. the flow of the Energy is utilized to 'recharge' Marisol instead, steadily mending the metaphysical drowning and the damage that it has done.

"Sorry. I didn't mean to."

He doesn't intend to give her his pity, considering that she actually agreed for this, but it's rather genuine nonetheless. Somethings he just can't control that well.. and while the restoration process would take a bit, he acknowledges the words spoken to him.

"Yes, it'd be enough for now. I'll seek to utilize it.. later, somewhere else."

For now, the mending process begins- one in which the metaphysical self is being repaired for her.
(Nerin)