#EJEHHEHEHE YEAHHH

[mute-call]

"I know you will, Nanashi."

"It was an adjustment, but a good one. For me, they walked me through everything. It was-- it was like a doorway to a better life had suddenly opened up in front of me, and they were helping me step through it."

Steven's gone a little quiet, and his smile softens from a bright, enthusiastic grin to a gentler, sincere tilt at the corner of his mouth. He sounds half brainwashed when it comes to all the good the company does, and in many, many ways, he is.

"...what was it like for you? How did it actually, uh, happen?" There's something probing in his gaze. He doesn't need to be the one to get this information out of Nanashi, but as long as it's come up, he might as well see what he can find out about the origins of the kid's powers.

"That must have been a heck of a thing to realize about yourself. Not that I know the, uh, full extent of what you can do, but from what I've heard, you must have gotten into some pretty intense scrapes to feel confident tackling the stuff... and people... you've been dealing with now."

More than that, Nanashi's died at least once by now, from what Steven's been able to gather. What must that have been like before Nanashi had known he'd be able to bounce back? Had he been scared? Exhilarated? Steven's heard of people with rapid healing factors who let themselves get hurt on purpose just to see how quickly they'll recover. It sounds awful, but he can understand the urge to test one's limits. ...to an extent.

"Uh." How to word this? "They gave me some, um, mechanical assistance, and then taught me how to get a handle on things. There are certain tactics that work better with different categories of powers, but the basic stuff is all the same: mindfulness, being in tune with your body, practice. That sort of thing. It's like growing a new limb, or something-- you just need to learn how to use it. ...I'll be honest with you, though. There are some powers that are a pain in the ass-- sorry, um, excuse my language. There are some powers that give people trouble no matter what they do to control them. I still have to take pills sometimes before bed, just because it's, y'know, harder to keep things in check when you're unconscious. I wake up with headaches... sometimes..."

TMI, Steve.

"Sorry, sorry, I'm sure you don't want to hear about all that! The point is, if you have any unwanted side-effects from your abilities, you should let the Afton medical staff know. They can help, I promise."

He laughs, his smile brightening again.

"That's really nice of you. Don't worry, you'll love the people they have teaching there. They're the real experts." And there's no way the company would ever waste Bell's talents on teaching full-time, as much as he might enjoy that.

"That sounds good! Uh, actually, what time is it? We could probably head over whenever you're ready."

He shoots a quick text to the "Welcome Committee" on the private server ( 𝙾𝙼𝚆!! :-) 𝙰 𝙰𝙲𝚀 ! 👍👍! ), stifling a laugh when all he gets in return is a curt "𝙶𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚝." Some people just don't know how to have fun.

...oh. The family question.

"I-- that's really up to you, Nanashi. Do they already know about you? You're the one the company would be working with, not them, so... you get to put in your contract how much you want them to be involved. Most people tend to keep their supers life and their, uh, non-supers life separate."

Steven can't remember the last time he saw his parents in person.

"Wait, sorry, actually, I guess the better question is-- are any of them like you?"

Bell hasn't been able to find any indication that that's the case, but again, as long as Nanashi is offering opportunities for natural-sounding questions, Steven will try to learn what he can.

"Because if they are, we might not be able to set them up with the same deal, but they'd be welcome to make use of certain protections and resources as well, I'm sure."

[Mr. Bell believed in him...that was both reassuring and terrifying. From the sound of it, he'd only botch this opportunity if he did so intentionally. Afton Robotics didn't know the circumstances that led to the acquisition of his power, so that tracked...but it didn't make him feel any less uneasy. So long as he kept Dagda a secret, he could make the most of this, right?]

[...He'd have to.]

❝ Wow -- uh, thank you. ❞ [Worried as he was, his teacher was being unyieldingly optimistic and encouraging...as always. If it weren't for his feelings of inferiority, Mr. Bell's words would have inspired confidence. Even if he couldn't internalize any of it, he did genuinely appreciate Bell's support.] ❝ I'll try -- no, I'll do my best. ❞

[They were the same? It wasn't exactly difficult to picture Mr. Bell as normal ( Nanashi had always assumed that he was an "average joe" ), but the knowledge that he'd become super seemingly out of nowhere struck him. In a way, that was what Nanashi was experiencing now...albeit with a side of helplessness. Assuming that he'd have to lie throughout this endeavor, he'd been worried about that "community" bit -- but maybe it'd be more useful than he thought. After all, nobody knew what Nanashi was going through ( if he played his cards right, then nobody ever would ), but maybe he'd meet others who kind of understood him.]

❝ Yeah...that'll be nice. ❞ [Nanashi mused, mostly to himself.] ❝ You said you started out normal, too? What was, um...how did you deal with becoming super out of nowhere? ❞

[It had everything? Once again, this sounded too good to be true, but it was Afton Robotics...the tech side of the company was probably so profitable that they could afford all sorts of amenities. Hell, they'd probably contributed some of their own resources, being a pioneer of the technological industry and all. Nanashi could only imagine what their facilities looked like...it sounded so cool.]

[Even more interesting was Mr. Bell's allusion to a time when he couldn't even control his powers. To some extent, Nanashi could truly relate to that...he felt out of control himself. For different reasons, but still.]

❝ So you couldn't control your powers? How'd they help with that? ❞ [The answer would likely be obvious, but if Steven was willing to go into any detail....he sort of wondered if it'd help him in the end. Probably not, but...he was curious either way.]

[Mr. Bell remarked that Nanashi had a good grasp on his abilities -- to some extent, he'd trained himself by following Dagda's advice, but "control" didn't feel like the right term. He'd adjusted. He'd gotten used to the feelings of death and revival, developed a strong pain tolerance, and honed his power to do as much damage as possible while avoiding outright destruction. That wasn't control; it was adaptation.]

[As anticipated, this facility sounded like the best possible place for him. Those training courses definitely appealed, too ( although learning that the tech class wouldn't be taught by Mr. Bell was a bit disheartening ). If they were offering to take him under their wing, no payment required, he had to accept. Even if it wouldn't help, even though Dagda would always loom over him...he wanted to go there and learn what he could.]

❝ It sounds like it. The only way they could improve is by having you teach tech. ❞ [Nanashi smiled, finally easing up on this whole situation. It was a lot of pressure and a ton of information all at once, but maybe he could pull it off.]

[Mr. Bell expressed his enthusiasm again, then gave Nanashi another chance to ask away -- he wasn't really sure what to ask about now, though. Most of what he wanted to know would be revealed when he visited the place.]

❝ I'm not sure, I...I think I'll be able to think of more stuff to ask when I'm actually there. ❞ [Though, come to think of it, there was one pressing concern on his mind.] ❝ Actually...my family. Do you guys tell them what's going on? And, uh, the "protection" thing you mentioned earlier...does that cover them, too? ❞