Chapter 104: Too Much To Drink
"Come on...almost got it, just a little bit m-...damn it!" Exclaimed Raven, as he tried to form a nozzle out of his palm, but it fell apart before it could take shape.
"Looks like you’ve made a bit of progress, but there’s still a long way to go," Remarked Aster, as Raven let out a strained sigh and picked up a water bottle, taking a deep gulp before wiping his sleeve across his forehead.
"Yeah, this is really hard. You guys writing out all the new abilities I used the last time my Dark form was unleashed definitely helped me visualize it better, but I’m still nowhere close to being able to reliably pull off any of those new abilities," Replied Raven, as he flopped onto the ground and stared up at the sky.
It was the 25th of March, 1919, a few days after the meeting in the Capital. It was late in the evening, and having completed their patrol shifts, Raven and Aster had met up for some training.
Raven had been working tirelessly to master his Homunculus abilities ever since the battle against the Undead King, but he hadn’t made much progress, so he’d contacted Aster and asked him to help him train.
"It is a bit strange...you’ve always managed to learn new things pretty quickly, thanks to your sharpened instincts, so it’s unusual to see you struggling so much. Maybe you still need to gain more control over your Magic Power?" Suggested Aster uncertainly.
"I don’t know...I’ve been working hard on that too, and progress has been pretty steady, but I haven’t really felt like it’s made much of a difference with this. Like, with creating these nozzles that are supposed to intensify the output of my flames, I have no trouble visualizing it, and it feels like I’m about to get it, but then it just falls apart right at the end," Sighed Raven wearily.
"Hm...maybe it’s a matter of your perception? Correct me if I’m wrong, but I’m guessing you still see your Homunculus abilities as something separate, don’t you? Subconsciously, you want to consider yourself human, so there’s a part of you that despises and rejects the Homunculus part of your being. At least, that’s my theory," Mused Aster thoughtfully.
"Honestly, I’m not entirely sure that’s the case, but I can’t say you’re wrong either. And if I was given the choice, I’d definitely throw away these powers if it would mean that I could go back to the way I used to be. I feel so self-conscious every time I look in the mirror, and I definitely haven’t felt human ever since I was put through the Homunculus Ritual. Maybe that is what’s holding me back," Replied Raven, a conflicted look on his face.