>>5362132Giving John your own secrets on managing your Berserker Mode would be a death sentence for you and everyone else you know. On the other hand, there's an overbearing urge that makes you refuse to stand idly by and let him get overtaken because, if your roles were reversed, John would be doing anything to help you, even at the cost of his own safety.
Clearly, you hadn't learned from the first time you set John off back at the river, or maybe you just didn't care at the time, but, like the last instance, all it had taken was some thoughtless question on your part to send him off the deep end.
The staggering realization that it had been your fault leaves a deep, chasmic pit in your gut, which is why it falls on you to put an end to this.
Wracking your brain for something (anything!) that won't possibly set of any sort of alarm bells of suspicion, it's glaringly apparent that John's own Berserker Mode differs from yours in the sense that it isn't remotely dependent on hunger.
"John-- I need you to think of a happy place!" You half-shout, half-stammer amid the burning of your throat. It's the most cliche tactic in the book, but, short of telling him to calm down (which would more-than-likely achieve the exact opposite of what you're trying to do), it's the only thing you can think of that might offset the raging animal that's overtaken him.
The only response you get for your troubles are heavy breathing and rumbling growls. In your mind's eye, you can almost feel the sensation of scales dancing up and down your own body as you picture what must be happening on the other end of the line. Much in the same way you'd tried to fight your own self so very long ago, you can only imagine the sheer strain that must be on John's psyche as he tries to hold the transformation at bay-- that is, if he's still fighting against it
"Remember that time we went for ice cream?" You try something else, hoping that at least one shred John is still in there to listen. "That was something I really enjoyed. It--It was fun talking with you about gym stuff and science, even though I didn't understand a bit of it..."
"N̴͢ǵ̵́̀͜g̷g̢̢͠H̴͡͠H̀͝͝͡H́͝Ḩ̛͠͝H̵̛̀͟H̷̷̴̛-̵̶̧̕͝-̡̛͞" There's just the smallest bit of humanity buried within the reptilian noise.
"It was nice seeing you happy for once," You continue, spurred on by your own hope and the sound of John trying to fight against the lizard. "And it really made me happy to hang out with you."
Though still present, the growling audibly wanes. "Listen. I don't care what you are, mutant-lizard or not, but I want to do that again." You enunciate, slowly and clearly. "Just hang out with you-- and not worry about anything else."
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