John rolls his eyes skyward, pretending to consider it.

"...nnnnnot for a lark, no." he drawls, then grins and nods more seriously. "I'll show it the respect its due. Survival training means I can start and contain a fire, but I know my limits. Might practice starting and stopping the fire--I figure a larger blaze will take different measures of control--but I won't try to maintain or mess with the intensity of it without guidance. More prepare safety measures, y'know?"

And because he can't resist--because he's actually excited, finding a genuine and simple joy in the potential of learning something new for his combat arsenal that can be used in a nonlethal way--learning just to learn--he reaches out to wrap River in a brotherly bear hug.

"Thanks, Riv. This really means a lot to me."