( he stiffens against bolin's side when he asks about lightning bending. it's. not going poorly. zolt hurts him enough to teach him, but not in any lasting way. it's less about compassion and more that he wants mako in his debt and understands he can't do that if he's putting him in the waterbender's care every other week. it's probably also that he's scared of being surpassed. zolt's big claim to fame is that he's one of the only triad bosses that's mastered lightning-bending, but he's clumsy at it. even with as little as mako has learned so far, he can see all the places that his stance is sloppy or his posture's weak. zolt's got a lot of power, but no discipline. and the thing about crime-bosses, he's learning, is that they're all aware of just how tenuous their grip on power is, and how much they'll fight to keep it. he's probably worried mako will usurp him.
maybe if that were a life he could see for himself, he would. )
It's fine.
( his default answer. it's fine, he's fine, everything is fine. being stuck in a little room in the middle of a blizzard without much food, also fine. speaking of, now that the dust has mostly settled he brushes off the packet of dumplings and hands it over to bolin. )
I should have it mastered by spring. Sooner, if Zolt stops pussyfooting around.
no subject
maybe if that were a life he could see for himself, he would. )
It's fine.
( his default answer. it's fine, he's fine, everything is fine. being stuck in a little room in the middle of a blizzard without much food, also fine. speaking of, now that the dust has mostly settled he brushes off the packet of dumplings and hands it over to bolin. )
I should have it mastered by spring. Sooner, if Zolt stops pussyfooting around.