( because butlers are totally the ones that give out massages, right? probably. only rich people have butlers, so he's kind of just assuming that it's a catch-all position. the word 'masseuse' is not in his vernacular. )
Well, it's not a bad idea. But I think your control needs to get a little better first.
( the last thing he wants is for bolin to punch him in the face with a dust-cloud. that seems counterproductive to the whole... cleanliness thing. he'd honestly prefer water to that. even cold water. you can't exactly heat an entire lake unless you're trying to turn it into soup.
once mako's done with bolin's feet he picks up his shoes, knocks the dirt out and hands them over. it's funny how it seems like yesterday he was still helping to put them on. honestly, bolin probably still wouldn't object to it. but mako sure does, so. dress yourself, hooligan. )
Huh ...? Oh. [ Right. Put the boot back on. Happy foot-rub time is over. Bolin's so used to being spoiled by Mako he just kind of expects it at this point. He picks up that boot and wears it, taking a moment to mourn how awesome that warm footrub had felt. Mako may not be a butler (Do butlers actually do that? Well, they've never had one, he really has no idea.), but he should really consider getting into massage work if they're ever desperate enough. ]
Believe me, I'm trying. We can't exactly afford to take classes for this. The learning curve's pretty steep.
[ They've pretty much always been learning most of the works on their own - either from trial-and-error, or watching the other triad members. Sometimes, the gangsters are nice enough to teach them, but they don't always have a lot of patience. ]
( he bites that out. it's sharper than he means it to be. he's frustrated too. trying to learn lightning is worse than playing with (metaphorical) fire, because he knows zolt's taken an interest in him because of how easily he gets it. he's not perfect. but he's good enough that he knows he's being groomed for a bright future in crime, and he also knows that he and bolin are going to have to cut and run before that happens. it doesn't matter how many times he says he's not interested in the seedier goings-ons of the triple threats, one day they'll stop taking no as an answer. whenever they feel like they're owed more than what he can pay up with the way he casually skirts around their establishments and business, running the books and doing the occasional courier job.
softer, )
I know, I know. We'll find you a teacher. Maybe we should try the library, see if there are any earthbending scrolls under public domain. I can learn the moves with you.
( he knows there can be some crossover between elements. redirecting lightning is a waterbending move. and he's seen firebenders who move like earthbenders. it's less that the style is tied explicitly to an element and more that that's just... how it was taught, and how it's been taught for thousands upon thousands of years. tradition.
but the world is changing. republic city is really the first place in history where you can't throw a rock without hitting one of the three disciplines. there aren't enough airbenders to really count, but the only ones in the world are here, too. even he and bolin are evidence of the times — earth nation father, fire nation mother. something that would have been a rarity a hundred years ago is now... actually pretty common. where there's less isolation, there's bound to be more amalgamation.
[ Boot now on, he's no longer exposed to the elements. That doesn't mean he's peeling himself out of Mako's comfy hug anytime soon, though. Firebenders are so useful in times like these. ]
Yeah, that's a great idea! Everyone says the bending styles are different, but there's gotta be some kinda overlap. Maybe you'll invent a whole new way to firebend!
[ Very optimistic but honestly, with Mako, he wouldn't be surprised if that happened. Bolin really doesn't say this enough, but it's fact to him that Mako's the smartest, most talented guy he knows. It's a bit discouraging at times, actually, how often people seem to pass him over for his more capable older brother.
Also, they're probably going to try this later and get kicked out of the library for some reason. ]
By the way, how's that lightning-bending coming along?
( 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.
[ Dumplings! Bolin has never refused food in his life. He accepts the pack, popping the first one in his mouth and chewing it up. Though they've got that comforting, simple taste to them that could remind him of home if he had a physical home, he's careful not to gobble them up too quickly. He knows that being too excitable about food just means finishing it up quicker. When you don't have much? You make it last. He also can't encroach on Mako's share, anyway, even if his brother sometimes offers it to him. ]
Oh. He's taking his time, huh? Maybe he's got a lot of ... [ His tone wanes a little. ] old shopkeepers ... to threaten money from.
[ Bolin sure hates being a criminal. He's seen what the Triple Threats do to the innocent people of Republic City, many not quite rich enough to constantly pay their 'protection money' and still have enough for themselves. He hates being a part of that, but he knows leaving isn't an option right now. ]
Well, that might be a good thing too. Those lessons look really hard on you. [ He doesn't like to see his brother coming out of training effectively tasered, even if he an be healed. ]
( he knows bolin hates it. and if mako could give him an alternative, he would. he'd do anything for him to have a better life, be around better people. have a chance to grow up and turn out like someone mom and dad could be proud of. mako doesn't really think that's in the cards for him, he's had to do too many things he regrets. but. he's kept bolin more-or-less out of the muck. as best he could. he still has a shot.
he just. sighs. takes one of the dumplings, ripping off little twists of dough to pop into his mouth, pocking the surface of the dumpling like a moon. )
Don't worry about me. I can take whatever he throws at me. I'm already a better firebender than he is.
( bolin's... growing up. he's getting more perceptive. it used to be, mako could tell him some lie and he'd just nod and accept it, but it's getting harder and harder to play around him. he's not... sharp, the way mako is, but he's persistent and good-hearted. this last year especially, mako's having to watch himself more and more. what he says, what he does. and bolin still surprises him sometimes with insights like that. those lessons look hard on you. well. all that means is that he hasn't done a good-enough job of hiding it. )
[ He kind of expected Mako to say that. Honestly, he's seen his brother takes kicks and punches to pretty much every part of him and he's never complained. It's true that Bolin can be the oblivious sort on occasion, but he's close to Mako -- he knows him. He knows when Mako's putting up that tough act again, and swatting away any concern others may have for him like they're annoying elephant-flies. ]
Alright ... [ There's an uncertain pause, like Bolin still has something to say but he doesn't know if he should say it or not. He's not the tough sort. He doesn't like to bring things up if there's a chance he might make someone angry or the conversation might turn difficult. Still, he does remember one instance a few weeks back when he saw Mako being rushed out to one of the healers because he took a direct hit from the lightning. Bolin twiddles with his thumbs, biting his lip, then goes ahead and speaks. ]
( he's already snapped at bolin once. he's not about to do it again. he just ruffles his hair, fluffing the scarf up higher on his shoulders to keep the warmth in. he knows it hurts bolin to see him run himself ragged, at least when he pays enough attention to be aware of it. and it's. what they do. they're brothers. they look out for each other, and always will.
he can't get mad about that. even if it frustrates him, a little. )
I will. One of these days, we're going to go on a vacation. Just the two of us. How about Ember Island? You can learn how to sandbend on the beach. Maybe I'll get a real tan. And there'll be cute girls for you to chase...
( it seems like an impossibility. even if he can get a factory job, he still won't make enough money to do more than cover rent. and it's not like he and bolin have enough schooling to... do anything but move laterally in poverty. they won't ever go up. mako's cynical, but. he's a cynical realist. people like them don't make it in republic city. the best they can do is just survive.
but.
ember island.
he's seen pictures of it. postcards. and it looks like somewhere he'd like to go. warm, relaxed, full of things to do that aren't just scrabble in the dirt and spend most of your time starving. he saves a little money, here and there, though it always gets spent later when they need it. but he keeps telling himself one day he'll have enough stockpiled that they can go. even if they have to stow away on a ship, or maybe they can work for their passage across the ocean, or. something. anything. and maybe he wants to see the fire nation up close. their mom was an immigrant, after all. he'd like to see where she was born.
dad too. but. he's heard too many horror stories of ba sing se to ever want to take bolin there. at least the fire nation has lord zuko, and fire lord izumi. they seem decent enough, for rich people. )
[ The kids with nothing to their name are always the richest in imagination. The mention of Ember Island pulls up the image of a beautiful, sunny beach in Bolin's mind, the white sand immaculate and the waves pushing against it serene. He can imagine there to be many cheery people to meet, some relaxing by the beach and some playing in the water. It's all such a different world from where they're living now; people are smiling and no one's desperately huddling in their own clothes just to keep warm. People with money get to go to those sorts of places all the time. It sounds so grand. ]
Ooh, I love Ember Island! [ Whether or not Mako was trying to change the topic to something more light-hearted, it works almost too well. Bolin will grasp any opportunity to think about happier things. ] Old Man Long from the fish stand was sharing some old people-wisdom about how [ And then he imitates the old fisherman. ] 'You'll find what you're looking for at Ember Island.' [ Now, he returns to his own excitable self. ] and I just think, what he means is love!
So if one of those beautiful Fire Nation girls are the one for me, I already know what to do. First, I'l learn to sandbend, like you said -- [ Quietly and honestly: ] it might take a few weeks -- and then, I'll build a grand sandcastle unlike anything she's ever seen, that'll surely impress her! [ Now, he nods and rests a hand to his chest. ] That will mark the beginning of our beautiful lives together.
[ Where does Bolin even get the energy to be this chatty in the dead of winter? He's powered by the spirit of imagination. Also, it beats being miserable. ]
( mako actually laughs. well. sort of. it's a bit of an amused huff, an exhalation of his breath in the slightly-above-freezing air, that wisps and curls with the heat of his body. even with the sun down — which he feels, in that distant way where it feels like warmth is being dragged out of him along all the lines of his nerves and veins, he still runs hot. it's just. harder to concentrate on.
but it's a nice thought. bolin always has the best ideas about what life could be like, even if mako doesn't ever think it'll happen. maybe this once he can close his eyes and pretend right alongside him. )
I don't know, I think maybe a waterbender girl would be more your speed.
( he says bender specifically instead of just... water tribe, because it's sort of against mako's nature to envision a future alongside anyone like their parents, who were so helpless and died for it. it's not that non-benders can't learn how to fight, but. bending is a sort of... natural defense above and beyond just throwing punches, and water is a gentle element. he thinks that'd work for bo a lot better than a fire nation girl. who, in mako's experience, can be kind of prissy and stuck-up.
not that he's really trying to. plan out his whole life or anything. ultimately, if bolin can find a good girl and settle down, he'd be nothing but happy for him no matter where she's from. he's not possessive in that way. and he doesn't think that he's ever done a really good job of providing everything bolin needs to be happy, though god knows he's tried. a girl would be good for him, as long as it was the right girl. and you can bet he'd vet her top to bottom first. )
She can be there on vacation too. Maybe you see her while she's out surfing with the giant koifish. Then you can build your sandcastle.
[ Mako? Joining in on his imagination game? That's a rare thing to behold, and it makes him very, very happy. Mako's often such a serious guy, always focusing on what's practical, and while it makes sense to be that way it means they rarely get the opportunity to mess around like other kids do. The only person Bolin has is Mako, after all, so it's especially special when Mako decides to indulge him. ]
That sounds like such a dream. Those Water Tribe girls with their pretty hair accessories are gorgeous! And if she's the sporting type, think of the fun we'd have together ...
[ Though he doesn't mind a nerdy girl either. He just wants a girl. Or a person. Anyone. He just wants to be loved. There's a heartfelt sigh. ]
What about you, Mako? Though, you'd probably be surrounded by girls, like always.
( he just sort of groans. it breaks the spell of the moment, because honestly? the second they start speculating on what he'd be doing on this imaginary vacation, that's the second they've imagined too much. )
Come on. We both know I don't have time for girls.
( he's not against the idea, but. he's genuinely disinterested in other people as a rule. if they can't further a goal he has, or provide him with some way of looking after his brother they are basically an invisible blip on his radar. )
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no subject
Don't get used to it. I'm not your butler.
( because butlers are totally the ones that give out massages, right? probably. only rich people have butlers, so he's kind of just assuming that it's a catch-all position. the word 'masseuse' is not in his vernacular. )
Well, it's not a bad idea. But I think your control needs to get a little better first.
( the last thing he wants is for bolin to punch him in the face with a dust-cloud. that seems counterproductive to the whole... cleanliness thing. he'd honestly prefer water to that. even cold water. you can't exactly heat an entire lake unless you're trying to turn it into soup.
once mako's done with bolin's feet he picks up his shoes, knocks the dirt out and hands them over. it's funny how it seems like yesterday he was still helping to put them on. honestly, bolin probably still wouldn't object to it. but mako sure does, so. dress yourself, hooligan. )
no subject
Believe me, I'm trying. We can't exactly afford to take classes for this. The learning curve's pretty steep.
[ They've pretty much always been learning most of the works on their own - either from trial-and-error, or watching the other triad members. Sometimes, the gangsters are nice enough to teach them, but they don't always have a lot of patience. ]
no subject
( he bites that out. it's sharper than he means it to be. he's frustrated too. trying to learn lightning is worse than playing with (metaphorical) fire, because he knows zolt's taken an interest in him because of how easily he gets it. he's not perfect. but he's good enough that he knows he's being groomed for a bright future in crime, and he also knows that he and bolin are going to have to cut and run before that happens. it doesn't matter how many times he says he's not interested in the seedier goings-ons of the triple threats, one day they'll stop taking no as an answer. whenever they feel like they're owed more than what he can pay up with the way he casually skirts around their establishments and business, running the books and doing the occasional courier job.
softer, )
I know, I know. We'll find you a teacher. Maybe we should try the library, see if there are any earthbending scrolls under public domain. I can learn the moves with you.
( he knows there can be some crossover between elements. redirecting lightning is a waterbending move. and he's seen firebenders who move like earthbenders. it's less that the style is tied explicitly to an element and more that that's just... how it was taught, and how it's been taught for thousands upon thousands of years. tradition.
but the world is changing. republic city is really the first place in history where you can't throw a rock without hitting one of the three disciplines. there aren't enough airbenders to really count, but the only ones in the world are here, too. even he and bolin are evidence of the times — earth nation father, fire nation mother. something that would have been a rarity a hundred years ago is now... actually pretty common. where there's less isolation, there's bound to be more amalgamation.
and if it would help bolin, he'd be all for it. )
no subject
Yeah, that's a great idea! Everyone says the bending styles are different, but there's gotta be some kinda overlap. Maybe you'll invent a whole new way to firebend!
[ Very optimistic but honestly, with Mako, he wouldn't be surprised if that happened. Bolin really doesn't say this enough, but it's fact to him that Mako's the smartest, most talented guy he knows. It's a bit discouraging at times, actually, how often people seem to pass him over for his more capable older brother.
Also, they're probably going to try this later and get kicked out of the library for some reason. ]
By the way, how's that lightning-bending coming along?
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.
no subject
Oh. He's taking his time, huh? Maybe he's got a lot of ... [ His tone wanes a little. ] old shopkeepers ... to threaten money from.
[ Bolin sure hates being a criminal. He's seen what the Triple Threats do to the innocent people of Republic City, many not quite rich enough to constantly pay their 'protection money' and still have enough for themselves. He hates being a part of that, but he knows leaving isn't an option right now. ]
Well, that might be a good thing too. Those lessons look really hard on you. [ He doesn't like to see his brother coming out of training effectively tasered, even if he an be healed. ]
no subject
he just. sighs. takes one of the dumplings, ripping off little twists of dough to pop into his mouth, pocking the surface of the dumpling like a moon. )
Don't worry about me. I can take whatever he throws at me. I'm already a better firebender than he is.
( bolin's... growing up. he's getting more perceptive. it used to be, mako could tell him some lie and he'd just nod and accept it, but it's getting harder and harder to play around him. he's not... sharp, the way mako is, but he's persistent and good-hearted. this last year especially, mako's having to watch himself more and more. what he says, what he does. and bolin still surprises him sometimes with insights like that. those lessons look hard on you. well. all that means is that he hasn't done a good-enough job of hiding it. )
no subject
Alright ... [ There's an uncertain pause, like Bolin still has something to say but he doesn't know if he should say it or not. He's not the tough sort. He doesn't like to bring things up if there's a chance he might make someone angry or the conversation might turn difficult. Still, he does remember one instance a few weeks back when he saw Mako being rushed out to one of the healers because he took a direct hit from the lightning. Bolin twiddles with his thumbs, biting his lip, then goes ahead and speaks. ]
But you should take it easy sometimes too, Mako.
no subject
he can't get mad about that. even if it frustrates him, a little. )
I will. One of these days, we're going to go on a vacation. Just the two of us. How about Ember Island? You can learn how to sandbend on the beach. Maybe I'll get a real tan. And there'll be cute girls for you to chase...
( it seems like an impossibility. even if he can get a factory job, he still won't make enough money to do more than cover rent. and it's not like he and bolin have enough schooling to... do anything but move laterally in poverty. they won't ever go up. mako's cynical, but. he's a cynical realist. people like them don't make it in republic city. the best they can do is just survive.
but.
ember island.
he's seen pictures of it. postcards. and it looks like somewhere he'd like to go. warm, relaxed, full of things to do that aren't just scrabble in the dirt and spend most of your time starving. he saves a little money, here and there, though it always gets spent later when they need it. but he keeps telling himself one day he'll have enough stockpiled that they can go. even if they have to stow away on a ship, or maybe they can work for their passage across the ocean, or. something. anything. and maybe he wants to see the fire nation up close. their mom was an immigrant, after all. he'd like to see where she was born.
dad too. but. he's heard too many horror stories of ba sing se to ever want to take bolin there. at least the fire nation has lord zuko, and fire lord izumi. they seem decent enough, for rich people. )
no subject
Ooh, I love Ember Island! [ Whether or not Mako was trying to change the topic to something more light-hearted, it works almost too well. Bolin will grasp any opportunity to think about happier things. ] Old Man Long from the fish stand was sharing some old people-wisdom about how [ And then he imitates the old fisherman. ] 'You'll find what you're looking for at Ember Island.' [ Now, he returns to his own excitable self. ] and I just think, what he means is love!
So if one of those beautiful Fire Nation girls are the one for me, I already know what to do. First, I'l learn to sandbend, like you said -- [ Quietly and honestly: ] it might take a few weeks -- and then, I'll build a grand sandcastle unlike anything she's ever seen, that'll surely impress her! [ Now, he nods and rests a hand to his chest. ] That will mark the beginning of our beautiful lives together.
[ Where does Bolin even get the energy to be this chatty in the dead of winter? He's powered by the spirit of imagination. Also, it beats being miserable. ]
no subject
but it's a nice thought. bolin always has the best ideas about what life could be like, even if mako doesn't ever think it'll happen. maybe this once he can close his eyes and pretend right alongside him. )
I don't know, I think maybe a waterbender girl would be more your speed.
( he says bender specifically instead of just... water tribe, because it's sort of against mako's nature to envision a future alongside anyone like their parents, who were so helpless and died for it. it's not that non-benders can't learn how to fight, but. bending is a sort of... natural defense above and beyond just throwing punches, and water is a gentle element. he thinks that'd work for bo a lot better than a fire nation girl. who, in mako's experience, can be kind of prissy and stuck-up.
not that he's really trying to. plan out his whole life or anything. ultimately, if bolin can find a good girl and settle down, he'd be nothing but happy for him no matter where she's from. he's not possessive in that way. and he doesn't think that he's ever done a really good job of providing everything bolin needs to be happy, though god knows he's tried. a girl would be good for him, as long as it was the right girl. and you can bet he'd vet her top to bottom first. )
She can be there on vacation too. Maybe you see her while she's out surfing with the giant koifish. Then you can build your sandcastle.
sorry for how late this is
That sounds like such a dream. Those Water Tribe girls with their pretty hair accessories are gorgeous! And if she's the sporting type, think of the fun we'd have together ...
[ Though he doesn't mind a nerdy girl either. He just wants a girl. Or a person. Anyone. He just wants to be loved. There's a heartfelt sigh. ]
What about you, Mako? Though, you'd probably be surrounded by girls, like always.
np np!
Come on. We both know I don't have time for girls.
( he's not against the idea, but. he's genuinely disinterested in other people as a rule. if they can't further a goal he has, or provide him with some way of looking after his brother they are basically an invisible blip on his radar. )