▸ Unexpected @bolins-big-brother

A smile involuntarily brightened his face as Mako watched Kara’s face light up, she was currently gazing at the stage in awe, having already devoured the rest of the building with keen eyes.  ”Well, Kara, I can always get you tickets.  I live up those stairs.”  He hastily twisted around to point at the stairs up which they had just come.  He fell silent, taking in the splendour of the arena himself for the first time in a while.  The probender remembered the first time he and Bolin had set foot through these doors, and the amazing feeling that had come with it, the feeling of knowing that everything was going to be alright, that he wouldn’t have to worry about looking after his brother anymore.  With a sigh and a smirk, he leant against the railings, crossing his arms.  ”I live here, I work here. This place means more to me than I can say.”

Mako suddenly became aware that he was telling a complete stranger something so close to his heart, and, embarrassed, tried to cancel it out with clumsy, awkward phrases.  ”I mean, it’s pretty cool and stuff.  You should see it when it’s full, that’s when it’s worth being here.”  The firebender searched the still, clear water below for an escape from himself.  He couldn’t understand why he was acting this way - sure, Kara was incredibly beautiful, but that had never been a stumbling block for him before.  Maybe it was because he just didn’t get her.  Shaking his head and chuckling as the firebender silently agreed with himself, Mako’s escape route was pointed out to him by the reflections on the water.  Spinning around, he began to walk towards the exit.  ”Come on, I’ll show you where we- the contestants train.”

Damn.

Korra raised an eyebrow, the firebender’s reaction amusing her. “I think an empty arena is better than a full one. Sure it’s exhilarating to hear the roar of a crowd but you don’t get to fully appreciate a building’s beauty when there are bodies hiding it,” she said. Her arctic eyes glimmered in admiration as they darted around, taking in all the little details. The hushed sound of water from the pool soothed her. She briefly closed her eyes, absorbing the rays of sun that shimmered through the glass roof. “It’s lovely in here,” she added, turning to smile at Mako as she followed him out. 

(Source: poisoned-water)

▸ Unexpected @bolins-big-brother

Mako pulled his arm away as Kara’s grip on it shifted from strong to vice-like, and twisted it around in his hand so that the blood would return to his bruised limb.  ”Okay, okay.  I’m sorry.  You have a past, I get it.”  He turned away and stared out over the park.   “Like me.”  The firebender muttered this to himself as he reached the doors to the Probending Arena, still only able to think of how frustrating this girl was.  One minute, she was giggling and batting her eyelashes at him, the next practically snarling at him for asking a question.  When he thought about it, Mako supposed it was because she’d been strong, and that she had guts, and he admired that.  It was slowly becoming clearer and clearer to Mako that someone like her would never even consider somebody as mundane and uninteresting as him.

“So, this is the Probending Arena, where teams probend.  There are teams of three, and water, earth, and firebender on each, and you fight each other.”  Kara seemed very uninterested in him, barely ever looking at him, confirming his theory that she would never be interested.  He walked up the stairs, so that the podium was visible and at eye level.  ”You start out in the first zone, and if you cross the line, you have to move back.  The aim is to knock the opposing team of the back of the ring.”  He leant over the edge of the rail in order to point out more clearly what he was describing.  ”Pretty much everyone in Republic City goes to the matches.”  Mako decided to leave out the fact that he himself was a probender, figuring that it would only make him less appealing to this fascinating girl.

Korra finally let her eyes drift up to meet Mako’s. She offered a small smile before looking around. She gasped with wonder and her eyes grew excited as she scanned her surroundings. She had never been in one before but heard rumors about how amazing it is to be in a Probending Arena. “Wow,” she breathed, her blue eyes adoring the glimmering stage in the center. “You said you lived here?” she asked, turning back toward him. 

(Source: poisoned-water)

▸ Unexpected @bolins-big-brother

Mako’s eyes widened and he stumbled as Kara rather forcefully took his arm and pulled him forward.  ”The Arena?”  The probender stopped to scan his surrounding for his companion, who was at least a head shorter than him.  Spotting it over on the right of the skyline, he took Kara by the shoulders and shifted her position so that she too would be able to see the building.  ”That’s it there, and you see that tower bit on top?  That’s where I live.”  Mako smiled a sad sort of half smile and rubbed the back of his neck.  ”It seems far away, but I know a short cut that’ll get us there a lot quicker.  Follow me.”  He stretched as he searched the street for the opening that led to the park.  Spotting it next to a food stall, he made his way towards it, walking in silence with Kara, and not enjoying it.

In general, Mako didn’t particularly like silence, unless he was close to the person that he was with.  He couldn’t stop his eyes from straying to her face, and each time they did, he pictured the pretty girl who was waiting for him at the restaurant.  For a reason that the firebender didn’t want to admit to himself, she wasn’t an as exciting prospect as she had been a couple of minutes ago.  ”So, Kara, how did you wind up here?  There are a lot of people in Republic City, but not a lot of them are teenage girls traveling alone.  Did you have to leave home for some reason?”  Mako frowned after asking her the question, only wondering after he had spoken whether she would consider it too personal to answer.  Despite having been in her company for the the past twenty minutes or so, he still felt like he knew nothing about her.

Korra’s expression went from an open and inviting expression to a cloaked but dangerous one. Her icy eyes grew colder and her grip on his arm tightened. “…It’s a…long story,” she answered curtly. The Avatar had remembered why she was here. She wasn’t here to socialize and whatever she was doing with this ‘Mako’, she was here to complete a task. A frown replaced her smile as she realized that she felt hesitation and…sadness? Regret? For what? Korra felt a surge of anger course through her veins. This firebender, this streetrat was the source of her confusion and useless emotions. Emotions are just weaknesses that get in the way of doing what is assigned. She never wanted them and never will. How is he doing this to her? Is it his hypnotizing words? His velvet voice? His rather attractive smile? His- Korra blushed, from anger and embarrassment both. The Avatar breathed deeply and avoided looking at the firebender.

(Source: poisoned-water)

▸ The Darker Side of the Moon || @poisoned-water

“Wait,” Korra interrupted her, “People like me are the reasons why you what? What have you been up to? You’ve already been giving off this weird vibe, and I swear to Yue, if you’ve been causing trouble in my city, then we’re going to have a problem.” She rolled her eyes briefly before shooting her a steely glare. “I’ve already had enough to deal with, first the Equalists, and then the Triads.” She stepped forwards, until her icy, glaring blue eyes met hers. “I don’t have time to deal with any more petty troublemakers so if that’s all you’re here for you should just scram.”

“I don’t think Yue would appreciate the swearing,” Korra mused, chuckling darkly. “And don’t mind me. What I do is nothing that concerns you or your beloved city. If it did, trust me, you would know,” she smiled manically. 

▸ Unexpected @bolins-big-brother

Korra furrowed her eyebrows in confusion. She wasn’t exactly up to date with all the modern slang the young used. What did he mean he didn’t get her? Did he want her? The Avatar mentally gagged. “Um…..ok…?” Korra said, her tone questioning but amused. She didn’t really know what to do at this point. Her purpose here was to…well kill the guy but she somehow feels a bit reluctant to do it. He sparked her interest despite being a stuttering, idiotic city boy. 

Her confused smile urged Mako to, in fact, explain what his outburst had meant.  ”It’s nothing bad!”  He immediately blurted.  ”It’s that one moment I thought you were angry, and then the next you were acting all sort of pretty an- I mean, you know, nice and stuff.  So, yeah, I just…didn’t really…anyway…”  The probender knotted his hand in his hair out of nervous habit.  He was standing in front of an interesting, beautiful girl, and all he could do was rattle on about her ever-changing personality.
“You know, I think you’d like the arena.”  Mako nodded quickly, and began to stroll in the direction of the Probending Arena, not giving himself a chance to say anything more until he got there.  

Struggling to look anywhere but at Kara, his eyes drifted to the face of a girl dressed in earth bending clothes, with a pointed, freckled face, pretty green eyes and straight shining dark hair.  She blushed and smiled at the firebender as she passed.  ”Hi.”  he said with a wink before grinning at her, raising a hand in return.  She walked into a noodle bar, twisting around to give him a meaningful look that implied he should stop by later.  Making a mental note of the restaurant, he continued on, a renewed spring in his step.  ”I’m sorry, you didn’t say something, did you?”  Mako glanced down at Kara, a half smile on his face, still pleased with himself for his encounter with the earthbender girl.

Korra grimaced and rolled her eyes. He can do better than that. Besides, the waitress probably moved on to another young fellow inside the restaurant. The avatar frowned. Her chest felt heavy as if someone had placed an invisible mountain on it. She shook her head and filed away the matter for later speculation. “Not a word,” Korra replied smoothly, smiling. The smile faltered a bit when she saw the obvious satisfaction from the brief encounter and the pressure came back. She took a sharp breath and clenched her hands into fists. The Avatar picked up her pace and looped an arm around the firebender, dragging her with him. “So where is this Arena?” she asked.

(Source: poisoned-water)

▸ Unexpected @bolins-big-brother

“Kara.  Nice to meet you.  Water Tribe?”  Mako guessed, as he tucked the loaf of bread under his arm, holding the door for her as they exited the shop.  ”So, where d’you want to go next?” He squinted as he turned to fave her, sunlight blinding him.  ”I could take you to Republic City Hall,  The Probending Arena, or Avatar Aang Memorial Island, if you don’t mind taking a boat.”  Mako continued to stare at her, trying to figure out what was going on inside of her head.  ”Sorry.”  He blushed, conscious that she might have seen him looking.  ”I just…don’t really…get you.  If that makes sense.”  Which it doesn’t, he added as a mental afterthought.

“You know what, just forget I said it.  It was rude.”  The probender ran a hand through his hair, and loosened the grip that his scarf had on his neck.  The sun was out, and it was bearing down on Republic City, but whether the change in body temperature he was experiencing was down to the weather, the beautiful, strange girl walking alongside him, or both, Mako couldn’t be sure.

Korra furrowed her eyebrows in confusion. She wasn’t exactly up to date with all the modern slang the young used. What did he mean he didn’t get her? Did he want her? The Avatar mentally gagged. “Um…..ok…?” Korra said, her tone questioning but amused. She didn’t really know what to do at this point. Her purpose here was to…well kill the guy but she somehow feels a bit reluctant to do it. He sparked her interest despite being a stuttering, idiotic city boy. 

(Source: poisoned-water)

▸ Unexpected @bolins-big-brother

Mako stopped in his tracks, his confidence faltering as harsh, almost taunting laugh escaped her lips.  With an uncertain smile, he continued what he was saying, glancing warily at her as he finished.  The firebender was only further confused when she suddenly seemed interested on going on a tour of sorts with him about the city.  It almost seemed as though she was flirting with him as she batted her eyes at him and bit her lip, a loose strand of her hair twined around her finger.  ”Okay, then.”  Mako smiled warmly, a confused and incredulous chuckle burst from his mouth before he could stop it.“Well,” He glanced down at his empty bag, the dumplings now being swept into the gutter of the street, for later disposal.  ”I could do with some more dumplings, so…I guess I’ll take you to the bakery first.”  Mako didn’t wait for her to agree, he immediately set off back down the street - he and Bolin were running out of food.  

He said nothing as he walked, breathing in the smell of fresh, salty dough as they neared the shop front.  The bell on the door announced their arrival, and Mako went straight to counter, beckoning for his companion to join him, in case she was hungry.  ”Yeah, I’m back.”  The firebender grinned as he explained the unfortunate dumpling incident.  Digging his hand into his pocket, he felt only coins.  Pulling them out, he searched his pockets for money he was sure he had, before realising he had spent the last of the notes on dumplings.  Turning a light shade of pink, he glanced at the girl next to him, slightly concerned as to what she would think of his financial state.  ”…Just bread, please.”  He carefully placed the last of the coins on the counter, sighing as he did so.  ”Hey…”  He suddenly turned to face the girl again.  ”I never caught your name.”

Korra raised her eyebrows. No one offered get her food much less eat with her. She shook her head and told the firebender she wasn’t hungry. Her forehead crunched with curiosity when she realized that he didn’t have much in his pockets. Strange. Her targets were usually wealthy…She was pulled back from her thoughts when Mako turned to talk to her. “My name is…Kara,” the Avatar lied. 

(Source: poisoned-water)

▸ Unexpected @bolins-big-brother

“Uh - oh, yeah, yeah, I’m fine, don’t worry about it.”  Mako shook his head a little to regain his common sense, and pushed himself up off of the floor, running a hand through his hair as he did so.  ”Are you alright?    Your hands are bleeding.  I’ve got a first aid kit back at my place, if you need it.”  He grinned impishly and put a hand to his chest.  ”I’m Mako.  It’s nice to meet you…I guess.”  He chuckled, but upon seeing the girl’s doe eyes gazing up worriedly into his face, he thought he should explain himself.  ”I-I mean, it would’ve been better if we hadn’t crashed into each other, obviously…”  Mako trailed off upon seeing a new expression on his companion’s face, which was cold and hard.

Despite having spent much of his life homeless and on the streets, Mako had never been in a situation like this one before, where he was faced with an angry stranger whom he couldn’t simply walk away from.  Suddenly feeling incredibly self conscious and awkward, the firebender blurted out the first thing that he could think of.  ”You don’t look like you’re from around here…d’you, uh…need any help,  uh, getting around?”  He cringed inwardly at himself.  Getting around.  Nice one, Mako.

Korra resisted the strong urge to roll her eyes. Of course it would have been infinitely better if they hadn’t run into each other. She mentally chuckled darkly when the firebender casually invited her to his home. She quietly wondered how he would react if she was here to kill him. But her thoughts were cut off has he offered to show her around. Perfect. She put on an embarrassed smile and twirled a strand of loose hair. “That would be great,” she said shyly. The waterbender peered up at Mako with wide, innocent eyes and bit on the bottom of her smiling lip. Urgh. The sooner she can finish this, the sooner she can stop acting so…girlish. 

(Source: poisoned-water)

▸ Unexpected @bolins-big-brother

…………

They were blue, usually a calm colour, but a raw, obvious savagery, a desperate and defiant sort of power shone out from their rich, elegant hue - the perfect middle line between blue and green - a tropical ocean on a stormy day.  Like an artist on a blank canvas, attempting to paint a pool of tranquility, ice, sky, sea, leaf, forest, and earth were swirled together in her face to create a seemingly messy, however, intricate and perfect tone.  Her eyes lit up her face, and knocked the breath from Mako’s chest, and the words from his mouth.  He could only sit there, on the pavement, and stare at this dangerously beautiful girl, completely in awe.

Korra drew in a sharp breath, her eyes going wide. Well shit. “Erm…s-sorry,” the Avatar stuttered, a bit flustered. She stood up and brushed the dust off her knees and examined her body for any scrapes that may have resulted from the collision. She felt a stinging in the palms of her hands and sure enough there were several minor scrapes along the soft pads of her palms. She sighed and brushed off the grains of loose concrete that seeped into her skin.

While on the outside, the Avatar seemed calm, she internally cursed herself for being so stupid and careless. While in the midst of her self loathing spree, Korra remembered that she wasn’t exactly alone. She hesitantly looked up and winced as she saw her target was staring at her. The waterbender flinched inwardly with annoyance when she  realized that the staring was more gawking. Nevertheless, Korra put on a mask of concern and tilted her head. “Are you ok?” she asked. 

(Source: poisoned-water)

Spin me ‘round again,
and rub my eyes
this can’t be happening.

(Source: azulanothing)