when bread comes your way (bolin/mako)

Anonymous

Sept 14, 2012 20:35:29 GMT -6

Ooc; This thread is going so fast o.O And, no star gazing? Or, if you want, in your next post, you could write them heading back. Feel free to use Airi a bit, if it makes it go a bit smoother.

"Bolin! Ah, that's right,"

[/color] she chimed, lacing her fingers together. Yeah, she thought it had a 'Boh' sound to it! However, she couldn't say she's met an earthbender with that kind of name. Then again, not everyone was named Lee or Kim. Some people even made up names! On the other hand, she had yet to meet other firebenders named 'Airi'. She wondered why her parents chose that name...

Bolin's voice brought her back to see two bowls of food that smelled pretty good! She quickly grabbed her chopsticks, taking a hold of a few noodles when her companion began to yell. Due to the surprise, she dropped the noodles, a bit of them hanging over the edge, though managing to keep a hold on her eating utensils. She felt horrible for this, but she began to laugh at the poor guy. All of this was almost comical, in a good way! Was there a bad sort of comical? If there was, was neutrality an option as well? "Noted,"[/color] she joked, covering her mouth as she continued to giggle about the event.

Airi reached for the noodles again and brought them to her mouth and slurped them down, just like he said, though making sure to blow on them to cool down. "Ack!"[/color] Though Bolin had a problem with the temperature, she didn't just slurp; she had inhaled the food, sending down the food down her throat before she had a chance to taste them. After a few hits on the table with her hand and coughing a bit, she was ready to try for it again! "I'm fine, I'm fine,"[/color] she said, hoping she hadn't worried him. She worried a lot of people.

"Yeah,"[/color] she said absently as she reached with her chopsticks for another couple of noodes. "It's kind of cute, really. My dad met my mom while building the shop for her; he was a construction worker."[/color] The news that his parents were dead shocked the girl into, once more, loosing her lunch (meaning she dropped the noodles, silly!). "O-oh, I'm sorry to hear that,"[/color] she said, reaching across the table to give his hand a gentle squeeze. However, it wasn't long before her mind started to think about something else: why did she say what she said? 'I'm sorry to hear that?" meaning she didn't like hearing that (like she wasn't supposed to have heard it?) or she was sorry to hear the exact words to describe the situation.

Taking back her hand, she hit her open hand with a fist in a moment of realization. "So that's why your brother is working all that much!"[/color] having finally made the connection between the two, her eyes sparkling with pride in herself for figuring that out despite the situation. "Eh, sorry. Again,"[/color] she said, thinking about how inconsiderate she much have sounded!

To make up for her last mistake, she vigorously shook her head. "Yeah! You totally should!"[/color] Her lips pursed together and her eyes darting around the room as she tried to think of something else to say. "'What if's can drive a person insane." She pretended to stroke her non-exsistant beard as if she was some old air nomad with the knowledge of the woooorrrlllld.

Finally, she tried on more time to eat the noodles, slurping them down again. Sadly, the moment the food touched her tongue, she leaned forward and let the noodles slide back out. Ugh... no, she couldn't even make herself eat it. "Sorry, I don't like it,"[/color] she said, reaching for her water to wash down the taste. "I think I'll stick with Fire Nation food and bread."[/color]

Airi held up her hand. "Bill, please!"[/color][/blockquote]

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A Long Display Name Here

Sept 15, 2012 5:51:42 GMT -6

OOC: Stargazing is fine, but by my estimate it's like... barely noon / afternoon. The thread opened in the early morning, and they've only practised a bit, popped over to the bakery & the square, and then they are just starting lunch. I can't imagine that being more than six hours in length, so we have to fill time until nightfall — unless you want to just gloss over the rest of their day?

———

Maybe noodles weren't a good idea. He watched a little helplessly as Airi choked on them, coughing and insisting that she were fine. Pabu nudged at Airi's glass with his nose, slowly pushing it closer to the firebender. Good ferret.

Airi apologised, but Bolin wasn't entirely sure what she was apologising for. He shrugged it off, waving his hands in dismissal. "Don't worry about it!" Whatever it was. Maybe she had forgotten again. He didn't feel sorry for Airi, exactly — it was so rude, he thought, to feel sorry for someone who didn't feel sorry for themselves — but he wished he could help her remember things a little better. He wanted to be friends with her, but it wouldn't do if she didn't remember him! The earthbender just wasn't sure how to go about asking without sounding like a big jerk.

She stroked a pretend beard, making him laugh, as she encouraged him once again to ask Korra on a date. Pretending to twirl a fake moustache, he agreed. "Hm, yes, quite, I see the wisdom in your words, my good sir." Airi was a lot of fun; he thought with some interest that she and Korra would get along too. Both girls were a lot of fun, didn't mind being goofy, and smiled million-yuan-smiles. He didn't know if Korra had any friends outside of him and Mako. The Airbending family didn't count, if you thought about it; technically they were related, since Korra was also (once?) Avatar Aang. Whoa, weird. So... that made her Tenzin's ... dad?

... Ow. His head hurt. Avatars were confusing things.

Sorry, I don't like it. I think I'll stick with Fire Nation food and bread.

Okay, he wasn't expecting that. Bolin was stunned — Stunned!— that someone didn't like Narook's famous noodles. Now he was disappointed, and felt a little guilty to boot. He made her pay for something she wound up not liking.

"Oh, gosh. I'm so sorry. I'll make it up to you, I promise."

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Last edit: Sept 15, 2012 5:52:29 GMT -6

Anonymous

Sept 15, 2012 17:43:12 GMT -6

She laughed, holding up both hands in a defensive position. "No. No, this was my treat. You don't owe me anything,"

[/color] Airi said with a hearty smile. Should she tell him why she was being so generous? That this was one of her favorite days, by far, because no one wanted to be around the girl that couldn't remember anything? And that her list of friends was almost non-exsistant, and that counted the probending team she was a part of) ? It just felt... nice to hang out with someone. And it seemed like he didn't have that much money to throw around, while she did because of her job and -again- her lack of friends to spend it on, like presents or going out or nice clothes for nights out.

The waiter came by and she paid the bill, for a second thinking about letting Bolin have her noodles. But she kind of spat out the noodles back into the bowl. Yeah, that was a big waste, she thought to herself. She waited for him to finish his bowl (not seeing the point of not letting him eat because she didn't like it). Right then, right there, her stomach growled. That's right! She hadn't eaten anything except the noodles that had slid down her throat. After he was done and they left, she headed for the nearest Fire Nation restaurant to pick up some nice curry to-go.

Their afternoon, though not completely eventful, was pretty nice as well. She showed him the paths she knew throughout the part of Republic City they were in (you never know when a quicker route could be handy!). She avoided the park long enough though then ended up their eventually. It was sort of fun, seeing as she hadn't screamed or freaked out when she saw the turtleducks. At least, not as much as she usually did. Still, trees were fun to climb, even if you weren't running from the little monsters! Her favorite thing about the whole endeveor: she didn't forget that much. Yeah, she forgot his name once more, but names were so tricky! She had been working hard on not forgetting stuff with some fruitful attempts, but names had to be remembered and fitted to the right person. She just couldn't do it all the time.

Night crept it's way in and the streets light up with the lights of the lamp posts. Though it was dangerous to be out in such a time with Equalists about, it was still pretty nice. It was a whole new world once the sun went down. They ended up in Central Square once more with Airi laying on the ground, her hands behind her head to cushion them from the hard ground, looking up at the stars. "I like the stars. It's like energy that people like,"[/color] she absently said, moving one of her hands high and holding a small flame. "I don't know if you've noticed it with Ma... Mo... your brother being a firebender as well, but lots of people see us, still, as destroyers. But the sun and the stars, they're so useful and pretty."[/color] She closed her fist and the flame went out, the warm hand then taking it's place behind her head once more.

The sounds of jazz music sounded in the distance, slowly dying out as the musicians called it a day to go home and rest. A few mother's calls for their children rung across the streets and a few men laughing heartily at some joke with bottles of some type of alcohol in their hands. Her yellow eyes didn't change their position from staring at the stars with such wishful eyes. "Fire can be good. It can warm you up. Cook food. Light up the darkness."[/color][/blockquote]

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A Long Display Name Here

Sept 16, 2012 17:07:57 GMT -6

OOC: I have a moment, so here's a quick post. Sorry it isn't much more, but with all the preparations for the Carnival + all my other threads updating seemingly simultaneously, I'm kind of swamped. Thanks for understanding!

—

Airi said he didn't owe her anything. Well, that was just fine and dandy, but Bolin made a mental note to treat her for something for 'no reason'. He tried to finish his noodles quickly so they could get something for Airi to eat — a difficult task, as the noodles were still piping hot. As soon as they had finished and Airi had paid (Bolin felt another pang of guilt), they made their way to a store Airi knew, and she picked up some curry for herself. Bolin enjoyed the smell of curry, but it wasn't exactly his favourite dish. Fire Nation food was just too spicy for him, most of the time.

The afternoon passed by quickly. Airi showed him parts of the City he'd only vaguely remembered, and they eventually found their way to Central Park. The firebender seemed to stiffen at the sight of the turtleducks — maybe she was afraid? — but she handled the situation with grace, and the two of them spent the afternoon just hanging out and enjoying each others' company.

Bolin couldn't remember when he'd had so much fun just because; he constantly tried to impress people because everyone compared him to Mako, so it was nice to just have someone who didn't know who he was. Mako was a pretty great guy, though, but he needed to leave something for the rest of them. The day was over much too quickly, and Bolin felt both happiness and apprehension at the thought of calling it 'over'.

They found their way back to Central Square; the train station was a lot less crowded at night. Lungs and his bandmates were already gone, and only a handful of street kids were hanging around. They lay with their backs to the ground, looking up at the night sky as the stars began to twinkle to life. It was a little hard to see, what with the street lights near by and Republic City's light pollution as a whole, but it wasn't impossible.

Airi waxed poetical about fire, and firebending, and Bolin found himself agreeing. "Mako," he reminded her. "And yeah, I totally get you. I think a lot of people forget that fire lights this place up, gives it this electricity, lets everyone do what they want without fear of darkness."

Suddenly, Bolin sat up. "Mako!" he exclaimed, remembering. "Oh my gosh. I told him I'd be back hours ago." He looked up at the sky, then looked around the Square. "Maybe... maybe we can go back before he realises." The earthbender was loathe to leave, but he didn't want his brother on his case, either. He knew that Mako was just looking out for him, like he always did; it was nice, but sometimes frustrating. He wouldn't put it past his older brother to be out looking for him right now.

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noa

Sept 16, 2012 20:23:26 GMT -6

OOC: I'm still trying to ease into this character, so I'm sorry this is a bit short! x.x Also, Kami, I hope you don't mind me putting words in Bolin's mouth.

————————

It had been a relatively peaceful day. As planned, Mako had gone to see Asami for their date. He hadn't intended to stay out so late, but one thing led to another, and a lunch date culminated in a romantic moonlit carriage ride through the park. Who knew it could be so difficult to say no to pleading eyes and a warm embrace? Those weren't exactly things that he was accustomed to.

At any rate, the thoughtful smile on his face didn't last long upon arriving home. Bolin was nowhere to be found. Mako tried to remain logical, but recent events fought against such rationality. With every minute that went by, the firebender began thinking the worst. Amon's masked face flashed through his mind, an image that would strike fear in the heart of any bender. Mako was no exception.

'Back before nightfall, right,' Mako recalled his brother's words with annoyance, 'he should be more careful, the streets aren't safe at night.'

His first instinct was to go to downtown Republic City and check Narook's. He was only half wrong. Although his brother was absent from the restaurant, Mako was informed that Bolin had been there earlier in the day...with a girl.Just what kind of game was he playing, staying out that late with a girl? He silently fumed, thinking of just how irresponsible and foolish that was. That was so like Bolin.

The minutes turned to an hour, and as Mako hastily checked into all of Bolin's regular hangouts, he was coming up empty handed. Eventually, he reached Central Square. A hollow shell of what it usually was during business hours, it wasn't hard to spot the two figures dwindling off in the distance. Squinting his eyes, it was unmistakable; he had found his brother.

"There you are!" He exclaimed, marching sternly over to Bolin and completely aloof to his companion. "What are you doing out this late? You should know by now that it's dangerous."

He sighed in a poor attempt to exhale all of the frustration and worry that had built up over the past few hours. "I shouldn't have to track you down at all hours of the night."

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Anonymous

Sept 16, 2012 20:53:53 GMT -6

Ooc; it's fine. it's always hard breaking into a character, not to mention a canon character xD

"Yeah,"

[/color] Airi said with a long sigh to agree with the earthbender's words. "And almost all of the electricity in the city is by underpaid firebenders. Lightning bending it hard stuff. I haven't been able to produce a spark of that stuff,"[/color] she carefully mused out loud. Her mom never had the need to lightning bend, though she knew the basics of it. Her daughter, on the other hand, just couldn't get it and was told several times it was because she couldn't keep her mind calm and clear when she tried. Thankfully, she had a clear future ahead of her with the bakery that she didn't need to work in that field.

Oh, she thought with a realization, I could have told Bolin about the bakery. As the oldest, she thought that she would inherit the bakery, especially the fact she really couldn't do much else and no one would really want to hire her (though, that's just what she thinks). On the other hand, her younger brother was their male child and a non-bender. She just hoped they wouldn't take not being able to bend as a disability and give the bakery to him.

A voice sounded in their direction and the form of the words being rather casual, like the owner of the voice knew them. Unlike Bolin who had shot up earlier, she stayed on the ground, her sight still locked on to the faint stars in the sky. "Don't worry,"[/color] she said, raising her voice only by a bit, hoping the voice owner would here her from wherever it was. "I've been by his side. The dangerous thing is being out on the streets alone." With a turn on her head, she saw a tall man that looked... familiar, though she couldn't tell very easily with one of the street lights behind him, shadowing his face.

"Oooh,"[/color] she sounded. " You must beee..... Mako!"[/color] Airi sat up and gave Bolin a thumbs up for remembering the name. Turning back to the taller man, she puffed her cheeks. "You must be Bolin's brother. Sorry I kept him out this long. He's such nice company,"[/color] she apologized, hoping she could save Bolin a bit of face with his brother. It sounded like Mako cared... but his words didn't seem to give convey such a time in her head, at least.

The small firebender pointed at herself. "I'm Airi, firebender for the Raven-Eagles and I met your brother in the training room. He hit me in the shoulder with a disk and then helped me take my stuff back home. After that, I offered to pay for lunch and kind of got caught up that I lost track of time."[/color] Should she be apologizing? Though she may not seem like she was older, she was indeed twenty years old and really did feel responsible for any trouble she might have caused. Not only that, but Mak... Ma... oh, Mako! was right in the sense the streets were pretty dangerous. [/blockquote]

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A Long Display Name Here

Sept 16, 2012 22:20:02 GMT -6

OOC: Nope, don't mind at all! :] A little short, sorry about that. My internet has been a butt all night.

———————-

Unsurprisingly --because wasn't that just always the way?— the moment he remembered to go home Mako showed up looking for him. He predictably ignored Airi's presence, making a beeline for him and scolding him for staying out so late. Bolin jutted out his lower lip. It wasn't like he had forgotten what had happened to him! He still saw Amon's face in his nightmares, that slow turn and glance, that expressionless mask. But cowering in fear never did anyone any good.

Airi stepped in for him, giving him a thumbs up as she remembered Mako's name. He grinned despite the situation, returning the gesture. The firebender took the blame, introducing herself in a rambled summary of the day's events. Bolin waved it off with an apologetic smile. "Don't mind him," he told her, standing and putting a strong arm around his brother's shoulders. "This is just how he is." The earthbender poked his index finger into Mako's cheek a couple of times. "Sometimes I don't think he remembers how to smile," he told Airi in a mock-confidential whisper.

Loosing his brother from his grip, Bolin dusted of his pants. "Oh, don't be so mad, Mako," he said good-naturedly, though not bothering to hide his disappointment at the day of fun coming to a close. Pabu climbed up his body, seeming to scold his older brother in a high-pitched chatter. "I know, Pabu," he agreed with the ferret, "You'd think dating Asami would have loosened him up, but no~o~o~o~o~o." Bolin drew out the 'o' sound in a sing-song voice. How come Mako could have a social life but he couldn't? He had even stayed out of trouble today: nothing broken, nothing spilled, not even a cross word spoken.

Reaching out a hand to help Airi up, the young earthbender tried to loosen the tension further. Mako was just concerned, he knew, but that reserved attitude often gave people the wrong impression.

"Airi's family owns a bakery," he told his brother. "They've got really good bread! Her mom is really nice."

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noa

Sept 17, 2012 21:31:14 GMT -6

Mako was all too keen on continuing to chide his foolish brother, so intent that Airi's interference almost took him by surprise. She looked vaguely familiar. He listened only halfheartedly to her words until she mentioned her affiliation with the Raven-Eagles. Of course, it all made sense-no wonder he recognized her. More than likely he had seen her around the arena at some point.

'What if she's trying to sabotage the Fire-Ferrets?' He thought, remaining stone faced as he stared the other firebender down. "We can't afford that-not this close to the tournament. Ugh, Bolin, what are you doing hanging around with a bender from another team?"

He shot his brother an agitated glare as Bolin proceeded to wrap an arm around his shoulders and poke at his cheek. As usual, Bolin wasn't grasping the weight of the situation. But that was what Mako felt he was there for, to look out for his little brother. Sure, Bo could get himself into some stupid situations, but he'd always be there to help him out of them. And amazingly enough, it was difficult to stay angry at a boy who had a chatty fire ferret to contend for him.

"Look, I'm sorry," he admitted, crossing his arms over his chest. "You just-you had me worried, okay?" He exchanged glances with Pabu, who had since forgotten their argument and took to cocking his head curiously atop Bolin's shoulder.

He nodded in regard to Airi, as Bolin helped her to her feet. Maybe he was jumping to conclusions. There was a chance that Bolin had really just hit it off with this girl and they had just innocently shared the day together. But he couldn't help but be cautious. The Fire-Ferrets were doing better than ever, especially with their newest addition. He didn't want their progress ruined, but he could save that lecture for later. For now, he could be satisfied enough with finding his brother alive and unharmed-bending abilities still intact.

"I'm glad you found someone nice enough to spend the day with," he conceded, though his expression remained critical.

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Anonymous

Sept 17, 2012 22:36:16 GMT -6

Airi giggled. "I think you're right, Bolin,"

[/color] she said in response to his comment about his brother not smiling, using the same mock-whisper tone. "I don't think I see a single laugh line there."[/color] Sure, she was making light of all of this with Bolin, but she did sort of possibly, just maybe, kind of understand the older brother's reasons or something like that. Her younger brother acted sort of like that, always serious and looking out for her and always worrying that she'd end up doing something weird. Never to the extent of tracking her down; she always came home and if not, he could usually find her asleep underground.

Can't afford... what, exactly? she thought when Mako spoke up. She ran the sentence through her head a few times before coming to the conclusion that her being on a different team somehow automatically made her a possible enemy. Now that was just plain unfair! "Hey! Meanie,"[/color] she said, crosing her arms across her chest, her nose in the air pridefully. "I'm already out of the competition; we lost the first match. What could I possibly have to gain from doing stuff to your team?"[/color] It made absolutely no sense! It was like loosing a game of cards and deciding whoever played them next, she'd stomp all over their cards. No sense!

Another giggle sounded from her when Bolin poked fun of his brother once more, saying something about an Asami, who he was dating. Well, that was a surprise. She couldn't imagine anyone liking a guy like this. He was no fun! Actually, worse than no fun! At least Bolin was fun to be around, hanging loose and doing slightly random stuff with. She could only imagine what Mako did for fun. The things: watching paint dry, sitting around all day and practicing probending came to mind. What if he didn't like bread?! She could only imagine someone so up tight wouldn't like bread.

With a smile and a nod of the head, Airi glad-fully took Bolin's hand, bringing her back to her feet. Oops! She leaned a bit, from side to side, little stars appearing in her vision. To balance herself, she grabbed on to Bolin's forearm, waited a moment and blinked the stars away. "Ahaha, I got up too fast,"[/color] she explained. "I remember as a kid, I'd hang upside down a lot, and I would get dizzy like that. For some reason, kids started calling me Air-Head after a while,"[/color] she mused out loud, finding it interesting how that happened more than ten years ago! Wow, time sure did fly by.

The yellow-eyed girl nudged Bolin with her elbow and holding up a hand to her mouth so that she could just tell Bolin, though didn't really attempt to soften her voice. "He's kind of a worry-wart, isn't he?"[/color] she asked, also leaving out the words "nutty", "bipolar" and "not-fun". Especially "not-fun" seeing as he didn't even answer his brother when mentioning her bakery! Was it possible that he didn't like bread?"Yeah, my mom gave him a loaf right from out of the oven. Butter, too."[/color] He better not ignore bread the second time it was mentioned!

For a moment, Airi's mind wandered and she began to zone off, probably anything the two said in the next few minutes going in one ear and out the other. Her gaze was pinned between the two brothers, though she wasn't really looking at anything. Her thoughts didn't have any big topics, just generally thinking about probending and bread and wondering if the two could be combined somehow. Snapping back to reality, as if someone just poured cold water on her head, she immediately said, "Oh, sorry, what were you saying?"[/color] out of mere habit, her attention now back to the duo and a goofy grin on her face.[/blockquote]

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A Long Display Name Here

Sept 20, 2012 21:57:11 GMT -6

OOC: Some slight NPCing, sorry! Figured we'd go with a slight time skip, maybe a couple of days. :]

====

Bolin laughed — a deep belly laugh — when Airi called Mako a 'meanie'. He draped his arm around his brother's shoulder again. "Aw, he's not THAT bad," he conceded, wiping tears of mirth from his eyes. "He's just so seriouuuuuus." The earthbender made an exaggerated face, furrowing his brows in a scowl and dropping his jaw dramatically so his lower teeth jutted out. "He IS a worry-wart, though, that I can agree with." He could sense Mako's rising irritation at ever moment the spent in the square, and he sighed. Time to go home, apparently.

Airi was kind of staring at nothing, her eyes glazed over. Memory troubles again? Bolin let Mako go a second time, stepping forward to wave a hand in front of Airi's eyes. "Yoo-hoo. Airi?"

Oh, sorry, what were you saying?

"Nothing, really," Bolin said easily, despite being slightly taken aback at how quickly she snapped to. "Just that it was late, and Mako and I probably need to be heading on home. We'll walk you there," --Bolin ignored any sounds of protest coming from his brother-- "since as Mako pointed out, it's not safe to be alone." He grinned at the other firebender, knowing that Mako wouldn't let her go alone, not after the fuss he had just made about things being dangerous in the city.

"Shall we?" Bolin offered the crook of his arm to Airi. When she accepted, he motioned to Mako to follow them. "And we're off!"

~*~*~

After a quick walk (he remembered the way back, thankfully), the trio found themselves in front of Airi's bakery. Holding out his hand to shake, Bolin gave a funny little bow. "Thanks for a great day, Airi. You're a great listener, and your bakery is fabulous. Please say 'thank you' to your mom for me!"

After seeing Airi in the door and giving a little wave, the brothers headed back to the arena. Bolin's voice took a more serious tone. "Hey, Mako?" There was a slight catch in his throat. "I really am sorry. I just lost track of time. Don't be mad at Airi, okay?"

For all that he whined (silently) about how his brother smothered him, or wasn't grateful for the attention he got from his fans (girls), Bolin loved Mako. They were brothers, bound by blood as well as hardship, and Mako had always looked out for him. Sure, he wished Mako would take him more seriously sometimes, but sometimes he did have a point. He couldn't always tell when people were being dishonest, like Shady Shin the other day. And what had happened? Not only did he help the Triple Threat Triads --who Mako always said were bad news, even when they were doing odd jobs for them-- he wound up getting captured and nearly having his bending taken away. He hated to admit it when Mako was right, but he always did.

"It's boring at home, Mako," he added, his voice picking up a more pleasant tone. "Wouldn't you rather I get in trouble outside of the house?" He laughed as they arrived at the arena, climbing up the ladder steps to their attic apartment.

"Woo! Bed!" The earthbender pumped his fists into the air. Pabu mimicked him, and the two flumped down on their bed and fell asleep instantly, shoes and all.

~*~*~

It was a couple of days later before Bolin and Mako saw Airi again. They had been going to get some groceries (unfortunately, at another personal loan from Butakha) from the Marketplace when they came across the firebender girl at Central Station. She had curled up against the base of Fire Lord Zuko's statue, asleep.

Bolin's jaw hung open. Who slept in the middle of a public square? Exchanging a look with his brother, the earthbender quickly went over to her sleeping form, placing a hand on her shoulder and shaking her gently.

"Airi? Hey, Airi, wake up. It's Bolin," he added as an afterthought, in case she didn't remember him.

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noa

Sept 22, 2012 23:11:41 GMT -6

"Hey, I worry for good reason," he narrowed his eyes at the pair. Swindlers, muggers, and gangs were common. And now, with fanatic equalists in the mix, Republic City was more dangerous than ever. What were the odds that Bolin would run into someone as benign and good-natured as himself? Mako arched an eyebrow at the girl, a listless expression on her face. Only when Bolin addressed her did she seem to come back to reality. What a strange girl.

Mako shrugged casually at his brother's insistence upon walking Airi home. He couldn't argue, not after all that he had just said. And it looked like Bolin was loving that. Just one look at the enormous grin on his face was enough to tell him that. The firebender tagged along behind the two, keeping a vigilant eye on every dark corner and alley that they passed by.

When they reached the bakery, the smell almost overtook Mako. The warm, homely scent of baked goods wafted out through the doorway. He couldn't help but feel a bit envious that Airi called such a place home. He offered a solemn nod to Airi and attempted a slight smile. "...Thanks for keeping Bolin entertained and out of trouble today."

—————————

"Hey, Mako?" "I really am sorry. I just lost track of time. Don't be mad at Airi, okay?"

"Like I said, I was just worried." Mako replied to his brother as the two made for the arena. "And I'm not mad at Airi...she seems like an alright girl I guess. I just don't want her to distract you from the tournament. We already have a teammate skipping out on practices." The last sentence sounded more bitter than he had intended. It was true though, he had been seeing less and less of Korra since she had joined the task force. "We really have a chance this time, and I don't want to lose that."

"It's boring at home, Mako," "Wouldn't you rather I get in trouble outside of the house?"

"I'd rather you didn't get into any trouble at all," he shook his head. "But given the choice, yeah, outside is the better option," he conceded a small chuckle as he climbed the ladder after his brother. "Just be more careful from now on."

By the time they had reached their lofted home, Mako was exhausted. Not even after coming home from the power plant had he felt so weary. It had been a long day, and he was all too ready for it to end. He had barely had time to make it to his bed and utter "night, Bo" before drifting off to sleep.

—————————

Grocery shopping was always stressful. With how little they could afford, it was always a job to find food within their judgement. Luckily, Butakha had given them a loan. Unluckily, he would want every bit of it back plus interest. The money-grubber.

Mako halted beside Bolin as the two came to looming statue of Fire Lord Zuko. He glanced curiously to his brother, who stood with his mouth gaping open. Just what was he...oh. And then he caught sight of Airi, peacefully sleeping at the base of the statue. Giving Bolin a look of disbelief, he stood back as he approached the sleeping girl.

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Anonymous

Sept 23, 2012 0:25:15 GMT -6

All Airi could think of when Bolin suggested walking her home was: I've handled this many times, one more would be no problem at all. Still, the way he had pointed out the fact it was dangerous out, she couldn't disagree. It was nice to have people around her, someone she might one day call a friend. It sounded so pitiful in her head, like her childhood was some horrible tragedy that she suffered through! No, it was simply a bit lonely and uneventful. For a busy body like her, an uneventful day felt like the most boring thing in the world. Even trying to remember something forgotten at least put a bit of mystery into her days.

Her yellow eyes shifted towards the brothers when they neared her house, noticing a slight change in his expression, a shade of envy, almost. She wished she could offer more. "Goodnight, Bolin, Mako,"

[/color] she said with a light and tired smile. Mako took a moment to thank her with a small nod and an attempted smile. "My pleasure."[/color] No, really, she couldn't have imagined a different way to spend a day. Airi gently closed the door, double checking the locks. As Bolin had stated it, it was dangerous now. She couldn't leave any loose ends in the security of her home. And with that, she pranced through the kitchen, noticing her mother finishing up the last of the bread baking, most of the leftover dough being set out to rise overnight.

"Did you have fun? He seemed nice," her mother commented, a smile creasing her winkled face.

"I did. It was great,"[/color] she replied with a nostalgic nod. It had been such a fun day. Exchanging a few words about their days, the younger firebender left for her room, flopping down on her bed with a pwoof, the air trapped under the sheets quickly escaping. There she laid rhythmically tapping her fingers on the bed, waiting for the energy to bounce back around to dress in her night clothes and snuggle into bed with a warm cup of tea held in her hands, realizing for the first time how lucky she was with her family, home and financial state, despite her memory problems or lack of friends. As her body drifted into sleep, her mind continued to wonder how she could help others.

—-

The next few days she spent doing all she could to help out, feeling like she had somewhat skipped out on her duties while spending the entire day out. Her father continuously told her that it was okay, that he was glad she had a nice time, but after so many years of routine help, it felt like a shame to have broken it. The firebender had taken it upon herself to make the dough every night so it could rise for the morning when it would bake. And every night, as she did so, she watched the lower level of the house, filled with the constant anxiety that her family would be a target of the Equalists. It was no secret that her family were benders, but it wasn't like they went out, brawling with everyone. At the same time, she had participated in a probending match!

One day, Aisen promised to look after the bakery, concerned for her health that so much lack of sleep would harm her. It had been hard to convince the older sibling, but eventually she let him take over though she didn't simply go to bed. After a small nap, she found something to keep her busy: her usual errands around the city. Flour, eggs, salt, dried fruits, you name it. Some things on her list would confuse people as to why it was needed in a bakery, but that's why, she guessed, it was called Hitomi Bread and 'Goods'. Her father had found a nice pastime in pastries and candies against her mother's wishes, knowing her daughter would get into a bit of it. Only a bit.

Errands were done easily, but there was no way she was going back home! Leaving the ingredients at the back door, she left to wander the town a bit with a few coins in her pocket to spend. Store from store she traveled looking for something to buy without an idea in her mind as to what she wanted. Without someone by her side or a checklist in her hand, she began to repeat her actions, forgetting she had done them in the first place, confusing each vendor she re-approached until nightfall came and she was left with no more money, but a rather cheap though colorful glass necklace that hid in her pant's pocket.

Without much energy left and no means for food, she took a seat at Fire-Lord Zuko's statue - something she felt comfortable around, as the flame continuously burned - and fell asleep.

—-

Dreams of candy and dancing, she found sleep to be something that came very easily without much disturbance. Though, once, if she remembered it right, one of the local homeless woke her to ask if she was alright. Noticing her as someone she knew from underground, she assured her that she was simply a bit tired and her memory problem had passed for the time being. The next time she awoke, it was in the company of a familiar voice.

"Huh?"[/color] she managed after being shaken. It took a moment or two for her mind to completely accept that she was awake and needed to be awake, but when she did and after a few rubs of the eyes, she saw Bolin and Mako looking down at her in a rather worried fashion. Airi sat there, a bit dazed as she attempted to completely wake up before talking, knowing her words would come out rather jumbled and misplaced if she did. "Oh? Bolin?"[/color] she asked, hoping it didn't sound like she had forgotten him but merely confirming it was who she thought it was.

A smile laid on her sleepy face as she looked up at the two, pushing herself up so she sat up straight. "What are you guys doing out here?"[/color] she asked rather oddly, like they were the ones out of place here. "How are you two?"[/color] she asked, her back arching and mouth opening widely as she stretched and yawned. [/blockquote]

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A Long Display Name Here

Sept 26, 2012 14:53:48 GMT -6

OOC: Sorry so short. D:

===========

Airi's nonchalant attitude baffled Bolin. He looked back at his brother with a look that clearly said Can you BELIEVE this girl?, his jaw hanging open. Airi acted like they were the ones out of place and being weird. The earthbender dropped down and squatted next to her, peering curiously into her face.

"What are YOU doing out here?" he rejoined, cocking an eyebrow. "I don't really recommend napping around here." He gestured to Mako. "It's grocery day," he told her happily. "Growing boys need to eat!"

Airi was a piece of work, that much was certain. Not in a bad way, of course; she was a lot of fun, and so nice! But no normal person just decided to take a nap in the middle of one of the busiest parts of Republic City. She didn't look any worse for the wear, though, and Bolin stood, holding out a hand to help her up.

"You wanna hang out today?" he asked, oblivious to his brother. "It'll be great! We're getting food, and we can eat — don't worry, I won't get any seaweed noodles for you! — and we can just hang out and have fun!" Pabu chittered from his shoulder. "See, Pabu agrees! And-—" Here, Bolin dropped his voice to a whisper, "— I promise Mako knows how to have fun, it just takes him a little while to get into it."

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noa

Sept 29, 2012 20:10:32 GMT -6

OOC: Blah, I'm sorry I took so long to respond and that it's kind of short! I have stuff going on irl that has me a bit distracted.

Mako stood back as Bolin attempted to wake Airi. Central Station was busy as usual, and the trio got quite a few curious glances from several people who happened by them. The firebender couldn't imagine why in the world someone would want to sleep in a place like this, especially when they had a perfectly nice home. Even in broad daylight the city streets could be dangerous.

He shrugged, frowning a bit when Bolin gave another incredulous look. Your guess about this girl is as good as mine. Airi was incredibly strange, and she grew odder by the second in his eyes. Sleeping in Central Station, and proceeding to ask them why they were there...Bolin always did have a tendency to get mixed up with some strange characters. At least this one wasn't outright harmful.

He made to argue at Bolin's invitation, but backed down before the words came out of his mouth. The two really weren't doing anything that day aside from grocery shopping; they had time to spare. They had practiced already that morning and he had no work that day, so he honestly couldn't disagree at the suggestion. Though he'd have preferred better company, a certain beautiful heiress coming to mind, perhaps getting to know Airi wouldn't be all that bad. Maybe she'd seem somehow less...weird.

"...Wait, what are you whispering?" Mako came forward, peering at his brother accusingly.

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Anonymous

Sept 30, 2012 21:05:21 GMT -6

The firebender giggled nervously. She hated bringing up her memory problems. "Oh... you see, sometimes I have these... moments, I guess, when I start forgetting the same thing over and over again. I repeat things until I get tired and have no more energy."

[/color] Her words were choppy and awkward, her hand involuntary playing with the hem of her shirt. Her memories weren't her favorite topic of conversation; she would rather be surrounded by turtleducks than explain her mental disability, since it was a big reason she had spent a lot of her childhood friendless.

When Bolin offered the chance to hang out with them, she realized her usual grim had turned into somewhat of a grim neutral look. Quickly, the idea of spending a day with people put a grin back on her face and her yellow eyes sparkled with excitement. "I would be delighted!"[/color]she said, knowing why for more reason than one. She was starving, not having had eaten since lunch the day before and if she remembers correctly, she had no more money on her.

Taking his hand, she got back on her feet and dusted her pants off. "Thanks,"[/color] she chimed, another giggle escaping his lips when Mako questioned as to what they were whispering about. Suddenly a realization hit her as she remembered a few things from when they first met. "Bolin said you're dating Asami, right? I met her!"[/color] she said with awe, pointing at the older brother. "We met in a similar situation!"[/color] Airi couldn't help but laugh at the whole thing of this.

"Anyways, where are we off to? I hope you don't mind me asking if I can get some food."[/color][/Blockquote]

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A Long Display Name Here

Oct 7, 2012 16:10:09 GMT -6

OOC: Where do you guys want to go from here? Shopping might be a little boring for too long. Also, I apologise for the delay!

—————-

...Wait, what are you whispering?

With an over-exaggerated leap back, Bolin held his arms out in mock-defence. "WHOA!" he cried, pretending to fend his brother off. "What a sneaky, nosey brother I have!" Then he relaxed, and let out a laugh. "It's nothing, Mako. Just that you do know how to laugh sometimes, even if your face is always like this." The earthbender rearranged his expression in an all-too-familiar thin-lined scowl. Then he laughed again, throwing his head back in glee. There was very little that could keep him down for long.

Airi looked sheepish, or maybe embarrassed, talking about her memory problems. Bolin nudged his brother in the side and gave him a look. "Don't be mea~n," he whispered. Mako probably thought Airi was strange because she had fallen asleep here. Okay, well, maybe that was a little weird, but they didn't need to make her feel weirder.

She looked happy enough, though, when he asked if she wanted to join them shopping and for food. Bolin grinned right back, giving her a little thumbs up. "Sweet! We can do that first, if you'd like."

His jaw dropped a little, hearing that she had met Asami. "Really? That's impressive!" He laughed, then draped his arm around Airi's shoulders. "Now all that's left is for you to meet Korra, and you'll have met us all!"

She asked where they were going, and Bolin shrugged, looking at Mako. "Of course you can join us," he said, looking pointedly at his brother. "But I don't know where to go, since you don't like Narook's. Bro, what do you think?"

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noa

Oct 12, 2012 9:50:56 GMT -6

OOC: I'm okay with glossing over the shopping if you guys are. It could get kind of boring, yeah.
——————————-

"You've met Asami?" Mako arched an eyebrow. It seemed strange, but then again, so was the manner in which he had first met the heiress. Asami was full of surprises; that was part of her charm.

He glared at his brother's mocking expression. "I can laugh just as well as anyone else," he replied with a tone that betrayed what he was trying to say. The firebender crossed his arms over his chest awkwardly. It wouldn't be the first time that he was told to lighten up, and probably not the last.

Noticing Airi's timid expression, and Bolin's accusing look, he felt a twinge of guilt. Maybe he was being a bit too harsh on her. It was highly odd to have fallen asleep in such a place, but he really didn't know much about the girl, particularly her memory problem.

"Now all that's left is for you to meet Korra, and you'll have met us all!"

Korra. She was busy with the task force and had missed so many practices. Good luck getting to meet her. It was difficult for Mako to even recall the last time he had spoken with her. She is the Avatar, she has responsibilities. Still it would be nice if she was able to slip away for practices, with the tournament being so close...it would be nice to see her.

Mako abashedly rubbed the back of his neck, darting his eyes to the ground after realizing that he had been staring into space. He sighed in an effort to clear the air.

"If she doesn't like Narook's...why not just look around for a new place? I'm willing to bet there is somewhere we haven't tried."

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Anonymous

Oct 13, 2012 22:00:40 GMT -6

ooc; alrighty ^^ I hope you won't mind if I gloss over a few things, then, to keep the story going

Airi couldn't help but look at the brothers and relate to the two when thinking of her own family. She and Aisen had a similar relationship where he worried about her, always looking out for her despite being older than him. It was almost demeaning how much smarter he was than her, when she really thought about it. When she was younger, she struggled with thoughts like "I can't do things as good as everyone else and I'm a bother to everyone", but they never kept her down for too long. It wasn't something she could help, but at least she tried to make up for it. But would there be a day where he would look up to her instead of the other way around?

She nodded at Mako's question, a look of suspicion on his face. "Yeah, I did. She was really nice! Bought me lunch and everything," she explained, a smile on her lips as she remembered the time when the two had met. It was an odd situation, true, but not one she felt was unfortunate or regretful. The dark-haired girl had been quite pleasant around. She almost wanted to see her again, after remembering such an event. In any event, she didn't expect people to go out and find her to hang out with her. Hanging out was something new to her, so she hadn't come to really expect much.

After a bit of shopping, the light brown haired woman showed the brothers one of her favorite stands, a small island in the street as a vendor that sold curry, one of her favorite dishes. What always came with it - for little cost- was a bit of day old bread, slightly hard but all the better for dipping in the soup. She tried to persuade the two to try some of the curry, even if Bolin had mentioned a while ago when they first met (and getting her something to eat besides seaweed noodles) that he wasn't a big fan, it was always worth a try! There were so many types of curry that there was something out there for everyone! However, she didn't peruse her case long as her stomach beckoned for the food.

"Oh hey," she spoke up, "Bolin, I think you said something abouuttt... living at the probending area, right? How often do you get out?"

[/color] The woman giggled before voicing her next question. "Have you ever gone roof jumping?"[/color]

—-

Roof jumping, though not one of the things she did the most, was still one of her favorite games she played as a kid (before her memory problem surfaced). The only object of the game was to jump from one roof to the other without falling. It was also some sort of a test, to see who would and wouldn't do it in fear of falling. Airi hadn't really thought of the ground when she jumped, nor had the thought of falling occurred to her at such a time. The only thought in her head was "I can be the big kid! The one that does the stuff others are scared to do!" She doesn't think like that anymore, but it had forever stuck in her memory as a fun game.

Excited, the firebender skipped off to find the nearest building with an easily reachable ladder to climb to the roof with. Thinking of such a childhood game, she forgot to check back to see if her companions decided to follow. "The object,"[/color] she explained, still with her back to her company (or lack there of; she still didn't know), "is to get to the other side with the use of bending."[/color] She remembered races with other kids, the group then in their teens, raced to see who could jump the most roves in a row.

Waterbenders tried to get across with the use of ice, earthebenders building bridges and firebenders using fire to help project themselves forward. Oh, such fun times she had, though none her friends, none knowing her memory problem. Airi jogged forward lightly, a small skip of the step and then a jump, her hands at her side projecting fire in a short, strong burst. She hit the other side, bending her legs to avoid shock, a wave of nostalgia washing over her. Wow, I feel old, she thought to herself with a snicker.[/blockquote]

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A Long Display Name Here

Oct 14, 2012 15:07:00 GMT -6

Shopping had to be infinitely more fun when Airi was around, Bolin thought. The girl added a fresh look to everything; her bubbly personality was infectious, and the stocky, handsome earthbender was glad they had met. Shopping alone with Mako was usually dull. A few arguments here and there about how much food to buy (which almost always were won with a little pout and the fact that Bolin was, indeed, a growing boy), but for the most part it was always an amicable routine. The same shops, generally the same food with a few variations here and there, and then back home. It was almost if Airi brightened up the day just by tagging along. Bolin thought of Korra, who was just like that! Well, okay, maybe not quite so ... bubbly, per se, but definitely that ray of sunshine.

At least, in HIS life, anyway. Man, that girl was UH-MAYZ-ING. He knew he was grinning like an idiot for no reason, but he didn't care. He missed Korra. Even if he visited the Island, she was almost never there, and she kept missing practices. Yeah, she was the Avatar and all, and she had "responsibilities" and whatever, but didn't she know her friends missed her too? Even Mako seemed put out by her absence, and more than just over practice. He still needed to ask her out on that date. He vowed to do it.

For lunch, Airi persuaded him to try some curry. Not exactly his favourite, but boy, he was starving. He gobbled it down with a chunk of day-old bread, barely tasting it, before pleading for another bowl. Halfway through bowl number two, the spice hit him. His eyes watered, and he coughed and sputtered, panting, making faces that would have been enough to send anyone into peals of laughter.

He still finished the rest of the bowl, though. Waste not, want not; besides, food was FOOD.

Eventually, Airi asked them about something she called 'roof jumping'.

"Roof jumping?" he echoed, glancing at Mako, a little puzzled. He'd never heard of it before. Granted, they didn't have a lot of friends and didn't go out all that much. Was it something they were missing?

Luckily, Airi wasn't going to keep them in suspense for long. After they had finished and paid for their lunch, she skipped off ahead. Bolin hurried after her, trying to keep up with her eager paces and up the building to the roof.

The object is to get to the other side with the use of bending.

... Interesting. A grin slowly spread across Bolin's face. "Oh yeah?"

Before the words even came out of his mouth, Airi had shot off, propelling herself forward with fire and landing expertly on the adjacent rooftop. Bolin stood there, puzzled. How was he going to get across? Mako would probably do something similar, but he had to be at least near his element to use it. The building was made of a combination of stone and wood, but he didn't think it would be very nice to put a hole in someone's house just because he was playing.

After thinking it over a little, Bolin decided to give something a little try. Adopting a solid stance, he raised his hands —- and jumped. A pillar of earth rose up to meet him, and the earthbender was grateful his little gamble had worked. That would have REALLY hurt if it didn't.

Feeling adrenaline rush over him, Bolin catapulted off the pillar and onto the next building, crashing into the rooftop with a laughing grunt and rolling to a stop.

"WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

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noa

Oct 17, 2012 15:28:17 GMT -6

Mako made a mental note to ask Asami about Airi when next he saw her. He wondered just what her opinion was of the firebender girl. It couldn't have been a bad one, seeing as she had taken her out to lunch. It occurred to him that he actually had a date with Asami that weekend. That was something to look forward to at least, while he traipsed around with their new acquaintance.

To his surprise, his spirits lifted and he hardly minded at all that Airi seemed to insist upon dragging them to every little shop and stall that she liked. He had a certain routine that he liked to follow when shopping for food, but today was another story. Though he was grateful when she had shown the the stall with cabbages for a mere two yuans. That was a deal he couldn't pass over.

But there was something more than just the new shops that had made him lighten up. Airi, despite her oddity, really had a way of cheering up everyone around her. Not even Mako was immune to her positive energy, though he wasn't as outwardly cheerful as his brother. She reminded him of Korra, strangeness and all. Normally by the end of shopping day, he would be eager to return home for some rest, but he felt as though he could stay out all day.

He couldn't object to curry for lunch. His stomach had long since been growling without his notice. While it wasn't his favorite dish, the warmth of the curry was welcome to his empty stomach. Just after he had taken a few mouthfuls, he looked over to find Bolin practically inhaling his food.

"Bo, you may want to slow-"

But it was too late. He could see the tears begin to pour out of his brother's eyes just before he began a bout of coughing. He couldn't contain his laughter, the look on Bolin's face was too priceless. You'd have thought he would have learned from last time. It didn't seem to stop him from finishing his bowl at least.

When Airi questioned them about roofjumping, he was clueless. That was something he had never heard of or done. He was far too busy with work and trying to make a living for both himself and his brother that he just didn't have time for games. It sounded like a colossal waste of time, but he yielded to Airi and Bolin, following them to the rooftop.

Getting to the other side wouldn't be too difficult for him and Airi, as proven by her projecting herself via firebending. But Bolin...? Before he could stop him, the earthbender had already jumped, a column of earth meeting his feet in midair. Mako had to admit he was impressed. The two looked over at him from across the way.

I can't believe I'm doing this...

He looked below to find the people in the streets looking up at them. They had created quite the spectacle-Bolin's earth pillar probably didn't help. He frowned at the two on the other rooftop who were still waiting for him. The firebender rolled his eyes before careening off of the rooftop, a trail of flame coming from his balled fists. He landed gracefully before cracking a smile. What a rush.

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