Inspired by This POST - post/39800751877/i-will-forewarn-you-that-this-is-going-to-sound
So basically this is exactly what it sounds like.
I know this is probably not how it happened, but we never saw how they met or of how Mako and Bolin first started running numbers for the triple threat triads, so here this is.
Shin was leaning on the wall of the building where Lightning Bolt Zolt was having a little meet up with a guy who was running a smuggling rig the Triple Threats were looking to elbow in on.
He scuffed his shoe against the stone ground and switched his weight to his other foot as smooth as any water bender could like. Looking around idly for something to amuse him a skinny street rat who was looking at him warily and obviously on guard, caught his eye.
The kid looked at him from under thick black brows, flexing nervous fingers and shifting on his feet, obviously worried that Shin would decide that he would be entertaining to bait. It wasn't that uncommon after all, and streets rats were everyones' favourite bending bags.
Shin shifted his weight again and called out across the small distance between them. "Oi kid."
The street rat froze and flinched, fists raising and legs steadying, before he remembered himself and gathered to run.
'Kid's first reaction is to fight' Shin noted, interest rising, 'not often that you see that'.
"Relax kid. I ain't gonna bend at you." he said, the kid relaxed somewhat, but still didn't loose his ready to fight stance.
"Well what'd ya want then?" the street rat retorted.
Shin twitched a smile.
'Kid's got grit. I like that.'
"You a bender kid, a firebender?" He asked, cocking his eyebrow and looking at the red scarf which the kid wore wrapped multiple times around his neck. He looked to be about 9, but then street rats always looked a little younger than they were supposed to be.
"Yeah." the kid said.
Shin nodded musingly to himself. It explained some about his stance, water benders never closed their fists when threatened, or held their stance so stiffly. "What's your name,"
"Mako." the kid said, stance still held and screaming that he was nervous and concerned about this sudden interest from a triad member.
"I'm gonna give you some advice, kid." Shin said, to Mako as the boy, stared up at him with serious guarded eyes. Shin grinned internally, he was fairly small fry on the ladder, but it was kinda fun to be taken so seriously by such a skinny street rat. "It's not enough just to be a bender. Nobody's gonna take you seriously if you don't look dangerous."
"Yeah?" Mako said, cocking his eyebrow, probably like he'd seen some of the older kids and Shin do before.
"Yeah." Shin nodded, a flicker of amusement running through him as he saw the kid emulate the big boys. "You've got the attitude through."
Mako couldn't help the smile flash across his face in response to the praise. He quickly smoothed it out, "You gonna teach me how to do it?"
he said, with both challenge and guarded hope.
A true smile spread over Shin's face, "Sure kid." He agreed, he was just kicking his heels until Zolt gave him the specs on their push into monsoon territory. He was bored enough to entertain the kid. And it was always fun to have the street kids look up at him with respect. "I'll teach ya how to look the part."
He moved to stand by Mako's side. "Right. Show me your ready stance: Like, you're gonna pop a firebending blast right into some skeezer's face if he keeps yapping nonsense. Yeah, good. Now drop the stance."
Mako frowned up at him like he was crazy and Shin grinned. "Stand like that, and you're screaming to the world that you're nervous. That ain't what you're aiming at."
"Stand like you own the whole world, all the four nations with all the power of the fucking Avatar right in yer hips."
"The hips?" Mako stated dubiously.
"Yeah. You'll get it when your older kid." Sin said, tapped Mako's left leg with his foot to get him to shift his weight off it. "Now, remember you've got all the time in the world, all you gotta do is shift your weight from one leg to the other and ya know that they're gonna fall down on their knees and sing like a canary-mouse because if you shift your weight from one foot to both feet, it screams that you're reading to firebend."
Mako nodded at him and adjusted his stance, hips slouched forward slightly, leaning his weight on his right leg.
"Yeah. That's real good kid. Now," Shin said, feeling a little bit like his old situ, "The arms are real important. Stick one on ya hip, yeah, like so." He showed Mako, who mimicked him intently. "Now, let the other hand loose, so you can you it in a hurry if ya need. Yeah. You've got it kid. Now, shift ya weight to both feet and let off a fire bending blast. There's no rattlers here to see."
Without a blink, the kid did just that, and the blast he let off was a little larger and hotter than he would've given credit for an untrained street rat.
Shin nodded and gave a slow, short, clap of approval. "Real impressive kid." Feeling even more like his first sifu, he added, "Remember, it's only gonna work if you make it your own." He gave a smile when Mako nodded seriously and have a small shadow of a half smile.
Then because he could, and not only had he grown a little fond of the kid in the careless way that only bored people with money could afford, but that Mako also showed promise which Zolt was always on the look out for, he asked.
"How'd you like to make a little money?"
The wide-eyed looked hardened into an edge of seriousness and the kid nodded. "Yeah. I'm int'rested."
Shin grinned his sloping smile and said, "Good. I like that in a kid. You stick with me, and I'll see ya right."
Fin.