"I don't know guys, I don't really like to drink," Mako said shyly as he turned down the fourth drink Korra and Bolin had offered him for the night.
"C'mon, Mako, don't be such a sourpuss!" Korra said, in an attempt to encourage him.
"Yeah, take it like a man!" Bolin shouted.
"I'm thinking I'm not gunna drink it… why don't one of you guys have it?" Mako suggested.
"It's all you, Mr. hat-trick! Bolin and I have already had four each," Korra said, holding up her hand with three fingers to show him how many drinks they'd had. There was a pause before she realized her hand wasn't agreeing with the number she just said, and stuck her pinky up to join her other three fingers. Bolin slid the shot closer to Mako.
"Do it! Do it! Do it!" Bolin began chanting, starting out soft and gradually getting louder.
"Oh, come on, bro…" Mako started, but was interrupted by Korra joining in Bolin's chant.
"Do it! Do it! Do it!" They yelled, starting to point their fists on the table to their chant. Mako took a deep sigh. He was usually the sober one who made sure Korra got on the last ferry for Air Temple Island.
"Well, here goes nothing…" Mako said, finally giving into the peer pressure. He took the shotglass, put it to his lips, threw his head back and swallowed the strong shot of whiskey. Bolin and Korra cheered loudly for their friend. Not bad, he thought to himself. He thought too soon, as the biting aftertaste hit him all at once. The grimace on Mako's face conveyed his desire for something to chase down the shot with. Bolin slid his beer across the table to Mako, who picked it up and took a few sips.
Five drinks later, the Fire Ferrets had finally decided to leave the speakeasy for the night. They stumbled down the streets, laughing at each other's inability to walk in a straight line.
"Oh shit, you guys, I have to show you something!" Korra exclaimed excitedly, and grabbed both of her friends by the wrists and dragged them to Republic City Park, which was only a few blocks away from the streets they were wandering. Once they had gotten close enough to the main fountain, Korra jumped in, bending a wakeboard of ice for her to land on and started boarding around the fountain in a circle. However, this proved much more difficult than she initially anticipated, and lost her balance when the wave she was bending threw her to the left. She fell to the ground and the wave fell back into the fountain without her concentration.
Mako and Bolin doubled over laughing at the avatar's less-than-graceful stunt. Korra rubbed her butt in pain and stood up, laughing with them at herself.
"I'd like to see you guys try bending after nine drinks!" she said to defend herself. Bolin accepted her challenge and pulled a very oddly shaped, blobbish slab of earth and gently threw it at Korra, who caught it. "What is this supposed to be?" She asked, staring at the slab of earth in her hands, whose outline vaguely resembled that of an amoeba.
"Isn't it a heart?" Bolin asked, stepping closer to Korra, who immediately burst out laughing. She held it up for Mako to see, who joined in her laughter. "Well Mako, why don't you show us what you got?" Bolin challenged his brother. Mako just shook his head.
"I don't think drunken firebending would end very well," he said calmly, always the responsible one. He saw Korra assume a firebending stance and called out to stop her. "That goes for you too, miss avatar!" Korra simply stuck out her tongue at him and shot a fireball straight up in the air. Unfortunately, there was a tree branch right above her that promptly lit on fire.
"Shit!" Korra yelled, and waterbended a stream of water to the branch to put the flame out. The stream of water floating through the air wasn't much of a stream at all; it was shaky and looked more like a lightning bolt made out of water with all its jerky movements. Shakiness aside, Korra doused the flames, looked around quickly, and then suggested they leave the park.
After they were back on the route to the docks, Mako playfully jabbed Korra on the arm.
"Well, that drunken firebending didn't end very well for you, did it?" He teased. Korra hit him back but accidentally knocked him to the ground.
"Ah! Sorry, I always forget how strong I am," Korra said, helping Mako up, who rubbed his arm sorely after standing up. "But anyways, maybe we should make a rule that no fire ferret should firebend after more than three drinks?"
"I'm pretty sure that rule would only apply to you, because I have the good sense not to bend while intoxicated," Mako replied. Korra laughed and agreed.
"Speaking of intoxication," interjected Bolin, "who else feels like some food right now?"
"Bolin, it's past midnight. There aren't any restaurants open right now," Mako said, shooting down Bolin's idea. "Also, what does food have to do with intoxication?"
"You guys should come back to the island with me! The air acolytes are total food snobs and have some really awesome cheese and bread that I use to make cheese sandwiches all the time… how good does that sound right now?" Korra drunkenly exclaimed, ignoring Mako's question.
"Mmm… cheese sandwiches…" Bolin mused, drooling at the thought. "I say we go!"
Just as Bolin decided on the drunken teammate's destination, they arrived at the docks where the ferries depart from.
"Ah, fuck!" Korra yelled. "That's the last ferry right there!" She pointed to a ferry that was already halfway across Yue Bay.
"But… the cheese!" Bolin objected, rather solemnly. Mako rolled his eyes.
"Well, I guess you're just gunna have to stay with us tonight, Korra," Mako said. "Won't Tenzin be pissed?"
"Ah, Tenzin's too uptight anyways," Korra said, shrugging it off.
"But….the cheese…and the bread…." Bolin brought up.
"Damn it! It's really good cheese, you guys," Korra explained. "I really want some, it sounds so good right now!"
"Yes, it does! Can't we just borrow a boat to get across the bay?" Bolin suggested.
"You mean steal a boat for the night? I'd rather not get tracked down by the police," Mako said, shooting down Bolin's idea.
"I could waterbend us over to the island on a block of ice," Korra offered.
"Because you were totally able to waterbend yourself on a block of ice in the fountain back at the park," Mako objected. "Face it, guys, we're not getting over there."
"But…cheese…." Bolin said softly, still hoping for a way to get to the island. "What if we swim?"
"And all drown? I don't think you guys realize how drunk you are," Mako said negatively.
"Who are you calling drunk, …drunksy?" Korra shot back, struggling with her usual nicknaming ability.
"And my point is proven," Mako mused. Bolin looked at Air Temple Island longingly.
"Wait!" Bolin shouted as an idea popped into his head. "What if we make our own boat and go over in it?"
"How the hell are we going to make a boat?" Mako asked.
"Let me rephrase this," Bolin started, stumbling in place, "what if Korra makes us a boat and waterbends the water around the boat to get us over there! That way, even if she messes up, we won't drown!"
"Thanks for the confidence, Bolin," Korra sneered, punching him on the arm. "That is a good idea though! Whaddya say, Mr. Grumpy?" She smiled and put her hands on her hips, proud of her ability to give Mako a nickname that wasn't "drunksy."
"Well, I guess it's not the dumbest thing I've ever heard…" Mako trailed off, not sure if he liked his new nickname.
"Then it's settled!" Korra shouted, and quickly created small canoe out of ice in the water. The brothers climbed in, Bolin grinning in excitement, and Mako still brooding over whether or not this was a good idea.
I guess we'll find out, he thought to himself as Korra jumped in and started waterbending their way across the bay.