A/N: Takes place after Mako and Korra assemble a jigsaw puzzle together and before they take a nice visit to an Equalist party.

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~o0{}0o~

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Korra shut the door behind her as she emerged from the shed wearing a dull, mud-coloured longcoat, and one of the ugliest woolen hats she'd ever seen. They had been taking turns changing into their borrowed 'normal people' clothes in preparation for the rally, and Mako was wearing a similar, albeit much larger, version of her outfit.

"Wait."

Mako grabbed her shoulders suddenly, and fixed his eyes on her, scanning her face intensely. The questioning sound she had been about to make lodged itself in her throat, and, wildly, she imagined that this was what it would feel like to be an ostrich-horse caught in the path of a stray Satomobile.

Then, starting from the back of her head, he wrapped something soft and clean and cottony around her neck and the bottom of her face. It was his scarf. She could tell just from the feeling of it against her skin that this treasured keepsake was well cared for.

A million questions, doubts, and hopes ran through her head. She peered quizzically into his face, trying to assess his motives.

"Your picture is all over the newspapers," he said in explanation, sounding as exasperated as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "We want to prevent people from recognising you as best we can."

"Wow...thanks." She did appreciate the gesture; however, she couldn't help but feel slightly disappointed.

"Just don't use it as a weapon or anything," he replied curtly.

"I'll take good care of it, I promise."

When he turned away to attend to his own disguise, she inhaled deeply through the folds of the scarf. It smelled faintly of smoke and factories, but there was also something else. Something she couldn't describe.

It was indisputably the smell of Mako. She felt an inane thrill run through her veins.

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~o0{}0o~

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A/N:

This is a ficlet about an obsession. An obsession with the fashion-accessory-slash-memorabilia of a fictional cartoon character.

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Sometimes I take a step back and ask myself, what am I doing with my life?