Model Behavior
Summary: Modern/AU. Korra thought it was an ordinary day of art class at Republic School for the Gifted. But then, the art model Asami Sato walked into the room... Korrasami
Chapter 41: To (Earth)Kingdom Come – Mako and Bolin
Bolin watched, sighing happily as Asami made her way up along the side of the airship, a blowtorch gripped tightly in her hand. He tilted his head to the side, marveling at the way she easily scaled the side paneling, never hesitating.
While working for Asami at her company as her assistant, Bolin learned a lot about mechanics and engineering. Sure, he never really understood all the technical jargon they used during meetings and planning sessions, he did see things get done under her direction. Going to school and running a company made Bolin worry a lot about his friend's health, not just physically but emotionally and mentally as well.
There have been many times he'd see Asami working through the night, insisting she'd be fine the next morning by downing large amounts of coffee. Many times, she'd end up taking naps in her office during her rare downtime. Bolin was always instructed to wake her after ten minutes, but he'd "accidentally" forget and allow her to sleep for hours at a time. Though he was scolded for setting back her schedule, he knew Asami never meant a word she said, because soon after he'd be rewarded with a small special perk here and there.
Of course, Bolin could tell that Asami really enjoyed her work. She never even called it that, she would just mention what new projects she was working on. When asked, Asami would state that once tinkering with cars or designing new blueprints became work, she would start to hate it.
Even while they were having their fight, which looking back now Bolin had to admit he acted a bit immaturely, he was still in awe with everything that Asami had down to help the group and their mission. Now, here she was watching over Korra to make sure she healed properly and not push herself.
"Asami, you're always doing something for someone else," Bolin whispered to herself. He glanced up and spotted Korra on her glider, gently dipping and waving in the breeze. "When will you stop putting yourself aside and do what you really want?"
Bolin jumped when he felt a hand on his shoulder. Mako gave him a gentle smile before stepping away, Jinorah and Kai walking up behind him. "Ready to go?"
"Yeah, let's do it." Bolin nodded.
"We should probably mention to Korra and Asami what we're doing," Kai pointed out.
Bolin sighed, looking back at the two women. "Do we have to interrupt them?" he quietly asked.
"This is kind of important," Jinorah pressed. "We all came out to assist on this mission."
"I know." He half smiled. "It's just the one time I've really seen Asami relax."
"She knew the importance of the job," Mako pointed out. He then smiled warmly. "Besides, she'll be fine. She's Asami. She can do anything."
"You're right."
Bolin stepped out into the bright sun, shielded his eyes from the harsh sun. He gasped loudly when Asami suddenly slipped down the side of the airship. Bolin exhaled in relief as she came to a jerking stop. While he did admire the work she does, he still worried about her.
"Hey Asami," Bolin called out, as soon as he was in shouting distance. Asami gave him a wave as she walked around the base of the airship, inspecting more of the metal paneling. "Mako, Jinorah, and I are going with Kai deeper into the Earth Kingdom. We're going to see if we can find more airbenders. Want to come?" he asked.
Asami half smiled before shaking her head. "My to-do list is kinda long," she answered. A black shadow floated across the ground. She looked up and her smile widened when she spotted Korra gliding through the air.
Bolin reached out and placed a hand on her shoulder. Pabu popped out from underneath Bolin's shirt, ran down the length of his arm, and curled up around Asami's neck, nuzzling her cheek. "She's going to be fine," Bolin said. Asami looked over at him in confusion. "You don't have to wait around for her. Her memory will eventually come back. Just like last time."
Asami sighed, running a hand through her hair. "I just want to make sure she's alright. Even with her head injury, people are still going to expect the Avatar to help them with their problems."
Bolin bit his bottom lip, looking away. Raising an eyebrow, Asami leaned over, trying to catch a look at his face. Every time she got close, he would turn around in another direction. Hermes swooped down and hissed angrily at him. Bolin jumped back, and Asami placed both her hands on his shoulders, forcing him to stand still.
"What's going on?" she demanded.
"The Earth Queen has asked for a visit from the Avatar," Bolin said quietly. "She needs her assistance with something."
Asami sighed before dropping her arms. The fur on Pabu's tail stood on end. He chirped quietly before running back to Bolin, hiding in his shirt. Bolin took one small step back. He could feel the anger radiating off Asami.
Asami squinted up at the sky, before cupping her hands around her mouth. "Korra!" she shouted. Korra looked down at the two of them quickly changing direction on her glider. She swooped down in big circles, causing Asami's hair and skirt to ruffle in the wind.
Korra jumped off her glider, and landed on the ground, bending her knees to absorb her fall. Lifting a hand into the air, she caught her glider before pushing down into its compact state and placing it into her pocket. "You rang?" she asked, crossing her arms over her chest.
"I'm coming with you to visit the Earth Queen," Asami stated.
"I don't recall asking you," Korra pointed out. Bolin made a noise of agreement. He took an even bigger step back as Asami glanced over at him, raising an eyebrow. While the two were good friends, being Asami's assistant had made Bolin more aware of the emotions Asami tried to hide, especially anger. While she never said much during business meetings or working with her staff, all she needed to do was make a specific face and the tension in the air would change. Most importantly, Asami would remain calm, something Bolin found scarier than anyone yelling.
"You're still fragile," Asami said, turning her attention back to Korra. "You can't go by yourself and-"
"I'm sick and tired of people telling me what I can and can't do," Korra cried, stomping her foot. Bolin let out a cry of shock as the ground underneath his feet rose into a high pillar. He quickly performed a back flip and dropped back to the ground. "Yeah, I have a head injury. Sure, my memory hasn't come back…so I've been told, but I'm not going to fight anyone. I'm just going to hear what she wants to say, and find out where the airbenders are."
"There aren't any airbenders here. Not in the main city," Bolin said. "We've been told that numerous times. Which is why we're going to move out of the city."
"Yeah, and I enjoy going shopping." Korra rolled her eyes. "I'll believe it when I see it."
"Well, let me know when you're ready to go," Asami insisted.
"A body guard, how nice." Korra smiled brightly. "I never needed one with these babies right here." With that, she lifted her arms and flexed her muscles, nodding in satisfaction as the muscles rippled.
"Okay, Fabio," she snorted.
Korra quickly dropped her arms, her eyes widening in confusion. "Who?" she asked. Bolin stifled a laugh. He walked over, placed an arm on Asami's shoulder, and directed a finger gun at her.
"You read romance novels, don't you?" he half-smiled. Bolin smiled even bigger when he spotted the lightest shade of pink started to stain her cheeks. He then reached out and playfully poked her left cheekbone.
Teasing Asami was something he also enjoyed doing. Ever since New Year's, or really around the time of the Summer Solstice Festival, Bolin had found it easier and easier to find ways to get the engineer flustered, especially when the topics of dating or romance was involved.
"No," Asami shook her head. She pushed Bolin away before waving her hand in the air, fanning herself. "…I just like the covers," she insited. Korra and Bolin shared a look before standing in front of her, their arms crossed. "What? It's hot out here."
"Busted," Bolin laughed. Hermes chirped happily as Mako, Jinora, and Kai all waked up. Hermes nuzzled Asami one more time before fading from site. Korra lifted her fingers to her mouth and blew hard, giving a shrill whistle. A loud bark emerged from the airship before Naga bounded down the ramp, sliding to a stop in front of everyone. Korra happily laughed when Naga gave her a large lick.
"Let's get going," Asami said. She walked to Naga's side and checked the pouch, nodding when she found a radio in one of the pockets. "Do you have a radio?" she asked over her shoulder.
"Right here," Kai said, patting the bag resting on his hip. Korra swung her arms around and produced a gust of wind. She pushed herself up onto Naga's back before leaning over and holding her hand out to help Asami up. Naga bent down and laid on her stomach.
"Good, so we'll all be in contact." Asami grabbed a hold of Korra's hand and cried out in shock as Korra gave a hard tug and pulled her up into Naga's seat. Korra scratched Naga behind her ears before using her knees to direct Naga towards the city.
"Have fun with the queen," Bolin said while taking a few steps out of the way.
"Let's go, girl. To the city." Korra grabbed Asami's hands and pulled them around her waist as Naga reared back on her hind legs before shooting forward. Asami grunted as she fell forward, slamming into Korra's back. She released one hand from Korra's tight grip and reached up to pull her goggles down over her eyes.
"Are you ready to go?" Mako asked. He clipped a raido onto his hip. "I want to get back before dusk." He turend towards Jinora and Kai. "We may have cell phones but the service could easily be terrible where we're all going. Plus, these radios don't have much juice left. Only use it when needed."
"We probably should have told Korra and Asami that," Bolin pointed out. He turned, hands cupping his mouth, ready to call out. He stopped upon noticing the small white figure racing off into the distance. "I forget how fast Naga is sometimes."
"It wouldn't have made much of a difference. You know how impulsive Korra is," Mako said with a smile. "We can radio them later." He bid his goodbyes to Jinora and Kai before heading into town towards the closest train.
Mako grunted as a heavy weight slammed into his back. His grip tightened on the grab handle overhead. He looked over his shoulder and glared as a heavy-set man, who chuckled and slapped Mako hard on the back. Grumbling to himself, he moved a hand behind his back and snapped his fingers. A small flame lit up overtop his finger. The heavyset man had turned his attention to his nose, digging a finger deep into his nostril.
The people around him watched in disgust. A young man holding a grab handle leaned away as the heavyset man moved to wipe the mucus from his nose onto the seat of his pants. Another bump from the train caused the younger man to fall right into the larger man's armpit, his face full of the sweat stained clothing.
Mako extinguished the flame and slowly made his way through the sea of people, trying to find a new grab handle to hold. Bolin was happily perched on a seat, one he grabbed as soon as they got onto the train. Pabu, perched on his head, was looking out the window as the train rushed through the middle ring, and towards the lower ring. Bolin was, once again, staring at his phone, a pout pulling his lips downward.
"Bolin," Mako said gently. Bolin slowly looked up from his phone. Pabu's tail suddenly fell into his face. Bolin smiled before placing his phone into his pocket and brushing Pabu's tail out of the way. "I think it may be helpful to focus your attention on something else."
Bolin nodded. "You know you feel like a piece of home is with you as you wear that scarf?" he asked.
"I also feel that way with you around."
"Same," Bolin quickly agreed, "But, outside of us, we don't have family. Blood family. Opal made me feel like home." He raised a shoulder. "It's kind of hard to explain."
"Don't worry, you're making sense," Mako reassured him. He grunted as the train went over another bump, and again sent someone flying into his back. His grip tightened on the grab handle overhead. He looked over his shoulder ready to shout at the person but stopped when he noticed an attractive girl straightening back up.
"Sorry about that," she said with an apologetic smile. "Is it okay if I stand here?" a girl asked. She looked to be around the same age as Mako, maybe a bit younger. She smiled at him while pointing to the grab handle near his. Mako nodded once before stepping to the side. "Sorry, but I didn't want to be close to that guy either."
"Oh, it's quite alright," Mako said. He moved a few spaces over and tried to readjust the radio and handbag flung over his shoulder. He removed the radio and placed it into the bag, to try and make room.
"The space seems to be smaller over here, but I'll manage," the girl commented. She adjusted her own bag so that it rested on her left hip instead of dangle in front of her. A look of discomfort flashed across her face as she was jostled a bit into a young girl. The young girl's mother gave her a dirty look.
"Bolin, take the bag for a second." Mako all but threw the bag into Bolin's lap. Bolin quickly sat up and closed his legs so the bag landed on his thighs. "Is that better?" Mako asked.
"Yes, thank you." The girl adjusted the strap on the leather bag on her shoulder. She fiddled with the zipper on the main body of her bag, trying to close it, but gave up after a few seconds.
Bolin clasped their bag to his chest. He got up from his seat on the train and shuffled to the side to allow and mother with a loudly crying baby to have his seat. Pabu leaned forward, sniffing at the baby's foot. Bolin scolded him. Pabu's ears folded back and he slowly slunk back up Bolin's arm and sat on his shoulder.
"Arriving at the Lower Ring," an automated voice said over the loud speaker. The train's wheels screeched loudly as it slowed to a stop. The girl stumbled backward and slammed into Bolin, the leather bag, cushioning her fall. A loud ripping sound filled the cabin but was quickly drowned out by the loud chatter of people getting ready to disembark the train.
"Sorry," she apologized, her face turning beat red.
"Not a problem," Mako quickly answered. "Bolin is pretty sturdy. Is this your stop?"
"Yes, it is," The girl said. She adjusted the bag on her shoulder, quickly zipping it up and holding it against her chest. Mako used his body as a shield and helped the girl off the train and not get too bustled by the other people spilling out the doors. "Have a good day," the girl said before rushing off. Mako smiled and waved after her.
"You have a girlfriend," Bolin pointed out, crossing his arms, raising an eyebrow.
"I know." Mako dropped his arm. "Though she hasn't responded to my messages. Maybe, Asami…would know…why…" he slowly trailed off as Bolin gave him a smug smile. "What?!" he asked.
"Is that like a thing you do?" he pressed.
"What thing?"
"You tend to be really attentive to other girls when you're dating one." Bolin shrugged. He then clasped his hands behind his back, and began to rock back and forth.
"That's not true!" Mako insisted. He reached up and ran a hand through his hair. "I was just trying to be helpful. A gentleman."
"Whatever you say." Mako angrily reached out and punched him on the shoulder. Bolin chuckled before reaching up and wiping the sweat off of his forehead.
"It's too hot, Pabu. Maybe you should climb inside." Bolin unzipped the bag and held it open. Pabu popped his head out from underneath Bolin's shirt. He considered the bag, chirped loudly, and retreated inside Bolin's shirt. Bolin opened the bag wider, gasping loudly at the dirt ground below.
"Um, bro, we have a problem," Bolin held up the bag, pointing to the giant rip at the bottom. Mako groaned loudly before turning on the spot. He let out a roar of frustration. The girl had all but disappeared.
"What did she take?" Mako asked.
Bolin stuck his hand into the bag, fishing around, before it popped out the other end. "I'm going to take an educated guess, but…everything." Pabu popped out of the back of Bolin's shirt. He crawled down his owner's arm and down into the open bag. He chirped loudly as he soon fell out of the bottom onto the ground. "We don't have any money," Bolin said.
"Bolin, we don't have our passports," Mako said. He reached up and ran a hand over his face. "We can't get back to the Upper Ring without them. We're stuck!"
"What are we going to do?" Bolin asked. Mako sighed hard before raising a fist into the air. A large tower of fire erupted from the end and shot straight up into the sky. He inhaled and exhaled slowly before lowering his hand. Without saying a word, he marched forward, his shoulders hunched over.
Bolin quickly followed behind him in silence. The two walked along the barren lower ring, occasionally reaching up and wiping the sweat off their foreheads and necks. They passed numerous empty wooden shacks and stalls. Sand coated their clothing as an occasional breeze picked up. While it was a reprieve from the heat, it didn't help that it caused sand to stick to their exposed skin.
"Look, a market," Mako pointed out as they neared numerous shops and stalls. People dressed in Earth Nation gear were standing behind each table calling out to Bolin and Mako to purchase some of their items. Mako would briefly glance at each stall but continued to walk by. Most stalls were selling cheap jewelry, counterfeit historical war items, or had photos of the past King Bumi plastered onto as many random items as they could.
"What do we do now?" Bolin asked.
"Right now, we should find something to eat," Mako answered. He sucked his cheeks in, gathered as much saliva as possible, before tilting his head back and swallowing, coating his dry throat. "Keep our strength up."
"There's a fruit stand over there," Bolin said, pointing to a stall. It was tucked in between two other stalls. A tattered piece of clothing was overhead, giving some shade to the teenager standing behind the wooden set up. He was buffing a crisp looking apple with a cloth.
"We may have to pull out some of our old tricks," Mako whispered.
"They're all rotting, don't even bother," the teenager shouted back. He disappeared behind the stall and reappeared with a bushel of apples. Fliers swarmed the fruit. "And this one is mine," he added, picking up the crisp apple, taking a huge bite.
"How'd he hear us?" Bolin asked.
"Doesn't matter. That food wouldn't be worth it right now," Mako said with a shrug. "Even though we have eaten worse."
"What are you saying? My fruit isn't good enough for you to pinch?" the teenager demanded.
"Wait, I'm confused." Bolin reached up and scratched his head. "Do you want us to steal from you, or don't you?"
"So, you admit that you want to steal from me and my family?" the teenager asked. Before Mako or Bolin could move, the teenager jumped from behind the wooden stall. As soon as his feet hit the ground, a giant slab of rock popped up out of the earth and shot towards Mako and Bolin. The two let out loud grunts of pain as they were knocked off their feet.
Mako tried to roll to his side, to check on Bolin but found his waist and legs pinned by rock. Bolin wheezed as the teenager jumped on top of him, pressing his face into the ground.
"Mako?" a rough voice called out. "Bolin?"
Mako turned his head to the side. A wooden crate of fruit crashed to the ground. Lemons, limes, and mangos rolled in different directions. A pair of feet quickly ran up to him. Mako lifted his eyes, squinting at the bright sun. "Dad?" he muttered, dust and dirt coating his mouth.
"That proves it," Bolin grunted. "We're dead."
"No, I'm his brother, Chow. Tu, get off your cousins." Bolin let out a sigh of relief as the man lying on top of him was removed. He sat up and brushed the dirt out of his hair. Mako sighed happily as the rock hold him in place was removed. Mako stretched his arms before reaching up to rub his neck. He then began to furiously brush the dirt off the red scarf around his neck.
"Cousins?" Mako repeated.
Tu ran around picking up the various pieces of fruit and placing them back into the crate. Using his pant leg, he wiped the dirt off two mangos before tossing them over to Bolin and Mako. Bolin caught his and ripped it in half, holding some out to Pabu who chirped happily.
"You need to come with us, to meet the rest of the family." Chow held out his hand to help Mako to his feet. Mako looked down at the gloved hand before nodding in agreement. Chow yanked him to his feet before placing an arm around him. Tu packed up the rest of the food and stored it away underneath the fruit stand.
"Did you hear that, Mako?" Bolin said, excitedly hitting his brother on the arm. "We have a family!"
"We've had a family for the last few years," Mako said evenly as he followed Chow and Tu down the road. "Remember, Korra? Asami? Tenzin?"
"But…this time it's blood."
Mako wanted to respond but stayed quiet. He understood; he had the same longing to find members of his family for years. While over the years, his hope of meeting a distant relative dwindled, he still held onto that feeling, mostly for his brother. Mako reached out and lightly punched Bolin on the arm.
Chow and Tu turned down a small alleyway in between two rundown buildings. Mako and Bolin sighed happily from the instant relief from the shade. Tu pulled a set of keys out of his pocket and unlocked a padlock door. Mako titled his head in confusion, but stepped past the threshold after Bolin. Tu quickly pulled the door shut, and locked it behind him, pocketing the padlock.
"This your grandmother, Yin," Chow said, gesturing to an older woman across the room. The frail older woman shifted her gaze from a framed photo of the Earth Queen upon hearing her name. Her eyes widened in shock, her hand shook as she reached up and covered her mouth, a gasp barely escaping.
"Grandmother!" Bolin squealed. He quickly pulled Mako into his side before grabbing Yin and hugging the two of them. Mako cried out in discomfort. As soon as Bolin loosened his grip, Mako gave Yin a long hug.
Mako couldn't help but lower his head, inhaling deeply. Her scent was a mixture of baked goods and a light earthy perfume. He felt all the tension in his body melt away, instantly relaxing. Even though meeting and embracing for the first time, he felt very comforted. Much more than he had felt in the longest time.
Growing up on the street and protecting his younger brother, Mako never really felt the same complacent comforting feel as an older family member can give. He wouldn't trade his brother for the world, but Mako had to grow up quickly to make sure nothing happened to Bolin. After his parents passed away, no one really looked after Mako. Granted, the Triple Triads did take them both in, and while he was grateful, it didn't really feel the same.
"You boys looks just like your father," she said while pulling away from Mako's embrace. "Is he and my daughter-in-law with you?" she asked, glancing at the door.
Bolin and Mako exchanged a sad look. "No, they passed away when we were young," Mako answered with a slow shake of his head. "Taken down by firebenders."
"Oh dear." Yin clasped her hands together and bowed her head. "May they rest in peace, but we're so thankful to finally meet you."
"Finally?" Mako asked at the same time Bolin said, "We?" It was then the two got a good look at the room. Numerous people had filed into the room from behind a curtain and some continued to arrive. They would pause at the door way as soon as they spotted Mako and Bolin and inched closer. Some women were holding babies, and some people were older, shuffling slowly. They all wore tattered and threadbare Earth Nation clothing.
"Does everyone live here?" Mako slowly asked.
"Yes," Yin said. She quickly shooed away two young children and offered Bolin and Mako a seat. Another member of the family placed a small plate of various pieces of fruit and vegetables onto their plates. Bolin split his portion in half and motioned for Pabu to eat as well. "It was the only way to save up enough money to send to you both."
"No one has sent us money," Mako said. He refused to look at the others in the room as he slowly ate the food placed in front of him. He chewed slowly, savoring each piece, but also feeling a bit of guilt due to eating small portions of food, which he was sure wasn't much to begin with. He blinked rapidly, a sharp sting erupted behind his eyes. He blinked quickly, reaching up to wipe at his eyes, feigning that he was removing some dirt.
"You haven't received it yet," Chow answered. "Trust funds."
Mako paused mid chew. A bit of juice dribbled down his chin. He quickly wiped it away with the back of his hand before swallowing. "We have a trust fund?"
"We've been setting it up for years." Yin took a seat in between Mako and Bolin. She reached out and wiped the dribbles off Bolin's chin with a napkin. She then reached up and brushed a few stray pieces of food off Mako's red scarf. "For you both to have a good life."
"Why didn't you use that money to come and visit?" Bolin asked. He reached out and scratched Pabu behind his ears. Pabu hiccuped before slinking closer to Bolin, closing his eyes, and leaning into his hand. "Why didn't you say anything?"
"We're going through tough times right now. It's not much, but its home and our family made this place. I may be proud of where I'm living and how I'm living because I worked for it, but I didn't' want to subject you all to what we're going through," Chow said. "Your parents wouldn't have wanted that. That's why they left, to look for a better life for all of us."
"They sent us a lot of letters, updating us about the two of you," Yin said proudly. "You've been doing so well. They told us about their schooling plans for you. Then, the letters stopped coming." Everyone in the room got quiet. A woman gently shushed her fussing baby. Yin cleared her throat before placing a hand on Bolin's and Mako's arm. "But, it's okay, because you're here now. We can catch up."
"Unfortunately, we won't be here for long," Mako announced.
"We're working with Avatar Korra to find any airbenders here in Ba Sing Se," Bolin added. "Though, the Earth Queen has shut us down at every turn."
Yin gasped in shock, before pointing at Mako and Bolin, spitting once and waving her hands in the shape of a cross. She got up from her seat and quickly moved towards a photo of the Earth Queen hanging on the wall. Yin touched the frame with the tips of her fingers before bowing her head. "Don't use her name negatively."
"I hear talk about airbenders all the time when I set up shop," Tu commented. "There's a rumor going around that she's captured them all."
"Why?" Bolin asked.
"To run tests on them or something." Tu shrugged. He then dropped his voice. "She may have the Dai Li but I believe she's trying to create a bender army."
Mako and Bolin didn't response. The two quickly turned towards each other before jumping to their feet. "We need to contact Korra," Mako said.
"We don't have a radio, remember?" Bolin pointed out.
"Then we have to go back to the Upper Ring."
"We don't have our passports anymore, remember?"
Tu half-smiled. "I can fix that."
