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Republic City Beach, Five years ago:
"Get off! That's my towel."
Ryu squinted through the bright afternoon sun at the teenage girl who was standing over him with her hands squarely on her hips.
"What difference does it make. Go get another one," he grumped.
"Mom!"
A woman turned away from where she was helping her husband set-up on the beach. "That is her towel Ryu. Let her have it," the woman called. "There should be another towel in the car."
Ryu gave the towel a good kick once he was on his feet. The girl snatched it and shot her tongue out at him as he dragged himself to the bag of supplies still in the car.
"I can't find it!" he shouted as he rooted around the large duffle bag.
At this point, the husband had arrived to help look. "I don't see one either," he called to the woman.
"I'm sorry Ryu. I guess we're used to it only being the three of us," the woman replied. "You can use one of ours," she offered.
A scowl darkened Ryu's face. "Forget it. I'm gonna go for a walk."
"Ryu," the woman called after him, but he ignored her as he stormed off.
"Let him go," the man said as he joined his wife. "This is an adjustment for all of us."
Ryu kicked at the hot sand as he marched. Of course they didn't have a beach towel for him. Why would they? He was just the foster kid. He continued his sullen march until he came across a bunch of pigeon-rats digging in some brush at the edge of the sand.
"Get lost ya buncha fleabags!" he yelled and bent a ball of fire at them. They scattered, shedding feathers as they launched into the air. Left behind was a nest and, tucked in the bramble, was a single egg; its siblings nothing but crushed shells. Despite his harsh treatment of the birds, he felt a twinge of sympathy for the lone egg.
"You got abandoned too huh?" He carefully picked up the egg. Surprisingly, it was still warm…barely. He dashed it back to his foster parents.
"Hey! I found this egg!" he shouted as he held it out to show them.
His foster mother cringed as she shooed it away with her hand. "Put it back Ryu. The mother is probably going to come back for it."
"No they won't. It was all alone. All the other eggs were broken!" he argued.
"Then that one is probably bad. Just leave it Sport," his foster father added.
"It's not bad and I'm not leaving it!" Ryu snapped. "And don't call me Sport!"
His foster father knelt by him. "Ryu, even if it does hatch, we can't care for it. We can't have another mouth to feed."
"You mean like me!" Ryu shouted. He clutched the egg to his chest and ran off down the beach.
"Ryu!" the man called after him.
Ryu fumed as he dashed over the sand. It was the same with every family. He was just a burden; an extra mouth to feed. He clambered up the short brush-shelf and took in the view of the city. Skyscrapers surrounded the bay with the ever visible beam of the Spirit Portal in the distance.
"That's where we need to go," he told his egg companion. "No one will bother us in the Spirit Wilds." He looked back at his foster family who were now engrossed in lunch preparations. He didn't need them. He didn't need anyone. His mind set, he snuck off toward the city proper in search of a ride.
Pedestrians ignored him as he scanned the curbsides. It was always harder to find an appropriate target in the middle of the day, but that made it all the more thrilling. Fortune smiled on him when he spotted a man running into a shop, his car keys forgotten in the ignition. It was almost cheating, but at least he wouldn't have to cook the lock. He dodged cars as he sprinted across the street and hopped into the driver's seat.
"H, Hey!" The owner noticed too late as he sped off with the vehicle.
He brought his pilfered car to a sliding stop outside the Spirit Wilds. Several Airbenders hovered around the area but, much like everyone else, a lone street rat wasn't worth their attention. Even so, he kept himself hidden as he vacated the car to begin his search.
Abandoned, vine-choked buildings—what was left of them anyway—framed the park around the Spirit Portal. All of them had been destroyed when the Avatar caused an explosion that opened the portal in the middle of the city. At least, that was how he'd heard the story. It had happened long before he was born although he couldn't say who had told him.
He clutched the egg to his chest as he cautiously explored the crumbling ruins. All the structures seemed to be connected, like an intricate cave system. He navigated the mess until he came to a small room in what was once the second story of a building. The floor was slightly tilted but still level enough to walk across without difficulty. Several glassless windows let in fresh air and an old couch sat against the wall.
"This looks like a good place to stay," he told the egg. Dust coughed up from the cushions as he plopped onto the couch. He removed his shirt, wrapped the egg, and carefully placed it on the cushion next to him.
"It's just going to be you and me from now on little guy," he said as he carefully bent a flame in his hand to keep the egg warm. "And you're never going to be a burden to me."
For the next few days, he took the egg with him wherever he went while he scrounged for supplies and dodged the police. The last thing he wanted was to be caught and thrown back into the foster system. He was done being an extra mouth to feed. Besides, once his latest family discovered he had stolen another car, it would be back to the orphanage. Neither option was desirable.
After a week, the egg still hadn't hatched. He frowned at it as it sat in its makeshift nest.
"C'mon little guy. I know you're in there…" He tapped the smooth shell as if that would be enough to wake the dormant embryo. Unsurprisingly, nothing happened. "I'm not going to abandon you." A yawn escaped his mouth and he was soon fast asleep next to the egg. Loud chirping woke him some time later. He opened his eyes to see the tiny hatchling struggling in the egg. He quickly peeled off the shell to reveal a pink, featherless animal with a thin tail and sharp beak. An iguana parrot. It cried-out as it demanded food.
"I got you. Hold on." He raced to a cooler he had scavenged from another building. Inside was an assortment of fruits, fish, and bugs that he had been collecting for just this moment. Since he had no idea what the egg was, he had prepared for anything.
The hatchling initially refused everything, turning its beak stubbornly away. Then the realization hit him. This was a hatchling with no teeth or anything to chew. Time to be a good mama bird. He nervously gulped as he looked at the menagerie of foodstuffs. The fish and fruit weren't going to be a problem but the bugs gave him pause.
"Only if you don't like these," he said as he looked disdainfully at the bugs. He chewed some fish and spit the mush into his hand for the hatchling. The chick continued to shrilly cry-out as it avoided the offered meal.
"Okay, okay. Not fish." He wiped the goo onto his pants and chewed up some fruit next. This time, the chick stuffed its beak into the pulp and voraciously gobbled it down. After a couple more helpings, it was sated with its tiny belly distended.
"There we go." He took the tiny hatchling, which had fallen fast asleep after its first meal, and snuggled it on his chest. It looked so fragile to him. "Don't worry. I'm going to take good care of you Juji."
Present Day:
Clouds slowly drifted over the afternoon sun as Mako observed Ryu and Koji. The objective of today's training was to focus on combatting different elements. As the Avatar, Ryu was going to come across benders of all kinds. He needed to be prepared for anything, although, it was good training for any bender who wanted to utilize their skills in combat.
Koji was the obvious one to challenge him. The teen was a fairly talented Earthbender in his own right. He had developed his own technique of Mudbending which he used to skate along the ground like ice. In reality, he was just softening the top layer of earth beneath his feet to slide across it, but it still showed his high level of control. A little more focus and he'd probably be able to Metalbend if he tried.
Mako also noticed that Koji wasn't much of a fighter. The teen preferred to be evasive when sparring and rarely struck first. It was more like an Airbender.
"How's it going Papa?" Mari asked as she joined him by the small clearing. Since she wasn't a bender, she couldn't really help with today's training. Instead, she had used the time to write in her journal. Mako would have to think of a way to work with her so she wouldn't feel left out.
They both winced when Koji suddenly slipped on his own "mud" and crashed into Ryu. The training devolved into a scuffle as the boys began to wrestle. Mari giggled at the scene, her question answered.
"Why don't we call it a day boys," Mako called to the pair. It was clear they were no longer focused on training which was fine. They'd already done a lot of work for the day. "Get cleaned up and start packing. We should probably move on." They'd been at this particular campsite for about a week. It was unlikely that Bufo would find them out in the wilderness, but he didn't want to take any chances.
The boys didn't immediately listen, intent on their fight, but a firm slap of his tail against the ground reminded them who was in charge. They stopped fighting, but were still intent on harassing each other as they went about packing up camp. Mako didn't care as long as the work got done in a timely fashion.
"Ready to go Kid?" he asked once everything was packed.
"We can't leave yet. Juji's not back," Ryu replied as he scanned the horizon with his hand to his brow. It wasn't unusual for the iguana parrot to go flying off whenever they camped outside. What was unusual was for the bird to be gone for hours. It never strayed from its owner for very long.
"What's going on?" Koji shouted from his seat in The Rampage where he and Mari were already set to go.
"Juji's missing," Mako answered. "I'm going to help look for him."
"Should we come too Papa?" Mari asked from around Koji's shoulder. She didn't see the boy nervously blush but Mako did. It was a reminder to keep an eye on the boy.
"No. I need you to stay here while we search. You'll be my anchor in case we get lost," he replied. He didn't think Juji had gotten too far but if they did get lost, he had a trick to get back to his granddaughter. Mari gave him an affirmative nod as he and Ryu entered the trees.
"Juji! Juji! C'mon buddy, where are you?" Ryu shouted through the woods. Mako didn't bother to call as the bird had made it obvious from the beginning that it didn't like him. Even after all these months, it still clawed or hissed at him for no apparent reason. Often it would sit on the boy's shoulder and just glare at him. However, as much as he disliked the pest, Juji was important to Ryu so he would search as long as necessary.
A loud buzzing through the trees caught their attention. Definitely not Juji, but it might be worth investigating. Mako carefully navigated around the dense trunks, Ryu following, until he found the source of the buzzing. It was a large humming-wasp nest stuck to the side of an equally large oak. The insects were swarming around the main hive and, at the base of the tree, was a red and blue bird covered in honey and welts. Juji must of thought he was going to get a treat and instead ended up attacked by the stinging insects. From where they were standing, Mako couldn't tell if the bird was still alive.
"Juji!" Ryu was about to rush forward to grab his pet but Mako blocked him.
"Not so fast Kid," he said as Ryu desperately struggled to get past. "There's too many wasps. If you rush in, you're going to end up like Juji."
"I'm gonna torch those wasps!" Ryu angrily growled. Balls of fire suddenly appeared around his fists and the air around them began to stir. In his anger, Ryu was about to trigger his Avatar state. Mako instantly snuffed the flames with his own abilities in an effort to keep the teen under control.
"We absolutely do not attack in anger Kid," he stated. "They were just protecting their nest and if you lose control, you could easily set the whole forest on fire."
"I have to do something! I'm not going abandon Juji!"
"I'm not saying you have to," Mako calmly replied. He took a deep breath and looked back at the bird under the angry nest. Only one thing to do. "I'm going to run in, get Juji, then we hightail it back to The Rampage." Getting that close would likely stir-up the swarm, but hopefully the stingers wouldn't get through his scales. All he had to do was keep his back to the wasps when they attacked. He was getting ready to run when Ryu grabbed his arm.
"Let me get Juji," Ryu stated.
"Kid, I already said that if you rush in—"
"I'll get stung. I don't care! He's my pet. You don't even like him. If anyone is going to get stung, it should be me," Ryu finished, the determination clear on his face.
"Alright." Mako relented, and scooped the teen into his arms. "You're only going to have a few seconds to grab him and I'll do my best to keep them at my back. Hang on."
Ryu clung tight as Mako dashed to the nest. Unsurprisingly, the wasps were on them in an instant. He swatted them away with his arms and tail while Ryu collected Juji. The bird was completely limp in the boy's hands. There was no time to mourn however as Mako grabbed Ryu and made a mad dash back through the trees. Fortunately, the wasps were more concerned with their nest than the interlopers and quickly gave up the chase. Soon, the pair were safely back at The Rampage.
"Are you two okay?" Koji asked as soon as he spotted them.
Mako had taken the brunt of the damage and had multiple welts on his exposed arms and face. Ryu had also been stung but had no where near the number of wounds that Mako had endured. An angry frown covered the teen's face as he cradled his beloved pet in his arms. The honey that was all over Juji was now stuck to him as well.
"Is he…?" Mari's voice was barely a whisper as she shared Ryu's grief.
"Let me have a look." Mako went to examine the bird. It didn't even flinch as he gently took it from Ryu's arms. It definitely seemed dead. He prodded Juji's chest and eventually felt the slightest heartbeat.
"He's still alive but we need to find a veterinarian or I don't think he's going to make it," Mako stated. Ryu's face lit-up as he snatched Juji back into his arms.
"There was a town several miles back," Mari offered. "They might have a vet."
"C'mon! Let's go!" Ryu was in the passenger seat before anyone else could move.
Mako and Ryu both received odd stares as they rushed into the lobby of the veterinary clinic. Probably from the facts that, not only were they covered in wasp stings, but Mako hadn't bothered to hide his Fetchling features before they entered either. There just wasn't time. He ignored the stares as Ryu went straight to the receptionist whose anxious eyes went straight to Mako's horns.
"Juji's hurt! He needs help!" Ryu frantically stated. Any kind of courtesy was absent from the upset teen.
"His bird got loose and was attacked by a swarm of humming wasps," Mako calmly interceded. Over the years he had learned that if he presented himself properly, people were quicker to accept his appearance. "Is there anything you can do to help?"
The receptionist's professionalism quickly took over. They shook off the shock of the pair's initial approach and went to work.
"I'll take him back to the doctor to have him looked at immediately," the receptionist stated. They disappeared into one of the examination rooms and returned a moment later with a damp towel. As they reached for Juji, Ryu pulled away.
"I can take him," he stated, unwilling to release the bird.
"I know you're worried Kid, but you need to let them take Juji," Mako stated.
Ryu clearly wasn't happy, but did relent. Honey-coated feathers stuck to him as the receptionist took the iguana parrot.
"We're going to do everything we can to make sure he gets better," the receptionist said with a gentle smile. The expression they exchanged with Mako however, told him they didn't hold much hope.
With Juji in the vet's care, Mako focused on Ryu who was looking forlornly at the door where his pet had disappeared.
"Why don't we go back to The Rampage and clean up," he offered, not only because they were covered in welts, but the other occupants of the small clinic were still staring at him. He didn't want to cause any more of a scene.
"I'm going to wait here for Juji," Ryu firmly stated. Mako decided not to argue with the strong-willed teen. He had been through enough for one day.
"Fine, but don't cause any trouble. Like the receptionist said, they are going to do everything they can for Juji," Mako replied. It wouldn't surprise him if Ryu tried to interfere with the veterinarian. Amazingly, the boy had no smart comment or sarcastic remark. He simply took a chair against the wall of the waiting room and quietly sat there. Mako gave him one last glance before he exited the clinic.
After he had cleaned himself and treated his stings, he returned a couple hours later. Ryu and Mari were the only ones left in the waiting room. His granddaughter had decided to keep Ryu company at one point and was quietly sitting next to the other teen with her Fetchling features properly hidden under her jacket. She really was a sweet girl.
"Excuse me." Ryu's head snapped up when the receptionist approached. They gave the teen a wary side-eye as they addressed Mako. "Do you have a moment? I want to discuss the matter of payment."
Ryu went back to his silent vigil while Mako went to talk with the receptionist. Once out of earshot from Ryu, they changed their tune.
"It doesn't look good," the receptionist somberly began. "He took at least twenty stings, maybe more, which is a lot for an animal so small. Honestly, it's a miracle he's still alive. The doctor tried some anti-venom but it doesn't seem to be working. We can try to pump its stomach to remove any lingering toxins and do another dose, but there is no guarantee it will change anything."
They glanced back at Ryu to make sure he wasn't listening.
"You might be better off buying him another bird," the receptionist finished with a the faintest whisper.
"Not an option," Mako stated. "Pump its stomach. Fill it full of pills. Do whatever you can to save that bird."
"Are you sure?"
"Believe me. If that bird doesn't pull through, it's not going to be good for any of us," Mako stated. The receptionist gave him a confused glance. What they didn't realize was that if Juji died, Ryu would be overcome by grief. If what had happened when they first found the injured bird was any indication, things wouldn't end well after that.
"What did they say Papa?" Mari asked as he returned to the teens.
He sighed as he looked to Ryu.
"Juji is in pretty bad shape. He's going to have to stay the night so the vet can keep an eye on him," he replied. It was only half the truth, but enough to quell Ryu for the time being.
"I should have kept a better eye on him," Ryu angrily frowned. Obviously he blamed himself for the incident.
"Accidents happen Kid," Mako began. "You can't watch Juji twenty-four hours a day just like I can't constantly watch you three. All you can do is hope something like this doesn't happen again."
"Yeah, whatever," Ryu huffed, which was the teen's standard answer for most things. Normally, when he threw that kind of attitude, Mako would scold him but he let it slide.
"Anyway, there's nothing more we can do here. We'll have to wait in The Rampage until morning," Mako finished. Ryu remained silent as he dragged himself from his chair and lead the way back to the vehicle.
Although he did clean-up, Ryu skipped dinner. Instead, he sat in the passenger seat with his eyes glued to the window. For their part, Koji and Mari let him have his space. It wasn't until they were getting ready for bed that Mari approached him with a stuffed Rabaroo in her hands.
"I know it's not Juji but, if you need something to keep you company tonight," she said and held out the toy to him. It was her favorite toy from when she was little and she still cuddled with it on occasion. "Lemon helps me feel better when I'm sad."
Ryu sneered at the stuffed animal. "I'm not a little kid Mari," he snarled.
Mari looked as if she were about to cry at the rebuttal. "No. I know…I didn't mean..." She somberly wrapped her arms around the Rabaroo.
"Can I see Lemon?" Koji cut-in. That was enough to lighten the melancholy scene.
"Sure Koji," Mari said as she buried her pain from Ryu's rejection.
While Mari sat by Koji and showed him the stuffed animal, Ryu continued to stare out the window, his focus entirely on his companion.
Mako had heard the entire conversation but decided not to intervene as the teens temporarily sorted things out. However, he would have words with Ryu later if he didn't apologize at some point. The teen was upset, but that was no excuse to take it out on Mari.
Ryu didn't bother trying to sleep. Since he'd found Juji, he'd never spent a night away from bird. Without his companion, he felt completely alone. He rolled onto his side and looked over to Mari across from him. Since she was the only girl, there was a curtain to block her bed, but she'd left it open just enough to see her head and shoulders. She was sound asleep with her Rabaroo tight in her arms. Seeing her sleeping so peacefully with the toy made him regret rejecting her offer to share it.
He flipped onto his back and stared at the ceiling. Although the Chief had basically ordered him to try to get some rest, the only reason he had climbed into bed was to wait for the Fetchling to fall asleep. One thing he'd learned from stealing cars was patience. It was several hours later, when he was positive the Chief was asleep, that he crept out of his cot.
If they spent the night in The Rampage, the Chief always slept on his floor cushion between the teenagers although Ryu didn't understand why. There were four cots, one for each of them. The most likely reason he could think of was to keep him and Koji away from Mari. The Chief had made it very clear from the beginning how protective he was of his granddaughter. Whatever the reason, it made escaping the confines of the vehicle…difficult.
He tiptoed around the snoozing Fetchling, making extra sure not to brush the slightest fur on his tail, and made for the rear exit. The slight clicking noise the door handle made sounded like an explosion in the silence of the vehicle. He cringed as he waited for the Chief to suddenly wake. After several seconds of nothing, he proceeded to pop the door and quickly stepped outside into the night.
He made a beeline to the front entrance of the veterinary clinic. Cooking the lock on the door proved to be as effective as when he did it on Satomobiles. The inner parts melted to slag which allowed him to easily sneak inside. A flame bent over his hand lit his way through the dark building to the recovery area. Several dogs, and a cat, all stared at him as he searched the cages. A whine from one of them was the only indication that they acknowledged his intrusion. Soon, the light of his flame fell upon Juji. The iguana parrot was flopped on his side with a bandage wrapped around his rear leg. His small chest heaved as he struggled to breathe.
Ryu carefully opened the wire door. Juji didn't make the slightest movement as he pulled the bird from the cage.
"It's okay buddy. I'm going to be right here when you wake up," he said. He sunk to the floor and silence filled the small room as he drifted off to sleep with Juji on his lap.
Mako woke at his usual early hour. As he was stretching, he immediately noticed something was wrong. A quick search of The Rampage found Ryu missing.
"That kid…" he grumbled to himself as he slapped his tail against his cushion. Fortunately, he knew he wouldn't have to look far. He quickly got dressed and hopped out of the back of the vehicle. Almost the instant he hit the sidewalk, he was accosted by the veterinary receptionist.
"Your son broke into the clinic last night!" they snapped in his face.
Son?
Mako looked past the receptionist to where Ryu was being held by another person who had Juji curled in their arm. Most likely the veterinarian. The teen was scowling daggers at them while he struggled in their grasp.
"I didn't do anything!" Ryu shouted at his captor. "Juji needed to know I didn't leave him!"
Mako let out a heavy sigh before he addressed the pair. "Do you intend to press charges? You have that right, but I'd rather not involve the local authorities if possible."
"He destroyed the lock on the front door," the receptionist answered.
Another sigh, "Add it to my bill…Will that be sufficient?" Ryu was off to a good start to bankrupting him.
The receptionist looked back to the vet who gave her an affirmative nod, then they released Ryu. Mako didn't need to say anything as the boy skulked past him back to The Rampage.
"Sorry about all this," Mako finished before following the teen.
Koji and Mari were awake by the time they returned. They both quietly watched as Ryu was scolded.
"I'm sure I don't need to tell you how much trouble you're in," Mako began almost immediately. "I've let your attitude slide because of Juji, but breaking and entering is where I draw the line."
"Whate—"
A firm snap of Mako's tail ended that damnable response. "Not 'whatever!' We've discussed this. You can't go off and do whatever you want."
"What if something happened in the night?! Juji needed to know I didn't abandon him!" Ryu retorted.
Mako sighed again. "Kid, I'm sure Juji knows you'd never abandon him. The way he follows you around, I don't think you could even if you tried. If you wanted to see him, you should have talked to me. I'm sure that I could have arranged something with the vet," he finished.
Ryu didn't respond and continued to sulk.
Mari entered the conversation, "Papa always listens whenever I need something. Even if it's just to talk," she added. "I can tell him anything."
Mako was happy to hear she thought that way about him as it hadn't always been true. He still regretted some of the early years of his marriage where work was more important than family. It had even gotten so bad that Shizuku had nearly left with the kids. Eventually, they had come to a compromise; Shizuku was a negotiator after all, and the ordeal had made Mako remember where his priorities should be.
"Mari's right. I'm not just your guardian or trainer, I care about all of you kids. I want you to come to me with anything." He turned directly to Koji, the only teen that wasn't some kind of family. "That goes for you too Koji."
The boy acknowledged him with a silent nod.
The conversation came to a grinding halt when something thudded into the side of the vehicle. They all rushed outside to see what had happened.
Laying in a daze on the sidewalk was Juji. His head lolled around as it tried to focus on Ryu.
"Juji!" The boy quickly scooped the disoriented bird up into his arms.
"We're so sorry!" The receptionist and vet came running towards them. "We were trying to put him back in his cage when he suddenly went berserk. We tried to catch him, but he was determined to get outside."
A weak gurgle came from the bird as it lay contently in its owner's arms. Both the receptionist and vet seemed surprised by the bird's sudden shift in behavior.
"Not that I approve of the kid's actions, but what you're seeing now is exactly why he broke into the clinic last night," Mako explained to the stunned pair as they watched the teen affectionately snuggle his pet. Juji was more than just an animal to Ryu, it was his best friend. Probably even more so than Koji.
Mako and Ryu returned to the clinic where the vet gave Juji a clean bill of health, adding that it was a miracle the bird survived. They'd never seen anything like it. Mako suspected that Ryu being the Avatar may have helped. At Air Temple Island, he'd read about how many Avatars had an animal companion with which they shared a strong bond. He'd even seen it himself with Korra. After her death, her polar-bear dog, Naga, went into a swift decline. At the time, Asami had tried everything to care for the animal but she refused to eat or drink. In the end, there was nothing to be done and Naga soon followed her owner. It made him wonder if Juji would have survived had Ryu not broken into the clinic to check on him.
Once everything was settled with the vet, they returned to The Rampage and was soon back on the road.
"I'm sorry I snapped at you last night Mari," Ryu said as he stroked a napping Juji. The statement surprised Mako. The boy usually didn't apologize unprompted.
"It's okay Ryu," Mari replied with her usual sweetness. "I know it was because you were upset about Juji, but I accept your apology anyway. I'm glad he's okay."
"Me too man," Koji added.
The three teens looked expectantly at Mako. A ploy to force him into admitting that he liked the bird.
"Of course I'm happy Juji's okay," he said with a resigned huff. "Just because we don't like each other, doesn't mean I want something bad to happen to him." After all, he had paid a lot of money to get the bird back to health, but that had been for Ryu's benefit and certainly not because he had any affection for the pest.
That night, Mako stirred on his floor cushion to find Juji glaring at him. The bird was tight to Ryu's chest, rising and falling with every breath the teen took.
"Listen. You don't like me and I don't like you," he whispered. "Let's agree that we both care about Ryu. Can you give me that much at least?"
In response, the bird continued to glare at him.
"Why am I even trying to reason with you?" Mako pinched the bridge of his nose when he realized what he was doing. Juji responded with a firm hiss, then turned its back to him as it went back to sleep. Mako fell back into his own cushion. He didn't need to make friends with the bird. His concern was for Ryu's well-being. Hopefully, the teenager had learned a thing or two from this little mishap.