Motorcycle Lessons

coolunderfirestyle:

So far, so good. They were moving at a slow pace, a safe pace. The wheels were turning, the handle bars were steering and they were making good time along the dirt paths around the island. Mako had relaxed enough to let his guard down slightly, allowing his eyes to travel from the road ahead of them, to the scenic view of the bay offered on all sides of the island. It was beautiful, the water sparkling with the rising sun, the cityscape, tall and magnificent. Maybe they would get out of this alive. Currently, Korra wasn’t as bad of a driver as he had anticipated. Maybe the previous near death experience would be the only one and they’d come out of this joking and laughing, safe and sound.

But then again, this was Korra after all. 

At the sound of her voice, sounding hesitant and questionable, Mako whipped his head back around, craning it up over the avatar’s shoulder.

Stairs. Why had he forgotten the stairs?

The government issued satocycles were extraordinary pieces of machinery. Installed with a stable frame to keep the rider in place, they were some of the best bikes an officer could own. All of the bikes came installed with multi-terrain wheels and they were extremely adaptable. Mako had driven it on grass, rocks, asphalt, even the slippery snow covered streets. But for some reason, Mako was doubting very much it’s ability to climb the steep, uneven stairscases that inhabited Air Temple Island. 

Guess they’d have to find out.

“Korra, let me steer.” It came out as more of a demand than he had been expecting, but his heart was hammering again and he needed to be in control of the bike. He reached his arms under her’s once again, resting his chin on her shoulder. Of course, Korra being who she was, refused to let go of the handlebars. It’d have to work. Fingers squeezed down on the brakes gently, slowing them just enough so that when they took the first step, nothing too drastic would happen. 

“Just.. hold on tight, alright?”

They were in for one bumpy ride.

Holding on was no longer a question so much as an inevitability. She was definitely going to hold on—no matter what. It was just about the only thing that translated from riding Naga to this machine. Hold on. It was also the only thing that didn’t require much if any skill.

So for once, without any hesitation at all, Korra was actually doing as she was told.

Then again, there was just a hint of rebellion in her still. If the trick was really just easing off on the gas, decelerating to take the steps head on, that was something she could do. Really, he was going to relegate her to a ride-along again when all that was required was a softer hand? She could have a softer hand! She’d show him she could have a softer hand.

Uh oh. Her softer hand also meant battling his for a grip of control again, and in doing so, turned those handlebars. Just a little, a smidgeon, a teensy tiny bit, barely noticeable—except that with the jolt of the latest step it sent them veering toward the side of the staircase, bike now parallel to every bump it was forced to take. They were looking at either tipping over and falling down half a flight of stairs with the satocycle on top of them…

Or there was the chance they could, maybe, potentially, possibly, hypothetically make the jump over the stone barrier to land on the path below. “Mako—” was unfortunately the only thing she managed to say; it seemed like if he wanted to try the stunt, it’d be all him. At least her ‘soft’ hands wouldn’t be getting in the way anymore.

salvage

bolinprobender:

Korra’s sudden, angry outburst caused him to stop writing and stare at her for a moment with an expression of surprise, curiosity, and confusion. For some reason, she was being just as aggressive as Mako was around his fans, and it caught Bolin very off guard.

Suddenly, it dawned on him. Korra was just excited to try the ice cream, of course! It was her first time, after all, and Bolin had been equally excited his first time.

He rubbed the back of his neck and an embarrassed smile appeared on his face, along with a hint of red in his cheeks. “Right, sorry about that, Korra. We’ll order right now to make up for it!” He scratched out the note he’d been writing to the girl and simply signed his name on the sheet, shrugging as he handed the paper back to her. “Sorry! It’s her first time trying ice cream, I’m sure you understand!”

The girl simply stomped off, clearly fuming as she shot Korra looks that would almost certainly be accompanied by a stream of fire if she were a firebender. Luckily, she did not appear to be.

Bolin turned his attention back towards Korra immediately, apparently oblivious to the war going on right in front of him. “Let’s go!” He led her to the counter and was unable to resist ordering a double scoop - both strawberry. After Korra made her selection, he paid for both of their orders with some of his dwindling pocket money (ever since the arena was shut down, he lost his source of income, but he still had some savings).

After a return to the table, he watched Korra excitedly to see her reaction while picking away at his own. It was delicious and sweet as always, especially after being in the heat earlier in the day.

“Well, what do you think?”

She really wasn’t sure why it was such a big deal. For some reason, it had just rubbed her the wrong way, that girl horning in on what was supposed to be Korra’s spotlight. It wasn’t even that she needed Bolin’s attention…

Or maybe it was. Because when that girl huffed off, it was all-too-natural to stick her tongue out at the retreating fan, smugness rolling off of her in droves. It didn’t take a genius to figure out that Korra liked winning, but this time it was just a little more than that. Knowing that Bo had chosen her company after all, it made her feel—well, whatever it was, it was good.

More than anything, she liked being wanted.

If there was one person who made her feel like that, it was Bo. Always, no matter the time or the place. Even there in the little ice cream parlor as she waffled in her indecision for just a minute or two more, before finally following his suit and ordering the exact same thing. After all, why take a chance when strawberry was sure to be a good thing? She wasn’t even sure she’d had strawberries before! It made sense to kill two birds with one stone.

And boy, was it worth it! He wouldn’t even need to ask with how her face practically lit up within one bite. When he did, it was all she could do to remember to swallow before that enthusiasm bubbled out. “Thisissooooodelicious,” somehow made it past the spoon as it continued to shovel more in her mouth. It was actually probably a wonder how she even managed to taste the stuff at all with how fast she was inhaling it.

But in many ways, his perception had been right. She really was just a girl overly excited about her first taste of ice cream—though it was sure not to be the last.

(Source: korralized)

unexpected rendezvous | @greedling-x

A lot of things in Korra’s life hadn’t gone how she had imagined. Like her discovery by the White Lotus and the subsequent seventeen years she’d spent sheltered in their compound, or the way Republic City was coming apart at the seams just a decade after Avatar Aang’s death, or her block in airbending, or even the recovery of her abilities courtesy of her past lives. She never would have guessed she’d make her first friend in a pro-earthbender, or find a second family at the Air Temple. That she’d find an enemy in a fellow Tribesman—or two, or three.

But of all the things that could surprise her, this whole Spirit World thing was a real trip.

Literally. One minute she’d been meditating, trying to quell the “unrest” in her spirit. That was basically Master Tenzin’s way of harping on her to sit still for any extended length of time, which she almost never did. For once, she thought she was managing pretty well, only to realize she must have fallen asleep. After all, this had to be a dream.

She was in a forest. A forest. She might still be comparatively new to the city, but she knew there wasn’t a forest within the walls, that was for sure! And it didn’t have that strange vibe she’d always expected the Spirit World to have, not to mention, she was pretty sure she heard crickets. Crickets didn’t exist in the Spirit World, did they? Or did they have Spirit Crickets?

No, this had to be something else. Something glowed against the horizon, and she could faintly hear signs of life coming from that direction. Probably a village; at least she knew what villages were. But there definitely were not villages in the Spirit World, and when she heard a rustle to her left, she leapt to her feet with a hasty, “Who’s there?” Knowing her luck, it’d probably turn out to be some kind of woodland critter—but she wasn’t taking any chances.

At least she’d still be able to defend herself… right?

leave out all the rest | @police-officer-mako

Let’s be straight, Korra thought chores were for losers.

And Acolytes, perhaps, or those well on their way to becoming them. The air kids performed with gusto since Rohan’s birth, being even more willing to pick up the slack as Pema got back into her groove following the events that turned Republic City back toward peace. As much as she wanted more than anything to pay her dues and help Tenzin and his family…

For the life of her, Korra just couldn’t pay attention. That lack of span was only compounded when the sun started to roll past the horizon, when the stars began to twinkle just a little through the orange veil and the moon would show its face. After all, that was when Mako stopped by when his shift was over. Well, usually.

That day wasn’t one of those bizarre exceptions. As far as she could tell there hadn’t been some hang-up at the station, no one calling in sick, and no hoodlums causing extra trouble. She could already see the boat coming in from the vista where she was sweeping the steps. Like they really expected her to keep sweeping when her boyfriend had just stepped onto the island? Yeah, sure, no one could be that optimistic.

By then he’d probably have learned to expect it. The way she barreled down the slope, how she looked ready to tackle him in a hug—only to stop just a few inches short with her arms crossed and that signature smirk already crossing her lips. “Hey.”

Motorcycle Lessons

coolunderfirestyle:

If there was one thing Mako had learned since meeting Korra, it was that getting her to listen was like trying to hand feed a wild saber-toothed moose lion. No matter how many times he pointed her back in the right direction, her mind was just in constant motion. Pay no mind to how much Mako articulated or explained, there was just no getting through that dense Avatar skull until she was back on top of that satocycle.

Maybe it would be better for her to learn through example anyway. He knew she was a quick learner. Witty. Intuitive. She should be able to figure out the controls fairly easily. …He hoped. Besides, they’d already seen the worst of her driving. It wasn’t like things could go more downhill than the first attempt. Seeing her wiggling around on top of that bike, flashing her teeth over at Mako proudly, it was hard to say no to her. Not that he had a choice. 

“No, no. I’m getting on,” He clipped roughly, practically tripping over his feet to get on board the satocycle before Korra could take off again. Holding firm to his girlfriend’s waist with one hand, he reached underneath her arm with his right, pointing to the controls, trying to give her a step by step. 

“Uhm, okay, squeeze the brakes Korra. Squeeze them down all the way and then with your left foot,” He twisted his head around, resting his cheek on Korra’s back and pointed down at the gear shift, “Change gears with your left foot, just press down on it. Gently.” He chewed on the inside of his lip, “And uh… then release your breaks and twist the right handle bar. Slowly.”

Something about this felt right—no, wait. That was a joke. The only thing about this that really felt right was that he’d finally let her try this out after weeks of empty promises and half-excuses to put off the inevitable. Now that she was there, doing it, maybe she’d be able to sleep and eat again without obsessing over the satocycle.

But everything else? That felt wrong. There was something innately unnatural about this whole process, from the way the machinery felt underneath her to how cold and steel it was in her hands. This was nothing like riding Naga, all momentum and force and wind embodied in soft fur and warm flesh and instinct. Whoever invented a motorcycle might have been trying to mimic, but they fell so very short.

She no longer had to wonder how he could ride so smoothly on the back of this and yet couldn’t get Naga to turn left.

Of course, in Korra’s makeup and in her mentality, there was never room for doubt. She was going to do this, no matter how long it took, no matter how many attempts were needed. Even if squeezing this or turning that felt foreign and strange, so had earthbending movements once, so had airbending moves, so had even her native waterbending when it came to channeling the droplets for healing instead of combat—but she’d mastered all of that in the end. There was no way something like this was going to get the better of her.

Maybe he’d be surprised that the first rev into a forward stretch went off without a hitch. Then again, maybe not. It didn’t take a rocket scientist to operate the vehicle, and when she wanted to, she could pay attention. Maybe he’d just be shocked that, contrary to previous belief, she wasn’t sending them off a cliff at her first opportunity. In fact, as she gave the engine a little more juice, they were cruising over the well-cultured paths paved long the island’s scenic shoreline, smooth sailing all the way.

The first rule of Korra, however, was that if it seemed too good to be true, it probably was. Just as she was starting to grin again, starting to let creep in that smug overconfidence she oozed from every pore, they rounded another lazy bend and were faced with the newest bane of her existence: stairs. It was too late to stop or they’d skid and crash into the stone steps anyway, and there wasn’t anywhere to turn. If he was paying any attention, he’d know her question before she even spoke it.

“Uh… can this thing climb??”

On impulse

makocoolunderfire:

Mako found that even for all of his ‘cool under fire’ attitude he still had quite a ways to go when it came to stifling the impatience that stereotypically came with being a firebender.

Instead of going straight home, Mako had opted to plant himself on the sandy beach to think. And think. 

…And think.

Of course that really only lasted him an hour and before he knew it he was throwing all caution to the wind, deciding that for some reason he could not for the life of him grasp that he had to fix this. The tiny part of him that said it wasn’t even his fault and that surely it could wait was snuffed out in a heartbeat. This was Korra he was dealing with and that notion in itself meant he was bound to do things that were crazy.

Like diving headfirst into the bay, fully clothed, when winter was just around the corner. Two seconds in and he knew he was bound to get a cold for all of his effort, but none the less he’d pushed on the chattering of teeth being the only thing to distract him from the pin needles of the unforgiving bay.

The way he figured it, if Korra really had felt rejected by him she wouldn’t have stayed in the city where he could have easily bumped into her. The probending arena, while a good place to punch out frustrations, would be even moreso taboo. And much the same way a wounded animal limped with pride to go nurse it’s wounds in private, he held no doubts that the fearsome Avatar ever human would do the same.

So here he was, more or less dripping head to toe in water that threatened to freeze him to the spot—he hadn’t thought to dry himself, no time—staring at her door with determination. Alright Mako, no backing out now. Steeling himself over, he took a deep inhale, squared his shoulders, and slid apart her door with a slam.

“Korra! What’s the big idea?”

The last place she expected him to show up was her doorstep.

Literally, there he was, almost hulking in the light—until she realized he was soaking wet and not hopping mad. Maybe he was both, but it was the former that really grabbed her, helping her out of that gaping fish expression undoubtedly written on her face. He’d come all the way there… and he’d swam?!

“Sorry, City Boy, but the competition’s over. Swimming here doesn’t change that I won,” she managed under the guise of the smirk, all the while shouldering her way past him down the hall. She’d been on her way out anyway, because lingering any longer would just get her signed up for extra chores or worse, run through another meditation stint to cool her temper. The only thing she wanted cooling was whatever she decided to light on fire to blow off some steam.

She figured he would follow. However many leagues across the sea and there wasn’t going to be any stopping him. Just another reason to get out from under the roof of Tenzin’s house; she knew well enough that those walls had six little ears and probably even more in passing Acolytes.

It was on the tip of her tongue to tell him he shouldn’t have bothered coming, but she couldn’t seem to push it out. There was that staunch reminder of the last time he’d been there, and of the time before that, two separate instances with one solid connection: someone in trouble. First, it had been Bolin, but next it had been her, vulnerable in the aftermath of her failure to defeat Amon head-on. He’d seen her at just about her worst—and stayed the night.

Of course they weren’t going to talk about that. Their relationship was a patchwork of all the things they didn’t talk about, and Korra was starting to get pretty certain they never would. That was part of how the city worked, and he was, as labeled, as much a part of it as anything else.

The beach incident could have just as easily been another square sewn in that quilt. Why this was suddenly different was beyond her, but she had to admit, she was just a tiny bit curious as to why it was. She still hadn’t figured him out, but she also wanted to make it clear that he hadn’t figured her out either, even if he had found her when she’d run away. So she didn’t stop, her boots stomping a determined path toward the stairway to the gates. If he lost his nerve on the way there, maybe it would be for the best.

salvage

bolinprobender:

How could he describe ice cream? “It’s really sweet and cold and creamy,” he thoughtfully attempted, using all the adjectives he could think of. “Well, better to try it yourself! Mako used to take me when it got really hot, come on!” The prospect of ice cream with Korra was getting him into one of his excited states, so he grabbed Korra’s hand and ran off towards the ferry with her in tow.

After a brief ride on the ferry and walk down the block, they’d found their destination and entered the shop, Bolin leading enthusiastically, excited to introduce his friend to the substance.

“I’ll pay for yours, since it’s your first one!” Mako had paid for his first ice cream, after all, and he was eager to pass it on. He led Korra to a small table, where there was a small menu containing a description of the various selections the store had to offer. He picked it up, scooting next to her to point out the pros and cons of the various flavors.

“I like strawberry, it’s really sweet, and they’ve got leechi, too-“

“Bolin?!” His instructions were interrupted by a deafening screech, which sounded as though it was getting closer. He looked up from the menu to see a girl of Earth Kingdom descent around his own age. “Can I have your autograph, please? You’re just the best pro-bender I’ve ever seen, not to mention the cutest!” She held up a small sheet of paper and a pen, and she drew slowly closer to him as she found the opportunity.

After the initial surprise wore off, as well as a brief, bemused look at Korra, Bolin turned back towards the girl and beamed, always happy to meet a fan. “Oh, is that so? Well, I do have to spend a lot of time practicing to get that good, you know,” he bragged, punching the air to imitate his pro-bending style.

“The good looks are all-natural, though.” He flexed a bicep proudly to emphasize the point. “Now, why don’t you tell me your name so I can write you a little note?” He grabbed the the paper and pen offered to him, pausing to write as the girl drew even closer, grabbing Bolin’s arm under the guise of watching him write the note.

Almost the entire way there, she was fixed on trying to imagine what ice cream would taste like. She was sure it tasted good—but then a lot of things tasted good to Korra. It wasn’t so much about finding out whether or not she’d like it, but just what it was. And, of course, how many times she’d want to eat it before a place like Republic City stopped serving it for the season.

The smell was the first thing that hit her. When they stepped into that ice cream parlor, it was a wall of sweetness, of every mouth-salivating, delectable scent she could think of, all swirling around in the air and flooding her senses. She practically had goosebumps, and coming from the South, it wasn’t like the slight chill of the place would manage such a feat. No, she was already going wide-eyed in wonderment at the colorful assortment and the cones other patrons were happily taking out the door.

Reading the menu was almost out of the question, almost. Somehow she did it, but it was clear that by the third or fourth flavor in she’d already made up her mind to try them all. The real trick was just picking where she wanted to start; should she just go from top to bottom and work her way down each time she came to visit, or should she pick something that really struck her fancy and go from there?

Decisions, decisions. Unfortunately, her train of thought was completely derailed when that high-pitched squeal broke through. At first she tried to assume the girl must know Bolin, but that “hope” was squelched immediately. No, this was just one of those crazy fangirls Mako had mentioned once upon a time. Wow, that seemed like another lifetime now!

She’d never really expected to see it up close and personal for herself, had even ribbed Mako a time or two for thinking she was one, and gone so far as to think it was just the stick-in-the-mud being his usual no-fun self by blowing Bolin’s audience appreciation out of proportion. Here and now, she suddenly realized how wrong she was… and she didn’t like it. Hoisting that menu up a fraction didn’t get rid of that sudden knot in her stomach, or the little bubble of anger that had resurfaced akin to her irritation over the non-bent metal.

Why was she even upset? That niggling voice of reason warred for a place in the back of her mind, and for a few precious seconds, Korra listened to it. She shouldn’t be, and of course Bo was just being nice to an admiring fan.

But then the girl touched him.

She was oblivious, but he was even moreso. How could he just sit there…?? “Hey,” she finally interjected, with her signature pout already in place and eyes beginning to narrow as the girl hovered even closer—if such a thing was possible. “Can’t you see the best, cutest probender is with me?”

This was supposed to be her brilliant, glorious, amazing, spectacular, unbelievably fantabulous experience with ice cream for the first time ever. Coming off the cataclysmic failure of their attempts at metalbending, she felt fully entitled to say Bo was hers for the rest of the day until they made up for all that lost time.

(Source: korralized)

coolunderfirestyle:

korralized:

Right, okay, some part of her was definitely thankful that she didn’t have to even for a second think about Bolin’s… er… experience…

“Soooo, if you’ve heard all this stuff and still aren’t sold on whether or not you’re gonna like baby-making, that means you don’t wanna try it, huh?”

Apparently, she still hadn’t gotten the memo that sometimes it was better just to shut up.

Didn’t want to try it? She had to be joking, right? She did know that he was a guy after all? And as nice as any guy might be, their minds couldn’t help but travel to a certain place. Of course he wanted to try it. And he knew exactly who he wanted to try it with. But, this was Korra and he loved her and he would wait for her. No matter how much the temptation.

“Uh, well no. I mean, yeah, I would like to try it.” A beat and he added quickly, “N-not right now though. When you’re ready, of course.”

Smooth one Mako.

“When I’m ready?”

How was that supposed to work, exactly? Was she just supposed to announce ‘hey, I’m ready’ and they ripped each others’ clothes off? Somehow, that didn’t seem very… Mako. While she usually had the depth of a rain puddle when it came to romance, he seemed intent on always putting at least a little more thought into it.

Which only left one question.

“So tell me, Wise Guy, how do you know I’m not ready right now?”

coolunderfirestyle:

korralized:

You would think she’d learn her lesson, but no. Of course not. Not Korra!

“From where?” Or who?

“From Bolin?!” she asked, so low it could have been a whisper—or even a hiss.

He’d forgive her later. He always did. That, at least, was a staple of their relationship.

“F-from Bolin?” Spirits, what did she think the two brothers talked about alone? 

“No, of course not! I’ve been around for a while, Korra… You hear things.”

Besides, if he was being totally honest, he’d had more than enough daydreams involving Korra and an empty bedroom. 

Right, okay, some part of her was definitely thankful that she didn’t have to even for a second think about Bolin’s… er… experience…

“Soooo, if you’ve heard all this stuff and still aren’t sold on whether or not you’re gonna like baby-making, that means you don’t wanna try it, huh?”

Apparently, she still hadn’t gotten the memo that sometimes it was better just to shut up.

coolunderfirestyle:

korralized:

He was blushing—oh, she totally had this one!!

…Wait.

“From what you’ve heard? What have you heard, Mako?”

“Uh, I just mean— Well. Er. If we’ve both heard things, you know, maybe we should… compare…”

Agni, she really shouldn’t have opened her mouth after all.

“Compare?” Oh for the sake of the sweet spirits above, what did she want to compare? This conversation was just plummeting from slightly uncomfortable to unbearably awkward. What was he supposed to say now?

“I, well I dunno. I just hear things. Nothing in, you know… detail or anything.”  

You would think she’d learn her lesson, but no. Of course not. Not Korra!

“From where?” Or who?

“From Bolin?!” she asked, so low it could have been a whisper—or even a hiss.

He’d forgive her later. He always did. That, at least, was a staple of their relationship.