[ fineish. as fine as it can be? it helps that katara can tell that bolin genuinely didn't mean any harm. if anything, she's mostly just glad that aang wasn't around for it. it can sometimes be a little hard to predict how he reacts to things like this. ]
( it shouldn't affect him quite so much, to hear that. there's sort of a slow, deliberate inhalation on his end — she might recognize the breath control, innate to both their bending aspects — and then he just lets it out evenly. )
Well. We kinda had some big shoes to fill.
( 'team avatar' is almost a time-honored tradition at this point, really. anyway. enough of that. )
We're on the south side of the temple. Feel free to drop by whenever.
[ "big shoes to fill" this is still weird to hear. katara never really considered what people might think of them after they completed their goal. it seems kind of silly now, since of course something as history changing as this would become well known afterwards.
still. she can't quite wrap her mind around it yet. ]
( korra misses raava and all the elements so much he can see it in the way she moves. like she's completely disconnected from the world. if he could give up earth to her and live without bending, he would in a heartbeat just so she could have something. but. this place... it doesn't work like that.
answering honestly does occur to him. they're all in the same boat, but. he really just can't bring himself to put more on her shoulders. )
Yeah, for the most part.
( he keeps his tone light. mako doesn't do cheerful, but he can do peaceful well. )
How're things going with you and Prince Zuko? He's the firebending teacher you mentioned, right?
[ katara knew they were going to run into zuko sooner rather than later. the fact that none of them seem to hate zuko makes his story that he really has changed and is no longer an evil teen running around, but that still isn't something she's willing to deal with quite yet. it's a conversation she should probably have with zuko at some point.
I told him. I figured the news would be better if it came from me.
[ it's not like they'd be able to keep it a secret in the end. zuko's an idiot but he isn't stupid, he'd end up catching on eventually. that, or bolin might end up slipping up; katara hasn't known him for too long but she gets the impression that he is bad at not talking about things that excite him. ]
[ she is pretty sure toph and sokka would have also called her crazy. the only reason katara was even so ready to believe it was because of astoria and how this place works, if she's honest. ]
I would have reacted the same way if he came and said it to me.
Well, it's not every day a group of people show up from your future. I'd probably be the same, too.
( he sounds just. a little bit wry, there. honestly, katara took it with a lot more grace than he would have. he can't imagine that his reaction to someone telling him korra was dead would have resulted in anything but mako absolutely losing his mind. )
[ ha ha let's not talk about how she reacted once she and bolin split ways. the last thing she wants is korra feeling bad for, you know, existing in general, so having too much of a strong reaction in front of any of her friends or her is a bad idea. ]
Yeah, I'm still... trying to wrap my head around it, if I'm honest.
[ all she really knows is that they're far enough in the future that toph is a grandmother, and that aang has been dead long enough for korra to be as old as she is now. the former, at least, means that aang didn't die really young. that's... something. ]
( there's a slight pause on his end, and a rustle of fabric that's probably a shake of his head. then, )
I think we can all agree that we shouldn't share any specifics, but... do you want to know how things turn out? Just a general idea?
( she's probably still worried how the war will go. how it'll end. maybe she's pieced it together that, by their existence and korra's age it couldn't have been terrible, but. she deserves a little peace. )
[ she's been a little scared to ask. she assumes things have turned out okay; they kept saying things like how honored they are to meet her, and bolin mentioned that she's really accomplished in their time. if the war went horribly, then she kind of doubts that she'd be treated so fondly.
she doesn't respond right away. there's a shaky breath before she actually speaks. ]
( and no one had to die for it. and the peacetime that followed was an incredible, precious thing. mako recognizes his existence as being an outlier — what happened to he and bolin was an aberration in the chaos that followed avatar aang's death. but the heart of republic city was and is good. he has to believe that, otherwise... what's the point of being a detective at all? )
[ she's suddenly thankful that this is a phone call. it's not too surprising to hear it, since all of the signs were pointing to that conclusion anyway. and katara never doubted that aang could do it, that he really was the one who would finally set things right again.
but the difference between knowing because you believe and actually getting that real, actual confirmation is big. katara thinks that she can, maybe, understand why this older team avatar regards her like they do.
there's another pause as she tries to come up with some sort of response. she might be crying? no, she's crying, but thankfully it's the silent kind of tears. ]
Well, that's a relief to hear.
[ it's an understatement, but it's the first thing that comes to mind to say. first thing that isn't some sort of emotional outburst, anyway. ]
[ for being very kind in such a weird situation. it's hard for katara to really grasp the situation, but she can't really imagine how it's like on the other end of it. mako and the others are suddenly dealing with people they know, or at least know of, in a context they probably never expected to. it must be crazy. ]
( he knows the difference. he doesn't think katara is from a point in time where things were entirely... settled between her and zuko, so that inclusion strikes him as important. he nods once. )
It's no trouble. I like to cook.
( he doesn't think she's thanking him for the food, but. he'll pretend that's how he chose to take it. )
[ the inclusion is and she will pretend like she never said it if anyone asks. especially if zuko asks. honestly, the presence of korra and the others is sort of forcing katara to accept that, perhaps, zuko really did change for the better. the problem is that she's not ready to admit that yet. ]
That's what we needed in our group. An actual cook.
I wouldn't say I'm an actual one, just. That I know how to put a few things together. Mostly Fire Nation cuisine, so let me know if you can't handle spice and I'll make some adjustments.
( this is what having an actual Adult around is like, katara!! there's a sound in the background which is obviously mako doing... something with a dish of some sort. he's already let her know she's free to come over, but she's still on the line, so... does she need to talk? is this what teenagers are like? it feels like it's been so long since he was one that he actually has no idea.
(it's been three years, mako, calm down.) )
You know, I've never... actually been there.
( he's been to the earth kingdom, the south pole, even the air temples. never the place his mother's people came from. )
The Fire Nation, I mean. You'll have to tell me what it's like.
[ katara will literally keep talking until he says he needs to hang up. this is what happens when you meet someone who is overly friendly to people she likes. ]
Really?
[ hm. it's probably changed a lot, between when she's there and mako's current time. ]
It's... pretty.
[ and filled with people who want her dead, but!!! the architecture is nice. ]
( somehow, that's. not how he expected she'd describe it, and it's... nice, to hear her talk about it like that. it says a lot about katara's character that she's capable of looking at a place that she has full rights to hate and seeing beauty. )
My mother used to tell me stories. She grew up there, before she moved to Republic City.
( just. lowkey assuming that's come up at some point and been at least spoiler-free explained to her!! )
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[ fineish. as fine as it can be? it helps that katara can tell that bolin genuinely didn't mean any harm. if anything, she's mostly just glad that aang wasn't around for it. it can sometimes be a little hard to predict how he reacts to things like this. ]
I can tell that you're all good people.
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Well. We kinda had some big shoes to fill.
( 'team avatar' is almost a time-honored tradition at this point, really. anyway. enough of that. )
We're on the south side of the temple. Feel free to drop by whenever.
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still. she can't quite wrap her mind around it yet. ]
Are you guys adjusting well?
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answering honestly does occur to him. they're all in the same boat, but. he really just can't bring himself to put more on her shoulders. )
Yeah, for the most part.
( he keeps his tone light. mako doesn't do cheerful, but he can do peaceful well. )
How're things going with you and Prince Zuko? He's the firebending teacher you mentioned, right?
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maybe. eventually.
yeah. ]
Yeeeah. That's him. He's here.
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Yeah, I met him. It made sense once I thought about it.
( a slight pause. then, )
Does he know? About us? I tried not to... mention anything.
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[ it's not like they'd be able to keep it a secret in the end. zuko's an idiot but he isn't stupid, he'd end up catching on eventually. that, or bolin might end up slipping up; katara hasn't known him for too long but she gets the impression that he is bad at not talking about things that excite him. ]
He thought I was crazy.
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I'm sorry. I didn't mean to put that on you.
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[ she is pretty sure toph and sokka would have also called her crazy. the only reason katara was even so ready to believe it was because of astoria and how this place works, if she's honest. ]
I would have reacted the same way if he came and said it to me.
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( he sounds just. a little bit wry, there. honestly, katara took it with a lot more grace than he would have. he can't imagine that his reaction to someone telling him korra was dead would have resulted in anything but mako absolutely losing his mind. )
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Yeah, I'm still... trying to wrap my head around it, if I'm honest.
[ all she really knows is that they're far enough in the future that toph is a grandmother, and that aang has been dead long enough for korra to be as old as she is now. the former, at least, means that aang didn't die really young. that's... something. ]
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( there's a slight pause on his end, and a rustle of fabric that's probably a shake of his head. then, )
I think we can all agree that we shouldn't share any specifics, but... do you want to know how things turn out? Just a general idea?
( she's probably still worried how the war will go. how it'll end. maybe she's pieced it together that, by their existence and korra's age it couldn't have been terrible, but. she deserves a little peace. )
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she doesn't respond right away. there's a shaky breath before she actually speaks. ]
Did it go okay?
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Yeah. Yeah, it did. You guys saved the world.
( and no one had to die for it. and the peacetime that followed was an incredible, precious thing. mako recognizes his existence as being an outlier — what happened to he and bolin was an aberration in the chaos that followed avatar aang's death. but the heart of republic city was and is good. he has to believe that, otherwise... what's the point of being a detective at all? )
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but the difference between knowing because you believe and actually getting that real, actual confirmation is big. katara thinks that she can, maybe, understand why this older team avatar regards her like they do.
there's another pause as she tries to come up with some sort of response. she might be crying? no, she's crying, but thankfully it's the silent kind of tears. ]
Well, that's a relief to hear.
[ it's an understatement, but it's the first thing that comes to mind to say. first thing that isn't some sort of emotional outburst, anyway. ]
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Take your time. I've got... uh, soup on. It'll be ready whenever you guys come by.
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[ for being very kind in such a weird situation. it's hard for katara to really grasp the situation, but she can't really imagine how it's like on the other end of it. mako and the others are suddenly dealing with people they know, or at least know of, in a context they probably never expected to. it must be crazy. ]
I-- [ hm ] we really appreciate it.
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It's no trouble. I like to cook.
( he doesn't think she's thanking him for the food, but. he'll pretend that's how he chose to take it. )
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That's what we needed in our group. An actual cook.
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I wouldn't say I'm an actual one, just. That I know how to put a few things together. Mostly Fire Nation cuisine, so let me know if you can't handle spice and I'll make some adjustments.
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It's fine, I've gotten used to food from there by now.
[ considering she was just there, before being brought here. ]
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(it's been three years, mako, calm down.) )
You know, I've never... actually been there.
( he's been to the earth kingdom, the south pole, even the air temples. never the place his mother's people came from. )
The Fire Nation, I mean. You'll have to tell me what it's like.
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Really?
[ hm. it's probably changed a lot, between when she's there and mako's current time. ]
It's... pretty.
[ and filled with people who want her dead, but!!! the architecture is nice. ]
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My mother used to tell me stories. She grew up there, before she moved to Republic City.
( just. lowkey assuming that's come up at some point and been at least spoiler-free explained to her!! )
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Was your father an earthbender then?
[ since... bolin. ]
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