bolincredible | IC INBOX • EACHDRAIDH

[ it's six of one, half dozen of the other, bolin. this is pretty much all the down time that korra's gotten since she and bilbo have been thrown out into the wilds of the unseelie's territory, and at the very least she wants to make sure that bolin and mako aren't out of their minds with worry.

though, with the way this is going... that's probably not at all going to happen. spirits, this was a bad idea. par for the course, she figures.

but a look of surprise crosses her face when she hears bolin's voice again, and she quickly scrambles for the locket, lifting it up. ]

Don't worry, I got 'em. They're gone now.

[ but for how long, korra. ]

Right, right, gave 'em the old Water Tribe one-two punch! [ He assumes. Or perhaps more accurately, he hopes. Whatevs. ] You okay? Pretty short notice for a trip out to fight territory.

[ Urgent Avatar War Business? Possibly. ]

[ haha... hahaha.... spirits, how is she going to explain this, UM.... ]

... Well I kinda didn't... plan? on coming out here.

Ohhh. [ HE GETS IT, KORRA. He... he's confused. All the time. 95% of his waking hours since getting here, he is confused. The other 5% has been, surprisingly, mostly worry. He's more than used to being confused, of course. Being actively worried about something in such a capacity that he knows what he is and why he is, is not quite his usual cup of tea.

(Bright side: she didn't think on it and then deliberately decide not to ask her earthbending bro who would have totally gone along while she ran into mortal peril. And maybe it's selfish to feel a little better about that distinction, but it still kinda helps.

Dark side: she didn't get to think on it at all. Korra sometimes does that anyway, but it's usually more of a choice.) TRYING TO SOUND REASSURING OVER HERE. ]

--kay. [ He clears his throat like a cool guy. ] Okay! I'm gonna come right out and say that's not good. Unless you suddenly decided to elope, but I don't really think... [ That your whirlwind wedding would involve so much running, growling, and firebending?????

...

Okay, so he's 6% worried. ]

[ ... ]

Bolin, what?

[ argh, no— ]

Nevermind, that's not important. [ she rubs at her head for a second, sighing. ] There's something weird going on at the castles... How well did you sleep last night?

[ He was just checking. She's been here for a month or something, right? Things happen. Even long-running wars and strange new worlds can't stop love, okay!! Ask every old person who ever told a legend. It's kind of a huge deal.

He has no idea what he would have done with the information if she did actually elope, though... it just sort of escaped his brain and ran from his mouth before he could really pick up on it. Like most of what he says. But no harm done! They live to see another day, probably. ]

Uhhhh, I slept, I guess. It's a nice place. [ Needs a few more hat racks, obviously. ] There was sort of a creepy otherworldly moaning going on? But that also could have been a dream.

[ He's trying not to label those right out of the gate after the "i dreamed an evil bloodbender kidnapped Korra oh wait" incident. ]

[ that's not her kind of legend!!! no matter what bryke says, i swear to go—no wait we're off topic.

it's that "living" part that's more "probably" than "guaranteed" right now. korra intends on hanging on by the skin of her teeth each day she's out here. she's hoping, really really hoping (somewhat in vain), that it's not for long. maybe she and bilbo got lucky and they were dropped off just outside the mountain range along caer glaem's property. that would be an easy (and kinda fun, in her expert snow-traversing experience) way to get back to the castle. ]

It wasn't a dream. [ yyyyeah, no time wasted in confirming that for bolin. ] Don't go searching for it, just stay in your room at night. I don't know what this thing's capable of, but considering where I am, I don't want to take any chances.

Edited 2014-06-14 02:08 (UTC)

... okay. [ He doesn't like anything about this, wow. Except for not chasing down creepy spiritual sounds, which is kind of less horrifying than it used to be even then. ]

But are you sure we couldn't just try to ask whatever it is to... do the opposite of whatever it... does? [ Like being quiet and summoning people from the vast reaches of nowhere, or... whatever... the opposite of what it does is.... ] Or me and Mako could just head out and meet you halfway once you know which way you need to go! It's not like we've got a bunch of stuff we'd have to reschedule. We could see some nature, bring some supplies... not even almost a problem. It would be totally problem-free.

[ baggin all the loyal waifus, korra, damn. ]

[ that... actually makes her laugh a little (albeit tiredly), especially after dealing with the headache that is a pushy mako thinking he knows best. thankfully, korra's already covered this with him, so she knows better what to say to keep people in line. ]

No, it would be better if you didn't. [ she still replies a little snappishly though. whups. ] I have to be able to concentrate on what I'm doing out here, so I can't be worried about what you guys get into on your way to find me. I need you guys to stay safe at the castle.

[ Have another pause, because damn it, it's logic. Not just that, it's the kind of logic he's most accustomed to complying with: slightly snappy and coming from someone with a very full plate of Serious Survival Concerns. The kind that builds up those old, familiar "I need you to stay safe" boundaries, which. Well, which is fair enough. She's Korra, and she's kind of the Avatar and everything, so these are her boundaries to establish boundaries in.

And maybe he doesn't like that, and maybe that kind of logic has been pulling at him like a second skin that's almost too tight lately, but neither of those things change the facts. He's not a great liar, even to himself, and the truth is, there's kind of... nothing that they can do to actually help her. Bolin's not the smartest dude around, but he knows this tune. If running into the unknown wilds will help get Korra out of the unknown wilds faster at any point, she'll ask them to do it. Like, probably not as soon as Asami would ask, but way sooner than Mako would probably ask? There's a scale in there. Just like there's a silver lining stuck in here... uh, somewhere.

He trusts that. ]

Well hey, I'm your go-to safekeeping guy! Seventeen years and counting. Great with animals, as talented as he is dependable, the mighty hero of the South! [ Yes that is the sound of a bicep being patted, he's so manly and totally a thousand percent serious right now hdu imply otherwise.

(Guess who's putting all his eggs in the "Korra will clearly handle Mako's handling" basket and making zero plans in the event that she didn't. This guy right here.) ]

[ bolin knows better than almost anyone else (save mako) that korra would be the first to tell them if she needed help in any way that they could offer. the problem is that korra, at this red-hot second, doesn't see any option they could take. hunting down the spirit to teleport them somewhere is completely out of the question because the possibility remains that the creature could send them somewhere entirely different, like the mountains, another forest or worse—directly into the "enemy" castle. korra's not convinced that everyone in the unseelie court is inherently evil after her conversation with gale, but she doesn't trust the monarchs. if they like kidnapping people for their own goals then who knows what else their capable of.

but the monarchs are the least of her concerns, especially when it comes to mako, bolin and a magical mystery tour out to find her. she knows they're talented benders, but she also knows they're... to put it lightly, untrained. they've gotten better in the many months since she first met them, but after unfairly pitting them against unalaq, korra doesn't want to take any more chances with their lives. the creatures out here in the unseelie land are incredibly dangerous, even with naga on their side.

plus there's one.

huge.

reason that korra's not bothering to tell either of them.

azula, the former princess of the fire nation is currently housed within caer scima, and now that aang's gone from this world, korra's taken it upon her shoulders to deal with the princess. ....she just wasn't planning on the possibility of dealing with azula so soon.

unfortunately, bolin's nuktuk reference goes right over her head, too concerned about keeping them safe to bother recalling the fact that bolin's now a major movers star. ]

... Thanks, Bolin. [ if she sounds a little distracted it's because she is: trying to focus on centering herself so she doesn't overexert her chi, keeping an eye on her surroundings to keep her and her friend safe; she takes in a slow breath, exhaling a small spark of fire. ] There's a river a few miles outside of Caer Glaem, you can let Naga fish there.

I will. [ She's so much better at fishing than him anyway. Maybe he'll pick up some tricks if he watches her, that could be fun. Nature activities. Sure. Get pumped. He loves earth, it'll be fine. ]

Just remember we're here if you need us. [ And that you owe him a hug when you get back tbqh. ]

[ sweet summer child, bolin... ]

Heh, how could I forget? You two are my best back-up. I'd be lost without you guys.

[ AND IS, KINDA LITERALLY. HA HA HAAA.... oh god she's so screwed isn't she. ]

[ ha ha hahaha yeah probably. but she won't hear it from this guy. ]

We do our best. And I know Pabu's usually the real crutch of Team Avatar, so I'm trying to take the extra steps to make up for him.

[ this isn't a video but

he totally winked lbr we know who we're dealing with here ]

[ wow, THANKS for the vote of confidence. ]

You probably won't have to do that for long. [ looks like korra can drop some good news! ] With any luck, the woman who runs this place can bring Pabu here.

[ bolin has every confidence! but i don't it's crazy out there. ]

Wait, really? Do they recruit fire ferrets for wars these days? [ NOT SURE IF THAT'S GOOD OR BAD. ]

Nnnnnot exactly, but you can ask Queen Solais to bring Pabu here. [ beat ] Or the fairies will ask you... [ hm. :|a ] Heh, honestly I can't really remember, since I got Naga brought here so long ago.

[ plus there are other pressing matters at hand ]

O...kay. No, no, that's still a big help! Huh. I guess I just kind of assumed Naga. Got here with you or something. That's usually how she likes to do things. [ Like Korra nobly rode her into a mystical fairy portal, on purpose. Or accidentally. And there really are more pressing matters at hand probably. ] I'll keep it in mind next time I'm talking to fairies or the Queen or whoever.

[ warrior woman korra riding naga into ~~battle~~ a fairy ring with a shield made of earth and a sword made of fire, trailing currents of air behind her and splashing water with every pawfall of naga's loping stride.

sounds perfectly korra, tbh. ]

... You should, if you get the chance. [ she says, after a moment. ] I talked to the Queen a couple months ago, and she's... reasonable.

[ meaning she a.) answered korra's question without manipulating her or trying to change the subject; b.) gave korra options, which was important; and c.) told her she was free to go from the court at any time. korra's not sure if she can trust the rulers just yet, but she at least knows they're much nicer than any other authority figure she's dealt with so far. ]

Well, I do like reasonable leaders of nations. [ The President was kind of a humongous fall-through and everything. All those movers and a daring sleeveless rescue, practically wasted. ]

[ yeah fuck that guy. ]

Just a suggestion.

[ more like an order from your avatar i mean no wait that's not right.

suggestion. yes. that's what it is. ]

... Anyway, I should... get going. I think I've let down my guard long enough.

[ but at least the boogins were nice enough to let her have this conversation! ]

--yeah. Right, yeah, that's probably a good idea! Since, you know, I like you not being surprise attacked even more than I like reasonable world leaders. [ did u mean "ambushed" bolin does it even matter

CLEARING HIS THROAT. ] And you're probably a pretty big fan of that, too, so.

[ So. So!

So even he knows that he just doesn't want to hang up because he still doesn't like this "Korra trying to survive alone" business, basically. If she's on the locket talking then obviously that magically forms a barrier against all the stuff that wants to eat her?? But that's pretty dumb. This is where people are generally supposed to offer sagely advice and best wishes and stuff anyway, right?

Only he's drawing a huge blank there, because he's not sagely and she's Korra, so she's gonna be fine. Obviously. Coolest, toughest, buffest, most all-around nature-capable and one-of-a-kind Avatar in the world who is most likely out of the three of them to be able to get through this monster infested forest type situation. No big deal. Nobody's worried at all. Nope. ]

So, I'll see you soon!

[ There's no doubt it's reluctant, but the sentiment's still warm.

Let Mako handle the practical sagely advice. He's way more likely to know what he's talking about.

NAILED IT. ]

IC INBOX • EACHDRAIDH

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