[There's a pause, followed by a soft chuckle. Korra doesn't know what it is about Makoto, but there's definitely something very endearing about him.]
I don't know about you, but I'm not going to turn down candy. [She can't help but think that Tenzin's kids would make it a point to take Makoto up on his offer immediately if they were here. Korra pushes that thought away, as usual. Sometimes the moments of homesickness sneak up on her like this, and it's all she can do to force some cheer into her voice.] I'll stop by some time and visit you.
You know, just because Rin brought it up doesn't mean he had to force me into helping you guys. You don't need to owe me for anything.
Uh... it's my turn to share? [Back home, she would just introduce herself as the Avatar and that's all people ever needed. But here, it's different. No one knows what an Avatar even is, no one expects anything of her.. it's a little strange, if she's honest. When the silence drags on a little too long, Korra laughs a little sheepishly.] Guess I'm still bad at this. I'm new. Just got to the colony a few weeks ago, and I was working at the gym before the flooding.
[ he's just an incorrigible sap predestined to trip over himself in gratitude. he wasn't the one who performed a miracle out there, water glinting in a healing arc, bruises clearing with a soft, refulgent glow. ]
Hope not! There's some good flavors you'd be missing out on. I recommend the chocolates. [ makoto's trying to play it off as low-key, but realistically his sweets bias could be seen from space at this point. woah, embarrassing ... he does pause shortly afterward, however, softening his tone a notch. ] Feel free to bring a friend or two! Anyone who could use some cheering up.
[ he processes the silence evenly, uncertain if korra might be waiting for him to roll out the details on haru next (resident swimmer-slash-dolphin) or babble on a semi-related tangent about rin, but luckily korra spares him the potential mortification of saying something he shouldn't when she speaks up. ]
It's okay! I get it, things have been pretty weird as of late. [ granted, floods weren't in the usual repertoire, but the point still holds. ] Maybe we could meet up again sometime? I usually visit the gym around the mornings to train, so we could catch up then — or anywhere else, if you want.
I'll see what I can do! [There's a laugh from her, a hint of sadness around its edges, despite her efforts to hide it.] I was just thinking some of the kids I know back home would've loved to come along.
[She perks up at the mention of "training", though. That's one of the topics that can always distract her sufficiently.]
Sure, we can meet up there! What kind of training do you do?
I know what you mean. My brother and sister would've gotten cavities from dropping by the store way too often. [ his fondness for his siblings has no perceivable limits, but it's been a while since he's ever brought them up in any capacity. it's a little disheartening.
but just like korra, makoto's quick to derail one painful line of thinking for another that doesn't sting quite so badly. ]
Dryland training, mostly. I do swim from time to time, too, but you're more likely to find Rin or Haru in the lap pools than me. [ but as always, curiosity wins out over any potential chance to showboat. it's not really makoto's style to begin with. ] Why do you ask?
Oh, really? What types of combat do you teach? Is it for self-defense?
[ tentative hopefulness, go. he hasn't managed a training session with vietnam just yet, but being a painful neophyte when it comes to modes of contending less than agreeable situations on tellus means that there's an ever-present necessity for him to learn how to protect himself as well as others.
Actually, yeah. Self defense mostly--I kind of have to learn a few other combat styles before I can teach them later.
[She sounds a little embarrassed.]
You can't really teach anyone a bending style when they don't have bending, you know? I mean, you can, but it's not as useful as some of the non-bending types of combat.
[She might be rambling a little, stop her please.]
[ makoto talked her ear off like five minutes ago, no big deal. still — ]
I never knew. Bending's what you did with the water before, right? The way you were able to help Haru. Is that a normal power for people to have in your world?
[ he understands more than anyone else how useless he was then, barely able to provide little more than bedside manner while korra healed his best friend. sheepishly, makoto disguises his sudden interest with a nervous laugh. ]
Would you be willing to teach anyone, even a beginner, who really wanted to learn? A non-bending type of combat, I mean.
[ ouch. he's practically shooting himself in the foot with this thinly-veiled request. ]
Yeah, that's waterbending. Uh, basically there four main elements back home. If you're a bender, you're born with the ability to control one of them.
[There's a pause, mostly out of surprise.]
You...want me to teach you? I mean, I could! I think I could start you off with something bending-related first. You can still use the forms, even if you don't have bending.
So not everyone has it ... seems like being a bender would be a lot of responsibility.
[ huuuuuh. the most exposure makoto's ever had to supernatural abilities dealt with nagisa's complete intolerance to fear in a haunted house, so people who could manipulate elements with a flick of their hand never ceased to amaze. makoto would make a good target for a scam; gullible enough to be duped into believing a hoax, sheepish enough not to begrudge the conman if the truth ever came out.
there's an air of legitimacy about korra, though, one that he's seen first-hand with his own eyes, so it's not like there was ever any room to doubt to begin with. ]
Yeah, I mean ... [ falter, falter. ] ... if you're free, and you wouldn't mind taking me on as a pupil. Um, I can reimburse you in credits if you need it, it's just — I think it'd be a good idea, after the last few sticky situations I found myself in.
[ a discernible stutter-stop echoes in his voice, nervous and terribly self-conscious. ]
Oh, I definitely don't mind. And hey, the gym's going to be paying me...whenever it's up and running again. I'll teach you because I want to. [Her voice turns half-teasing now.] As long as you're prepared for it. I won't go easy on any student of mine.
[When she hears how nervous he is, though, she gentles her tone.]
[ it's been a while since makoto's felt so optimistic without the feeling immediately subsiding. as it is, he's at a loss for words for a couple of seconds, trying to articulate his gratitude without it coming off as hopelessly contrived in the process. ]
I'll see you later then, Korra! Don't be a stranger.
[ she's a good person. he'll be working doubly hard to impress her in the meantime — or would, if it wasn't for the jungle escapades on the horizon.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
audio;
I don't know about you, but I'm not going to turn down candy. [She can't help but think that Tenzin's kids would make it a point to take Makoto up on his offer immediately if they were here. Korra pushes that thought away, as usual. Sometimes the moments of homesickness sneak up on her like this, and it's all she can do to force some cheer into her voice.] I'll stop by some time and visit you.
You know, just because Rin brought it up doesn't mean he had to force me into helping you guys. You don't need to owe me for anything.
Uh... it's my turn to share? [Back home, she would just introduce herself as the Avatar and that's all people ever needed. But here, it's different. No one knows what an Avatar even is, no one expects anything of her.. it's a little strange, if she's honest. When the silence drags on a little too long, Korra laughs a little sheepishly.] Guess I'm still bad at this. I'm new. Just got to the colony a few weeks ago, and I was working at the gym before the flooding.
audio;
Hope not! There's some good flavors you'd be missing out on. I recommend the chocolates. [ makoto's trying to play it off as low-key, but realistically his sweets bias could be seen from space at this point. woah, embarrassing ... he does pause shortly afterward, however, softening his tone a notch. ] Feel free to bring a friend or two! Anyone who could use some cheering up.
[ he processes the silence evenly, uncertain if korra might be waiting for him to roll out the details on haru next (resident swimmer-slash-dolphin) or babble on a semi-related tangent about rin, but luckily korra spares him the potential mortification of saying something he shouldn't when she speaks up. ]
It's okay! I get it, things have been pretty weird as of late. [ granted, floods weren't in the usual repertoire, but the point still holds. ] Maybe we could meet up again sometime? I usually visit the gym around the mornings to train, so we could catch up then — or anywhere else, if you want.
audio;
[She perks up at the mention of "training", though. That's one of the topics that can always distract her sufficiently.]
Sure, we can meet up there! What kind of training do you do?
audio;
but just like korra, makoto's quick to derail one painful line of thinking for another that doesn't sting quite so badly. ]
Dryland training, mostly. I do swim from time to time, too, but you're more likely to find Rin or Haru in the lap pools than me. [ but as always, curiosity wins out over any potential chance to showboat. it's not really makoto's style to begin with. ] Why do you ask?
audio;
[They might be on their audio options only now, but that doesn't hide the smile in Korra's tone at all.]
I guess I just like seeing what everyone else does when they're training at the gym.
audio;
[ tentative hopefulness, go. he hasn't managed a training session with vietnam just yet, but being a painful neophyte when it comes to modes of contending less than agreeable situations on tellus means that there's an ever-present necessity for him to learn how to protect himself as well as others.
makoto can't always be the damsel in distress. ]
audio;
[She sounds a little embarrassed.]
You can't really teach anyone a bending style when they don't have bending, you know? I mean, you can, but it's not as useful as some of the non-bending types of combat.
[She might be rambling a little, stop her please.]
audio;
I never knew. Bending's what you did with the water before, right? The way you were able to help Haru. Is that a normal power for people to have in your world?
[ he understands more than anyone else how useless he was then, barely able to provide little more than bedside manner while korra healed his best friend. sheepishly, makoto disguises his sudden interest with a nervous laugh. ]
Would you be willing to teach anyone, even a beginner, who really wanted to learn? A non-bending type of combat, I mean.
[ ouch. he's practically shooting himself in the foot with this thinly-veiled request. ]
audio;
[There's a pause, mostly out of surprise.]
You...want me to teach you? I mean, I could! I think I could start you off with something bending-related first. You can still use the forms, even if you don't have bending.
[Somehow, she's actually getting ideas for this.]
audio;
[ huuuuuh. the most exposure makoto's ever had to supernatural abilities dealt with nagisa's complete intolerance to fear in a haunted house, so people who could manipulate elements with a flick of their hand never ceased to amaze. makoto would make a good target for a scam; gullible enough to be duped into believing a hoax, sheepish enough not to begrudge the conman if the truth ever came out.
there's an air of legitimacy about korra, though, one that he's seen first-hand with his own eyes, so it's not like there was ever any room to doubt to begin with. ]
Yeah, I mean ... [ falter, falter. ] ... if you're free, and you wouldn't mind taking me on as a pupil. Um, I can reimburse you in credits if you need it, it's just — I think it'd be a good idea, after the last few sticky situations I found myself in.
[ a discernible stutter-stop echoes in his voice, nervous and terribly self-conscious. ]
I want to be useful in an emergency.
audio;
[When she hears how nervous he is, though, she gentles her tone.]
Hey, everyone has to start somewhere, right?
audio;
[ he's so embarrassed?! whoa, give him a second while he gathers his bearings and attempts to come off as coherent over the
phonecerevice. ]Okay, when the gym's repaired, I'll drop by the next time you're free. Don't be too harsh with me, teacher.
[ well, makoto might be smiling. just a little. ]
audio;
[Don't mind her getting ahead of herself over here. Just give her a second.
Okay, she's calm.]
And we can always just hang out when we're not training, too. If you're okay with that.
audio;
[ it's been a while since makoto's felt so optimistic without the feeling immediately subsiding. as it is, he's at a loss for words for a couple of seconds, trying to articulate his gratitude without it coming off as hopelessly contrived in the process. ]
I'll see you later then, Korra! Don't be a stranger.
[ she's a good person. he'll be working doubly hard to impress her in the meantime — or would, if it wasn't for the jungle escapades on the horizon.
oh, well. better luck next time. ]