001 • [video]

[bolincredible]

[ GOOD…… late night or super early morning, network. Witness the amazing Fire Ferrets in their natural habitat, if a bit sleep-mussed and underdressed. (Understatement, tbh.) Come on, if your pajamas aren’t “be shirtless” or “in a sports bra”, you’re just not doing things Republic City style in this weather.

The scene set in the rather large room is unnerving at best. Splashed against the background are scorch marks from recent firebending, and shadows are cast from the ripped and torn flooring — it looks like there was one hell of a fight. Off to the left, there’s a soft glow as Korra tries to heal a deep wound on her arm with her waterbending and Mako, holding a small flame in his hand for light, crouches over a dark, suspiciously person shaped thing on the floor. Next to it are two other suspiciously person shaped things, also not moving in a very “dead” fashion.

As Mako makes notes in a small logbook, he and Korra seem to be having something of a disagreement, with Korra hissing angrily and Mako trying to calm her down with steady, hushed tones. While they talk, he meticulously searches through the clothes on the things — let’s be honest, they’re corpses, three of them, lying on the bedroom floor — gathering the evidence he finds and apparently writing it down in his little book. He adds whatever he finds to a growing pile of trinkets... which at this point consists largely of knives, garotting rope, and other sketchy murderous tools. With a soft trill, the two cats who adopted Mako jump up on the bed, looking shaken and huddling protectively around a small green and gold snakelike creature. Naga, on the other hand, seems to be licking something from her lips with her long tongue, looking quite proud of herself, tail absently tapping on the mattress behind the kittens.

Bolin, looking suitably confused and sporting an oddly smug Pabu-scarf, is taking up the foreground and accepting the responsibility of having his priorities in place. Unlike some people, wow. ]

Uhhhh. Hey. So my name’s Bolin. Nice to meet you if I haven’t already met you. Nice to see you again if I have? [ You know, whichever. ] Got a quick question for anyone who could answer, it’d be great to have it cleared up: is there like a... running history of people getting a pet back for a boon, only then a month later it turns out that their pet can also grow about eight feet and tackle an assassin? Just. Just wondering.

[ He stops. Glances back at Mako and Korra. Purses his lips, and turns back. ]

Okay, so, one more question. About the assassin thing. Like… are they also a thing with a running history here?

[ in the background, the dead body rummaging and healing krew has finished their argument, and in the ensuing silence, you can hear their last snippy comments before the feed ends. ]

At least no one was kidnapped.

[ Mako says, completely deadpan. Korra’s eyes narrow and she shoots back: ]

Or arrested, huh Officer?

[ WOW, RUDE, KORRA. ]

Comments

[thebreakingwave]

It's a bit rude to show off your kills like that.

[ There are children that could see this. A little common sense and basic decency, please? At least keep your dead bodies under a sheet. ]

[sangilak]

Look, we didn't kill them!

[ it's also a Bit Rude to send assassins off in the first place, tbh ]

[thebreakingwave]

I know, I know, they tripped on the carpet. Ate a bad oyster. Not your fault.

[ Harry rolls his eye. ]

But what I mean is, it's not ...there are children here. Would you want them to see someone rifling through a corpse's pockets?

1/2

[sangilak]

[ she bristles ]

More like chomped down on something and took their own lives so don't take that tone with me!

2/2.

[jaywalks]

[ and at this point, the cop slides in to try and do some damage control, taking the locket and turning it away from the mess so all it shows is a bare stretch of wall behind him. he also snaps something at bolin in their home language, bo, keep the locket pointed away from the stiffs because... well he carries a point. (even if, to mako, it seems ridiculous, but knowing the violence of the world since eight means you're rather unaware of it by now.) ]

With all due respect, sir, you seem to be the one most bothered by this, and you don't look to be a child. The broadcast direction was made in error, and for that, we're sorry. [ from the rough edge to his tone, its hard to tell if he means it or not. ]

We don't know who these three are, if someone sent them, or they came on their own. I was looking for evidence that would potentially help identify them.

[thebreakingwave]

[ Harry wants to snap and snarls that, of course, it's utterly ridiculous to be upset by the sight of three dead bodies via the lockets when he's already seen so many here. He knows he's angry about other deaths and he shouldn't let it leak over into this conversation.

He takes a deep breath before speaking again:]

Accidents happen.

[ He should leave it at that. There's a moment where it looks as if he's going to say one thing, but he bites his tongue and goes with something more constructive.]

Do you know if they came for you, personally, or were just after any Seelie targets?

[jaywalks]

[ oh, he hears that deliberately pointing out what court and it puts him a bit on edge; he knows nico and zelos are seelie, and lydia and her dog argument has been uselessly harmless enough that he's unconcerned for now, but... well that's sketchy. ]

The information I have isn't enough to draw any solid conclusions at this time.

[thebreakingwave]

[ Harry frowns and scrubs his hand over his face, making a stupid expression of surprise when his hand gets caught in the string for the eye-patch. He's never going to get used to that damn thing and it's embarrassing. Anger comes easier than most other emotions, but he can put it aside and be (somewhat) professional.]

I know I'm at a distance, but is there anything I can do?

[jaywalks]

Not right now, but thank you for the offer.

[thebreakingwave]

I know you don't know me from Adam, but if you or your friends know Hermione, she can vouch for me.

[ Harry pauses, fidgets with something just off-screen. ]

Just in case you're put off by altruism, I'm a peace officer back home and if something like this happens on the Scima side, I'd appreciate any and all the help I can get.

GMAIL ATE MY NOTIF I APOLOGISE

[jaywalks]

[ as mako listens to harry's offer, his gaze visibly skates to the side, off to where korra and bolin are — if this guy is a friend of hermione, like that ron guy... does he know that hermione's an unseelie captive? ugh. now's not really the time to talk about this, is it... ]

You're an... Auror, aren't you?

[ bruh you better believe he's going to be texting you later. ]

Re: GMAIL ATE MY NOTIF I APOLOGISE

[thebreakingwave]

[At the time they're speaking, Harry doesn't know. He lost his compass during the cave-in and hasn't yet read the message from Ron.]

I am, yes.

[Harry will appreciate it, because he's going to be working the assassination attempt up at Redgate.]

[jaywalks]

... I'll see if anything comes up. If you'll excuse me for now, though, I have some more work to do here.

[ it's a polite dismissal for real this time, and mako takes the time to end the feed himself.... for now. he's got work to do. ]

[bolincredible]

Kills?

[ .......

LOOKS BACK AT THE DEAD BODIES......... ]

... ohhhh.

Okay, well, definitely seeing where you might get that impression! [ continues trying to be friendly because... that's basically all he knows how to do lbr. ] Wow. Sorry about that, man. If it helps at all, we totally didn't kill them. It's more like they were really disappointed that they didn't kill any of us.

[thebreakingwave]

I think they're beyond help at this point.

[ Even though Harry is being flippant, it's possible to tell that he's genuinely upset. Why would you show this sort of thing through the lockets? It's a nasty sort of boast. ]

[bolincredible]

Well... yeah. [ I'm sorry on personal level, Harry, this guy is really dumb. ] I mean, we tried, but it's kinda hard to help someone who loads up on poison when you catch them?

[ It's not even a sassy retort, he's legitimately confused. ]

[thebreakingwave]

[ It's starting to dawn on Harry that he might not be dealing with the swiftest owl in the attic, if you know what i mean. ]

...right. If you've got a sheet nearby, you could cover them up? A little dignity goes a long way. They're not going to care, of course.

[ But it's the right thing to do and it pains him that he has to explain this. Maybe they're from another world where the norms are totally different? Maybe he's just being optimistic.]

[bolincredible]

Yeah, that won't be a problem. Mako just wanted to get his evidence before we covered 'em and found somewhere to move them. They weren't really supposed to, uh... be in the shot. Actually. So much. [ And a grimace. For now, at least, he's definitely doing some re-angling away from them as per Mako's instruction. Gonna be in trouble for this one later.

Which he can admit he deserves. Even if this kinda feels like water off a turtleduck's back after Redgate, which he's definitely not thinking about, he's really got to get better at his thinking ahead. Just in general. ]

That any better?

[thebreakingwave]

Thank you and I'm sorry for snapping at you. It was just a bit of a shock and, well, I can admit that I've been a bit rattled lately. I think that's fair to say.

[ It's possible that he saw Bolin around at Redgate for the aftermath, although Harry didn't really get out to talk to many people. ]

I'm Harry.

[bolincredible]

Oh, no, don't worry about it, I'm sorry. It's good that you said something! I mean, I probably wouldn't have noticed until way later otherwise, and then things would be even worse... an early catch is a good catch. [ Or that's what Toza pretty much always said. He runs a hand through his hair. ]

...nice to meet you? Circumstances could use a little work, but.

[thebreakingwave]

[ Harry snorts. 'Circumstances could use a little work' should be the motto of all shardbearers. ]

I think we should all get that on t-shirts and wear it at the next welcoming feast.

Although, I think I saw you at Redgate? For the rebuilding?

[bolincredible]

You might've. [ If he was there... yeah, there was probably a decent chance. And an eyepatch guy sounds pretty familiar? There were some good reasons to have his social tendencies narrowed down around then, and he can't complain about it. ] I couldn't really stay as long as I wanted this time around, but I tried to help out before I left. I'm hoping I can get back to help out again before too long.

[ Which is what feeling morally responsible on top of an officially designated level of responsibility gets you in this day and age. ]

[thebreakingwave]

Don't worry if you can't place me. After the mountain came down on me, I spent most of my time rolling bandages once I stopped trying to bleed on everything.

[ Self-deprecation is a good way to go! Although, it's probably pretty likely that if Bolin was busy helping he, he might've heard about two shardbearers that went into the mountain to evacuate the miners. ]

[bolincredible]

Ohh. [ One of his fellow "shardbearers who had a chance to stick around without being kidnapped or killed." ] Sorry about that, too. Just. While I've got you and all. Not that it really fixes anything.

[thebreakingwave]

[ Harry's about to brush it off as nothing to worry about and not Bolin's fault, when he has the overwhelming and slightly nasty urge to ask a question: ]

You stayed to help, so it couldn't actually be your fault, right?