don't worry about me

Bolin strolled through the streets of Pandora, emerald irises stuck gazing at the stars as Tenebris’s endless darkness raged on. For a gloomy place, he had to admit the sky was at least pretty. Stars glistening, the moon shining; really, nothing about it had changed compared to the sky from Republic City. At least he had one thing to smile about despite the day’s failure.

“Hey! Who’s there?”

The earthbender quickly halted, snapping out of his thoughts. He turned toward the owner of the voice and held his hands up as innocently possible. “I-I haven’t done anything wrong, I swear!” he exclaimed. “Just casually strolling about like a totally normal dude, offic—wait a minute.”

As his eyes adjusted to the figure in front of him, Bolin’s anxious expression quickly took form of excitement. “Whoa! Asami, is that you?” He approached the girl, lips pulling into a ridiculously large smile as his pal’s features became more visible. “Hey, it is you! Man, what’re you doing here? I was starting to get worried about’cha! I mean, well, I’ve kinda been stuck here for a while so naturally I’d start getting worried about everyone at home, but eh, that’s beside the case.” 

He shrugged casually, but the huge smile on his face proved the earthbender was more than ecstatic. Asami Sato, the coolest fighter and one of the most experienced drivers in Republic City was here in the same condition as him! Granted, it wasn’t the best condition, though the thought she was here was oddly comforting nonetheless.

Concerns and worries aside, what he mentioned soon after grabbed her attention almost immediately. “Wait. You’ve been here for awhile?” Brows furrowed at the notion. “How long is awhile?” Perplexed to the idea. The Ravenette could have sworn meeting up with them in the past week— Remembering it with crystal clear clarity, there’s no way he could have been gone for longer than that. It wouldn’t make sense, not to mention the realms of impossibility.

Yet the situation she had fallen into, was enough evidence to prove otherwise. Not to mention the dull headache that followed soon after with the sudden influx of processing information. A casual rub of the temples to dispel this new reality — And to think she had seen stranger and more complex things in her lifetime. This experience definitely blew the rest out of the water. There were things that still needed to be completed, work still hadn’t been fully done on Sato Industries and at this moment — Asami knew she was needed there at the most in order to restore the company back to it’s proper reputation, it was a priority.

Bolin greeted the girl with his usual cheerfulness, sending a wave. Although he was aware of her suspicion, he didn't dare respond to her any differently. So what if she was suspicious? He'd assure her it was Bolin and only Bolin, rather than some crazy dude playing tricks on the poor girl soon enough. He always managed to pull through.

"Well, yeah, I've been here for a while. 'Bout a month now?" The earthbender placed a hand at his chin in thought. If he remembered correctly, he had arrived in Pandora approximately 30 days ago. "Yeah! That's it. A month… or so. Somewhere along those lines. Heh."

Bolin laughed uncomfortably, giving a slight shrug of the shoulders as his hand dropped back to its side. Maybe time on these islands passed by quicker than he'd thought; hopefully time back home progressed slower. He'd hate to return to Republic City only to find years had passed far into the future. Just the thought was enough to send shivers down his spine.

Bolin focused on these words, steadily taking a stone off one of the tiled paths and throwing it far as possible--without using his hands, of course. It was amateur bending yes, but the earthbender wanted to be assured he hadn't lost his abilities while in Tenebris. It'd be a shame to come into a completely unknown town, barely know anyone, and lose his bending in the process. Nope, not fun at all.

"Awesome!" he exclaimed to no one in particular, throwing his arms up in accomplishment. "Still got it in ya buddy, still got it in ya."

With a huff, Bolin took charge of lifting several other stones from the path (he was sure the goddess would restore them, anyway; no need to worry). He thrusted them forward, knocking over a lamppost and mailbox, as well as damaging a window.

Whoops.

Well, that was just luck. Bolin smirked, picking up a single stone with a single gesture of his hands. Aiming at a target would assure his bending wasn't at loss.

Taking a breath, he thrusted the stone at a silhouette in the distance. It had to just be a statue. But before he could pull back the stone, the silhouette moved and called for help. Statues did not do that.

Wham!

The stone hit the stranger square in the chest, bouncing back onto the road without a care in the world. Panic-stricken and hysterical, the earthbender quickly ran up to the newcomer, voice frantic.

stringsandsongs started following you

oohfionna started following you

emeraldlightning started following you

furuudo started following you

astralspace started following you

faizebeleth started following you

variare-il-principe started following you

peetashan started following you

kuichigire started following you

animavitality started following you

zenithblessed started following you

hell-of-a-fighter started following you

ephemeralstarlight started following you

earthbendingbabe started following you

maiden-in-the-mist started following you

Kairi looked up in surprised delight as the bell rang. A guest!

She smiled as she caught sight of the new entry and waved from behind the counter. “Hello! Welcome to Sun’s Embrace! We’re having a discount sale, so if you’re like to buy something or just chat, please feel free too!” 

Just as he was about to give up, Bolin's nose caught a wavering scent of fresh-backed goods. About time. 

Allowing his nose to guide him through the streets of Tenebris, the earthbender eventually found himself at a small bakery labeled Sun's Embrace. Seemed friendly enough.

Pushing open the door, giving off a small ding! form the bell above, Bolin was greeted by even sweeter smells of treats… and a cute girl.

Oh, he’d know that voice anywhere.

“Korra!” the earthbender exclaimed, his lips growing into an impossibly large smile. “Ohmygosh dude, I can’t explain how happy I am to see—urk!”

Bolin was lifted to the air, the air from his lungs whooshing out as fast as his feet from the ground. Although the hug was painful, he honestly could care less. Korra, one-of-a-kind Avatar, Pro-bending teammate, and coolest gal he could possibly have, was here in this place with him. At least he didn’t have to go through this thing alone.

But she’d be alone if she didn’t put him down soon.

“Okay, okay um, Korra…” he managed to choke out, “You’re really starting to reduce my intake of oxygen. Y’know, the thing I need to live? I really… really need it right now.”

Bolin sucked in a gulp of air, and in one quick breath he answered: “Not long, two seconds, I think, no—and man, I thought I was the only one too!”

Even with the little air he was receiving, Bolin’s smile failed to disappear. His face was beginning to turn blue yes, but even if he was to faint, that stupid smile wouldn’t go away.

Finally hearing his rather choked out plea for air she quickly released her arms, putting him back on his feet, a sheepish grin plastered across her lips.

"Unfortunately," he replied with a shrug, chuckling sheepishly. "Why? That a bad thing or something?"

Really, he was glad Korra was here. Even though it was an awfully weird predicament situation they were in, at least there in in it together. If only Mako and Asami were here too… Or maybe not; wouldn't want those two to be in this muddle as well.

"Yeah! Glad we could do this together! For uh… whatever problem we're in." He laughed again, more sheepishly than before, and brushed off his uniform. Really, this was quite the odd situation. Not to mention Korra was acting a bit on the weirder side. More over, her words were enough to melt Bolin's optimism to pure confusion.

Bolin dropped his package, jolting backwards from the sudden impact with a stranger. His eyes widened at his plummeted box, but gaze quickly flickered toward the victim of his collision.

"Oh, whoops! Sorry 'bout that, shrimp. Totally my fault," he apologized, scooping his package into his grasp. With a wide grin, the earthbender added jokingly, "Whoa there, buddy. Ya look a little stunned. Did I bump into you too hard or are you just amazed at my dashingly good looks?"

It could be considered incredible at how the simple notion of opening a door could, lead someone to another world; Literally and not in the metaphorical term. But that’s what the ravenette had managed to accomplish in the action of doing so. The handle of the door pressed down, the inner schematics of a lock giving it’s usual click and giving way.

When faced with the entrance, it seemed perfectly normal; going about her daily routine and walking into the hallway. However as her foot stepped over the line which separated her world from the next — essentially passing the door frame  The scenery shifted; the familiar surroundings of her home fading out of vision. A new centrepiece took place, that of a town; much to her surprise of course.

Immediately she turned around, disbelief on her features evident, whilst searching for the door of which she had idly walked through just moments ago, to only find that it had disappeared during her transit. The first thoughts that rose to mind were perhaps she was daydreaming, or just a plain trick of the mind. However the floor she stood on felt real; combined with the surroundings and the chill which hung in the air. 

A slight ruffle of leaves could be heard, a shadow approaching from around the corner. The ravenette was unpredictably on edge, preparing herself for the possibility of an oncoming threat as she moved into a defensive stance; attempting to stand her ground. Everything was happening so incredibly fast, she didn’t have time to judge things accordingly.

Bolin strolled through the streets of Pandora, emerald irises stuck gazing at the stars as Tenebris's endless darkness raged on. For a gloomy place, he had to admit the sky was at least pretty. Stars glistening, the moon shining; really, nothing about it had changed compared to the sky from Republic City. At least he had one thing to smile about despite the day's failure.

"Hey! Who's there?"

The earthbender quickly halted, snapping out of his thoughts. He turned toward the owner of the voice and held his hands up as innocently possible. "I-I haven't done anything wrong, I swear!" he exclaimed. "Just casually strolling about like a totally normal dude, offic--wait a minute."

As his eyes adjusted to the figure in front of him, Bolin's anxious expression quickly took form of excitement. "Whoa! Asami, is that you?" He approached the girl, lips pulling into a ridiculously large smile as his pal's features became more visible. "Hey, it is you! Man, what're you doing here? I was starting to get worried about'cha! I mean, well, I've kinda been stuck here for a while so naturally I'd start getting worried about everyone at home, but eh, that's beside the case." 

He shrugged casually, but the huge smile on his face proved the earthbender was more than ecstatic. Asami Sato, the coolest fighter and one of the most experienced drivers in Republic City was here in the same condition as him! Granted, it wasn't the best condition, though the thought she was here was oddly comforting nonetheless.

The earthbender’s arms dropped back to his side, his cheerful smile refilling his lips. With a shrug, he passed the subject of bending: “Sorry, thought you were one of us. But hey! It’s nice to meet’cha anyway, Jack Frost!”

Hold on.

‘Jack Frost?’ Wasn’t that the notorious myth known for nipping noses?

He pressed a hand against spot-ridden glass and exited the small bakery which, to his surprise, managed to remain just as crowded and suffocating as it had been during peak hours. Plunging a hand into the steaming paper bag, Mako fished out an extra plump bun. And as delicious as it was, there was just one little ingredient it seemed to be missing: steaming pork. Pork buns were the best: and it was as shame that Pandora didn’t have steamed bun stands, or a stir fry restaurant in general.

“You would think someone from Republic City would’ve wound up here by now,” he mused to himself, gulping down his big bite of plain bread. And as he aimlessly strolled the streets of Pandora’s market square, a wave of nostalgia had begun to overwhelm his senses. The way people were chatting besides the fountain side, the way a group of kids were bickering about who got to be ‘it’ after so-and-so…— it was reminding him so much of when he and his little brother used to roam the streets on a daily basis, scrapping up anything they could find. And for a minute, Mako was almost convinced he had reverted to such a thing: roaming the streets with no sense of direction or morals, with no purpose.

The firebender was just about to turn around, too ashamed to face his yearning for good old times, when he had heard a familiar voice from around the large statue in the square. Something about seeing the most amazing act by a…fire ferret? With half-widened eyes, Mako bolted to the other side of the fountainside, buns and all. And sure enough, camped out on the street’s dusty brick ground was the person he had been thinking about a few minutes ago. Talk about coincidences.

“And just what exactly did I say about street performing?” he said suddenly, sauntering up from behind his brother. A half-grin creased across the young man’s lips as he held the paper bag of fresh bread right in front of his brother’s eyes, only to soon drop it into the guy’s lap — he figured he was hungry; brotherly instinct.

Bolin leaned forward toward the fire ferret, eyes filled with desperation as the animal refused to cooperate. His fake mustache was annoyingly itchy and the hot Pandora weather was beginning to seep through his thick show clothes, but under no circumstance would the earthbender let such a nice day go to waste. And for what reason? Simply because Pabu wouldn't perform? No, the ferret would do it… eventually.

"Pabu, man, come on!" Bolin whined. "We gotta make money somehow, right? Just like we practiced. Do it once and we'll go home. I promise"

Pabu looked up at his human friend, nose twitching in curiosity. He hopped onto the tiny latter provided for him and only him, climbing on his two front legs all the way across with ease. As soon as he reached the end, Pabu made a finale by leaping off, performing a grand flip, and landing gracefully.

"That's it! That's it, you got it, Pabu! You got it!" Bolin fist pumped, excited with his small animal companion's accomplishment. "Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you the great, the one and only Pabu!"

"And just what exactly did I say about street performing?"

 "Thank you, thank you! You're too kin--waituhuh?"

Bolin spun around him, his eyes widening at the sight that stood before him. He knew he should've recognized the voice, but it'd been so long since he'd heard such scolding words. Despite the grin on his face, Bolin swallowed hardly, an attempt to keep the joyful tears down.

Gosh, how he'd forgotten how much he'd wished Mako would be here in Pandora with him.

Before Bolin could even utter a word, a bag with a lingering scent of bread landed on his lap. "Whoa--what--how did you--?" He decided it'd be best to just ignore all unnecessary questions and enjoy his sweet time "…You know just what I like, bro."

Hungrily devouring the bread, the earthbender sniffled; still couldn't get over the fact his older brother was here with him. What a relief! Nonetheless, he didn't want to show weakness in front of Mako, and thus refrained from crying. "Oh… just like everyone else," he said in-between bites and chews. "Dragged here against my will. The norm."

“Yeah, it’s pretty spooky here.” He let out a low exhale, blowing a strand of hair from his face. The darkness of Tenebris was a little nerve-wrecking, but at the same time adventurous. Maybe if he got lucky he could save a girl from a mugger? With how eerie the town appeared, he wouldn’t be surprised if there were robbers hiding in the alleys.

“Goddess?” the earthbender echoed. “And… we’re trapped here…?” Bolin pursed his lips. What he was hearing was more than crazy, but Yuna appeared trustable. Her clothing suggested she came from a different world entirely. And maybe she did. Probably; it’d make more sense than this Pandora business.

"Wow, what a jerk Goddess," he laughed, smile returning to his face. Whew! Was he glad Yuna was here to help him than some crusty old tour guide. "Sounds like someone needs a hug, right? This Goddess has a cruel way of having fun."

Bolin stuffed his hands in his pockets, a smug grin filling his face. Definitely proud to make a girl like Yuna laugh so hard. However, at the mention of his Pro-bending match, his expression faltered slightly once again.

Oh, man.

This was bad.

This was very, very bad.

At the absolute worst time possible, Bolin found himself in… wherever this place was called right before Pro-bending finals. It was odd, considering he had always wanted to travel the world. To journey to distant lands, talk with people from other continents, tribes, and kingdoms, maybe try some their grub (no, not maybe—must). And yet, of all the times possible, his simple wish came true. Luck was a jerk.

“Alright, this really isn’t funny,” he mumbled, though more to himself than anyone else. “Nope, not funny at all. Far from funny. Un-funny. Totally unfunny.”

Bolin let out a small huff, scratching his head as he tried to make sense out of the situation. Last he remembered he was at Narook’s enjoying a bowl of awesome noodles to ease himself for finals and… everything after that was a blur. The question as to how he arrived and why lingered.

Hold the thought. What about Korra and Mako? What would they do without him? They needed him for the finals. He had to be there or the team would forfeit to those jerky White Falls Wolfbats—to that nasty dude Tahno. No, that wasn’t an option. He had to get back no matter the circumstances.

More determined to get back to the arena for the match, the earthbender turned to find someone of help. Anyone. Even a scary bro would work. Just anyone who could tell him where he was and how to get back.

He rounded the corner, and luckily, Bolin found someone who looked friendly enough. Hopefully they knew the location better than he did.

John slipped his hands into his pockets.  “Republic City, is that where you’re from?” he asked.  “I’m sorry to have to tell you this, but you’re a little far from home at the moment.” 

Bolin's voice squeaked at the word 'home.' Far? From where? How? What? Were buns offered in this whatever-it's-called? This town couldn't be too far. It's not like he could just wake up and -- bam! End up in another city entirely! That didn't make any sense; nope, no sense at all.

Was this even possible...?

"Wait, another dimension? Whoa dude, back up there. 'Another dimension.' That's a little… oh, I dunno, far-fetched, don't you think?" Bolin tried to make the best of the situation, grinning as he attempted to understand his position. "And… we're stuck, eh?"

Well, the guy looked somewhat trustable. Different, but trustable to a point. His clothing suggested the stranger might have been a police of sort. Definitely not an officer from Republic City, though an officer nonetheless. And if he was so nice to stop and help, surely he had to be telling the truth, right?

Bolin's 'make the best out of the situation' mood didn't last long, for his voice quickly broke into a state of panic: "Oh man, oh man, this stinks! A whole different dimension entirely? But I really have to be somewhere! See, I have this Pro-bending match I gotta be at. It's the finals, and if I miss, we forfeit! I can't let that happen, can I? My team needs me!"