From the top.

[alphatar]

Characters: Mako (firethepolice), Korra (alphatar)
Date: November 1st
Location: ME-2B
Situation: Meeting for the first time a second time.
Warnings/Rating: N/A


Even after spending the night in her suite after she was solid, Korra felt strangely out of place. After going through a few drawers of her dresser, she found some workout clothes. There was a room upstairs dedicated to being a home gym and she could really use the distraction from everything that she didn’t know.

Which was pretty much everything, including the polar bear dog that had been friendly to her and following her around.

After an hour and a half of working out, she went down the stairs and was set to go out for a run. And hopefully not get lost. When she opened the door, she gave a small yelp before readying herself to punch the person that was probably just about to knock.

But she managed to stop herself in time when she saw his face. "Mako?" Part of the question was really just that. He was still known to her just by name.

Comments

[browbeater]

Somehow, he had a feeling he'd only just not gotten punched in the face. He tried to not look too surprised, but his posture revealed it, even if he did have his hands shoved in his pockets. He was still trying to be pretty non-threatening. "Hey, I wanted to see how you were doing... still."

She hadn't gotten his memory back, and he wasn't sure what else he could do, not until the next audience with the Emperor at least.

"Getting used to everything?" Probably not since it was a lot, but he had a few ideas to try and help.

[alphatar]

The timing of her opening the door just as he got there was startling, but she let her fist unfurl.

"A little, but not really. I’m trying to get used to everything. But she’s been nice." She pointed at the polar bear dog with her thumb who was looming right behind her. "Did you want to come in?" It felt as if she was in a stranger’s house and inviting another guest.

Never mind that she just opened the door to leave for a run in her workout gear, the same clothes she used to play basketball.

"I’d offer something, but I have no idea what’s in the kitchen."

[browbeater]

"Well, Naga's probably concerned about you," he motioned to the polarbear dog. It was hard to imagine that Korra didn't remember Naga, but... well, there it was. Naga being there was good, at least. Couldn't hurt. He shook his head in response to her second question.

"Nah, that's okay. I don't need anything. I wanted to check on you," he trailed off a bit, allowing a pause before his next question. "Well, really, I wanted to see if you wanted to try some bending."

He thought that was the next logical step. Maybe that would jog her memory, doing something she'd done pretty much her whole life. "Firebending. I can show you that."

[alphatar]

Hearing the animal’s name, prompted her to look at the polar bear dog who was diligently by her side. "Naga. Huh…" Hearing made her get nuzzled by a wet black nose, which she petted off before she answered.

"Sure, we can do that. Come on." She left the door open and headed for the stairs, her energy still flowing from the work out.

"Don’t mind the burn marks up here. I guess I used this for some practice or something." The large stone flooring that made up most of the second floor had some black marks, but the trigram painting seemed to avoid it all. Magical paint from the Sun God Amaterasu, but nothing that Korra could remember at the moment.

[browbeater]

Up the stairs they went. Mako looked around the training room, taking note of things. Of course there'd be black marks-- it hadn't escaped his notice that Korra seemed more comfortable with fire than she did with water. "Don't worry about it, it happens with fire."

He took off his scarf first, and looked around for a safe place to put it. He wasn't going to chance his dad's scarf now, not for training. "Got a safe place I can put my scarf and jacket?" he asked as he started undoing his jacket as well.

[alphatar]

"You can toss it in there if you want to." She gestured toward the room that had Naga's huge cushion. Now that her muscles were tightened up, she started to do a few stretches.

"I didn't know you were a firebender." she said as she pulled her upper arm in towards her face. "Are you the only one here that is?"

[browbeater]

That was easy enough, he thought, setting aside the scarf and his jacket. "Pretty sure I am, besides you. Toph and Chief Beifong can earthbend." He wasn't sure what to say about the waterbenders that were there. And then, there was Aang, an airbender.

"There are other benders here, basically," he continues with a roll of his shoulders, to loosen up.

"I'm guessing you don't remember anything, not even the basics, huh?" Starting from the beginning... It was still strange, and he still was carefully not thinking about the longer implications. He was hoping muscle memory would help, somehow.

[alphatar]

The names didn't have any faces she could place them with, so she just nodded at the other benders comment. Something she'd ask about later when she was more comfortable with being in her own suite.

Once she done stretching, she took off her shoes and tossed them on top of the pile of mats in the corner. She was just about to answer that she did remember bending. In fact, it never even crossed her mind enough to even think of it as something not forgotten.

But she was in a good mood, especially now that that- her polar bear dog had a name. So she was content to just play innocent and shrugged her shoulders, getting into the basic stance for firebending. "Guess we'll see."

[browbeater]

He assumed the memory loss included bending. How could she forget everything except that? At least, that was the assumption he was operating off of. It made the most logical sense. So, of course her answer gave him some pause. Because, shouldn't she know?

Don't think about it too much, Mako.

She was already in a pretty solid stance, so while surprising, it at least made things easier for him. No explaining the nuances of stances, which wasn't something he was all that great at anyway.

Explaining firebending. Being a teacher.

Well, there were stranger things in the world.

"Guess we'll see is right. You've already got a pretty good position, at least."

[alphatar]

"Thanks." she took the compliment with a nod. Just taking the stance was familiar and it felt good to know exactly what she was getting into, and just decided to begin with a flourish.

Because showing off like that felt natural.

Jumping into the air, she spun her barefoot around and a trail of flame blazed behind it. The room was lit with a flash of bright orange as the fire that was on her heel came down towards Mako.

This was fun and she was smiling.

[browbeater]

Guess we'll see, huh, he thought before immediately dodging her kick by moving to the side, with a roll. So, she remembered bending. That didn't make sense, but it wasn't like he really had time to ask what the hell was really going on. His momentum pushed him back up on his feet, and then he countered with a kick of his own.

Fine, if he didn't need to help her, well, he definitely didn't need to go easy on her.

This was a lot more interesting. Even if she had been messing with him about the bending the whole time.

[alphatar]

Fighting was just coming to her as easily as breathing and it didn’t come as to much of a surprise to Korra. After connecting the home gym in the other room that was also on the second floor to her physique, she was sure it was focused around this.

Fluidly moving around the kick, she brought one hand up to bend his fire away from her, and she needed to move in closer. Still smiling from the amount of excitement she was feeling, Korra slid a foot forward and brought both hands upwards from her sides. Both hands were open, flames were nestled inside either palm.

This was a sparring match and Korra would treat it as such and not go too far, and she only hoped Mako would do the same. For now, she was focused on deflecting any strikes and advance into Mako’s guard.

[browbeater]

Mako knew keeping the distance between them would be advantageous until he could get her guard down and move in on his own. So, he figured he'd preempt her counters by not really giving her room to respond immediately. If she had to constantly deflect his attacks, he could move closer.

This wasn't unlike their basketball match from earlier.

He started with two rapid fire-kicks, the movement circling him slightly to the side of her instead of straight on. Then, followed immediately by his fists. As long as she had to constantly readjust her angle of attack, he could be ready to respond.

C'mon, Korra, let's see what you've got.

[browbeater]

[He probably checked the network more at work than he ever did at home. So it was surprising to get a note from Korra that she needed help from him, and a place she was hanging out. The message had confused him, and he wasn't sure how serious it was, but the words implied she was upset.

And she'd asked him for help for this.

He left SI as soon as he could, cutting across the fire sector to meet her at the cafe. He made a beeline for her as soon as he saw her]

Hey, I got your message. What's wrong?

[alphatar]

[After using the café’s console, Korra waited at the table with her nearly empty tea. Her bummed expression lightens up when she sees Mako, a much more familiar face now, and her smile is slightly sheepish.]

I’m locked out of my suite. [It felt stupid to say it, so she half whispered.] I lost my key somewhere.

[It would be getting dark soon and the last thing she wanted was to be stuck outside for the rest of the night.]

[browbeater]

[a blink.

That hadn't been what he was expecting. He wasn't sure what he could do to help her find it any better (maybe he was there for moral support?), but he could start with a few things that they could work on.]

Are you sure you didn't leave it in your suite?

[it was the obvious question, but if she needed someone to figure out how to break and enter--

no. Mako, don't set that sort of example for your amnesiac girlfriend. That way lies tears and heartbreak and possible restraining orders. (He could practically hear that in Bolin's voice, what the hell.)]

[alphatar]

[Korra shook her head, a trace of amusement touches her smile.] No, I lock it from the outside.

[A quick shrug.] Just don’t know where I lost it at. [To give an example, she stand up to turn her right pocket inside out. The hole in it visible.

Just how long had she had these pants?]

I’m kind of. stuck.

[browbeater]

[he couldn't help it. He tried to hide a grin behind his hand as he started thinking, very seriously, about the problem of holes in pockets. How long had she had those pants?]

It's okay. Where did you go today? We'll just backtrack from there.

[cool under fire, or when his girlfriend loses her key. Either way... He hadn't resorted to panicking yet.]

But we need to hurry. Most stuff closes pretty soon.

[alphatar]

[She tried to discern what he was thinking, but his hand covered up what little she could read. At the question, Korra looked around for a second before tapping her lip with her finger.]

I did some fishing at the shell’s edge, but I went home after that so I still had the key. Then I got a craving for something sweet, so I went to this bakery that was selling some pastries and I went to a few of the stores that were in the plaza with it.

[…oops. Written all over her face. That’s actually a few places.]

[browbeater]

Well, at least you didn't lose it in the sea.

[because that would have been awkward, and a lot harder to fix. He gestured towards the door as he taked, for added emphasis.]

We'll backtrack where you went for the day, how about that? We can check each of the stores, and we should be able to find it for you.

[alphatar]

Okay, let's do that. [Finishing the last bit of her cold tea, Korra made her way out and held the door open for Mako. It wouldn't be a far walk since it was in the same sector.]

Naga's at the clinic, I figured she can stay there until I get my key back. [Evening's already approaching and a few of the businesses were closed or are closing. Even the cafe they just walked out of locked its door and flipped the sign over.]

Come on, it's this way.

[browbeater]

[he was noticing that, and he hoped that Korra had found one of the businesses that had a later closing time. It was possible, even if he was thinking it probably wouldn't happen. But.

He nodded and followed her as they worked their way back through every place she'd come from. The clinic was probably a good place for Naga right then, though if all else failed, her nose would be pretty useful, either that evening, or the next day.]

Alright, I'll follow you.

[he really was there for moral support. But he didn't mind, not in this instance.

So when they got to the first closed sign...]

We can try here tomorrow, I guess.

[but it was looking around the complex that told him, hey, maybe they weren't gonna have much luck that day. It was just way too late.]

[alphatar]

[Moral support is vital in a world of people she's barely meeting again for the first time.

She nods after they reach the first sign, but as she looks out at the rest of the plaza it's obvious the rest are closed. None of the lights are on and not a single car is in sight. For any other sector that's not unusual, but in the Metal Sector, cars where everywhere and the main mode of transportation.]

Tomorrow? [Asked with a raised eyebrow and a slight frown. Staying over night at the clinic, no one she knew anywhere near by, was something she didn't like the idea of.]

[browbeater]

Yeah.

[he pauses-- she looked so dejected that the words slipped out before he even really thought about them]

You can stay with me. I'm over in the Wood Sector, so it's a bit of a walk. But... it's better than the clinic or out here.

[alphatar]

[Of all the people she'd met, Korra knew Mako the longest and he had been nothing but helpful. Just him being here to give her support was a comfort.]

I- don't mind the walk. [Her sentence was interrupted by the smile on her face. Ever since she had started staying in her suite, Korra made use of all the gym equipment since it helped ease the urge to work out.]

Thanks. I really didn't want to stay at the clinic.