tushanshu_logs | [OPEN] Some break the rules and live to count the cost

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[OPEN] Some break the rules and live to count the cost

Characters: Zatanna Zatara & OPEN
Date: Catch-all for the month of April
Location: Around the Turtle
Situation: Specified in Starters Below

Warnings/Rating: possible CW levels of Teenaged Angst somewhere in there.

I. - WORK (Magic Shop) | On the border between Fire and Wood

[It was cliche, she knew, being a magic user working for a magic shop. But the benefits far outweighed all of that, and besides...it was actually a pretty cool place. There were shelves upon shelves of every herb grown on the Turtle, and a few that were harvested from the mainland (those cost extra, of course). The incense and candles were genuine. Homemade and hand-crafted. Walls filled with magic volumes, though after her Turtle-wide debacle some time back, Zatanna made a point to cut back on her casual reading. Music was specifically chosen to employ the use of mediativesinging bowls and binaural frequency waves, broadcasted simultaneously from opposite ends of the shop.]

[Needless to say, Zatanna usually came away from a shift far more relaxed than when she went in. The occasional difficult customer aside.]

[But most interesting was her boss. A middle-aged kedan woman who had a flair for the dramatic and gave new meaning to the definition free spirit. Her knowledge and mastery of the arts were genuine, of course--Zatanna had even had to audition just to get her approval to work there--but she loved to play up the camp factor to draw in fresh blood. Even if she possessed no actual powers of her own.]

[SPRINGTIME SPECIAL, she said. Tarot card reading, half off. A table placed just outside the shop. And, the biggest draw of all: Zatanna, dressed in one of her finest "work uniforms" she'd designed herself.]

[She took the whole performance pretty well. Donned the costume without much protest. The earrings were actually kind of cool. And to pass the time between customers, she took the tarot cards and practiced her slight of hand. Making the cards disappear and reappear with a single snap of her fingers. Shuffling in such a way to manipulate the cards just the way she wanted.]

[Not that she would pull such a thing during an actual reading. She, of all people, knew better than to tempt Fate.]

II. - HOME (WO-3A) | Wood Sector

[The Ward protecting her home was near invisible. Which is why she always made a point of forewarning those who offered to pay her a visit. Should they come across the Ward, it would feel like going up against a solid wall. Should they try to force their way in, it would throw them back with equal force.]

[But, should they be one of the handful of people on her list who had automatic access--those closest to her: Jack, Superman, Korra, Annabeth, Kyle...to name a few--or be given her explicit verbal permission to enter, it would feel as if nothing were there at all.]

[Then again...if they should come across her while she was literally hanging out in the tree holding up her home, the Wards wouldn't even be a factor at all.]

III. - PARK | Wood Sector

[It was relatively warm out, compared to the last few months of Winter. Spring was on its way, and Zatanna was trying to do everything in her power to not think about what that would mean in the near future.]

[The sun was shining, and the air was just brisk enough to feel good with every deep inhalation. Her clothing was noticeably lighter--jeans and a windbreaker jacket over a lavender turtleneck sweater--and she was even daring enough to take advantage of the nearby ice cream stand, indulging in a cone of fudge ripple with extra sprinkles. She'd already devoured the cherry.]

[There were a few kedan children off in the distance, others going for strolls on the walkways. For her part, she sat cross-legged on one of the benches. Content to people-watch as she enjoyed her frozen treat.]

IV. - SHOPPING | Metal Sector

[Sometimes, she was there for her boss. Picking up the occasional trinket making tools necessary to design new charms. Getting new ideas for shop design ideas. That sort of thing.]

[Others, she was there looking for things for her friends. Paints for Kyle. Trinkets for Baby Tooth. That sort of thing.]

[But that particular day? She was there for her. Having resided in Keelai for more than a year now, she figured it was time to start redecorating her suite. In another month, she would be sixteen. Her tastes were gradually starting to evolve. Mature. All she needed were some new ideas.]

[And if she happened to pick up a few new items along the way...pillows, dresses, etc....then, really, it was a win-win situation all around.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[He wasn't a big fan of the shopping and food in the Metal and Fire Sectors, but the smaller shops and stands that were in the Wood Sector? Those were fine, the parks were less crawling with the seedy sort and were more suited to... well, him in general. He had to get out of his suite anyway, at some point.

So, walking the park it was, if he wasn't out to visit his brother in the Earth Sector.]

[She saw him from a distance. Long before he saw her. Which was apparent by the fact that his expression didn't read of alarm in any way.]

[Her heart was torn. Her cone wasn't finished yet. She was just getting to the best part. But the opportunity to catch him off-guard was just too good to pass up.... So she compromised. Letting her ice cream hover in mid-air while she got up and quietly approached. Waiting until she was directly behind the fire bender before calling out:]

Hey, Mako.

[wait. He recognized that voice-- and when he turned to look behind him for the source, it was impossible to not notice that there was an ice cream cone floating. Which was, to say the least, distracting. His expression was a mixture of 'oh shit' and '... well, okay', while his voice was decidedly neutral]

... Hey, Zatanna.

Glad we ran into one another.

I have something for you.

[...and if that "innocent" smile was any indication, he probably wasn't going to like it.]

Something I'm not gonna like, huh.

[This man is definitely a detective.]

And probably for the other day?

[He could pass for a Fortune Teller. She'll put in a good word for him with her boss. But only one.]

Oh, good. You remembered.

[And without further explanation, she leaned back slightly, lifted one hand...and punched him square in the shoulder. It wouldn't hurt...much...but it would certainly be felt.]

Jerk.

[He was pretty sure she could punch harder than that, so he ought to be grateful that she went that easy on him. He rubbed his shoulder after the punch, but he wasn't quite to 'I deserved that' yet.]

Sorry. [at least he sounded sincere enough]

I wasn't sure what else to do.

You could have...oh, I don't know...stayed behind and wait for Korra to explain things. Since, obviously, words were too much for you to handle.

Korra handled it. [obviously] Hell, me not being there probably helped. Besides... [... he was out of excuses there]

Look, as long as we're clear. It wasn't supposed to be what you thought it was-- I care about Korra, but not like that. Not anymore.

Yeah, we'll get back to whether or not I actually believe either of you at a later time.

You're completely missing the point, Mako. You left her high and dry. Sure, she and I are friends...[And, okay, maybe the conversation turned out pretty okay. Unresolved, but otherwise Korra wasn't any worse off for being confronted about it]...but you're supposed to be her friend, too. And you walked off. Rude doesn't even begin to describe it.

Fine, I didn't time it well. But I'd rather not get mad over a stupid misunderstanding, alright? [though he was starting to realize it was probably not his best of ideas, but, honestly, he panicked, and trying to retroactively justify it was harder than he thought it'd be]

And I said sorry. I'll tell Korra too, when I see her next.

[he was going to leave the 'believing' part for later. For now, he sighed]

Is that good enough?

So who's mad?

[Gosh, Mako, she did hold back on the punch, after all. If that wasn't a sign of caring, then what was?]

Not even close. But I guess it's a start.

Why did you run off? I mean, aside from the obvious. I never pegged you for being so sensitive to a bit of friendly teasing.

[he sighs, and glances away. His next words are said in a deadpan]

If I was sensitive to teasing, Bolin would have drove me crazy before I was five, nevermind dealing with him my whole life.

I freaked out, alright? That whole situation wasn't supposed to happen, and you weren't the only one I wanted space from.

[Speaking of teasing....]

If it's Korra you're trying to keep your distance from, I've got news for you, pal. You weren't doing a very good job.

If I kept my distance from her completely, she'd do something stupid, I'd bet.

[he doesn't sound as annoyed as he could when he says that, though he doesn't elaborate]

Besides, she's still my friend, even if we're not dating anymore.

It's Korra. Proximity doesn't really play a factor here, and we both know that.

[She wasn't being a hypocrite; Zatanna would fully admit to being exactly the same way if asked. One of the reasons why the two girls got along so well, even now.]

If she's your friend, then act like it.

I've had a lot of experience with not enabling really dumb ideas. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. [Sorry Bolin]

And I am! Well. I'm trying to. When it's not awkward. And when we're not close to going at each other's throats.

And I've had a lot of experiencing coming up with really dumb ideas.

Newsflash: awkward comes with the territory. Trust me on this one. And deal with it.

[She may or may not have experience in that matter, too.]

I never would have guessed.

[... it's teasing, but, you know, he can give back, even if it's not entirely appropriate at the moment]

I told you, I am. [relationships aren't his forte, though.] We're still going to be friends back home, we'll be friends here. It's just different.

[Touche.]

Different, how?

Korra didn't tell you about any of the stuff that happens, huh?

[he folds his arms across his chest, and frowns]

That isn't just why I broke up with her, but it's a pretty huge difference from here.

I have a feeling I got the readers' digest version. So I know some things, but I'm not going to pretend I know the whole story.

And all I keep hearing is that you two keep breaking up with each other because you found out you break up in your future. Just so you're aware what this sounds like from an outside point of view.

I know, I know. I wanted to ignore it the first time, but seeing it myself just made me really aware of the problems we already had.

[so what if he goes hypothetical on you, Zatanna]

It's like... Really caring about someone, even though you know they're not good for you. Sometimes, it takes something really extreme to make you face up to it.

[She had the opposite problem, actually. The person she currently cared for that much was somebody she thought was too good for her.]

Are you telling me you don't trust yourself around her?

[Because the breaking up? Sure. Whatever. And she couldn't argue the fact that, whatever Korra saw (or maybe continued to see?) in Mako wasn't something Zatanna had yet to catch much of a glimpse of. But, to her, it seemed like they were overcomplicating things way too much.]

[And the number one reason for complications would be....]

If you care as much about her as you keep trying to convince me you do, then prove it.

Because, honestly? That's my biggest problem with you. Actions speak louder than words, and you're kind of lacking in both departments right now.

That would mean I need to prove myself to you, or anyone.

[the response is quick, defensive. He knew it was hypocritical, to ask Zatanna to believe him, and then to get defensive when she insisted that he prove himself. And it wasn't the path he wanted to go down, and so he quickly exhaled, de-escalating]

Nevermind.

I'll make sure I apologize to Korra as soon as I see her, alright?

[OPEN] Some break the rules and live to count the cost

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