Winding Legacies: A 'The Legend of Korra' Rewrite

The Three Year Gap, Month Eight: Mako

The mornings had been oddly quiet ever since Bolin decided he needed to be gone from sunrise to sunset each day doing who knows what. Lin suggested he might be starting a gang and Mako couldn't even force out a pity laugh at that. He had been trying to laugh at more of her jokes so that she didn't kick him out, but it was really hard.

Not that he could really talk, not many people thought he was particularly funny either.

"What about this one?" Lin fanned out her newspaper, spreading the inside pages before Mako's eyes. She said, "It seems more promising than your babysitter gig."

"Watching Tenzin's kids isn't my job, Lin."

"He pays you for it," Lin sniffed as she chucked the newspaper at him. Mako spluttered as he slapped the paper out of his face. "Sounds like a job to me."

Shaking his head with a sigh, Mako took a closer look at the ad Lin had pointed out to him. "I like to think of it more as a trial run."

"Well, whatever you call it, I think that job will be much better."

"You're only saying that because it requires me.." Mako trailed off as his eyes squinted against the page. "..To be in peak physical form and exhibit exquisite bending talents."

Lin shrugged. "It would put the daily training regime I have you on to good use." Mako involuntarily shuddered, his mind recalling all the early morning exercise he and his brother had to do since they moved in with her. He was honestly a little jealous that his brother had been getting out of it. Though he could see and feel the difference it was making, he thought it was a little much. But, she was letting them stay with her for free so he wasn't going to complain.

To her face at least.

"I mean it would at least give me a leg up against the two other people who are undoubtedly gonna apply," he sighed, folding the paper back up and setting it on the table. As he took a look swig of his coffee, Lin watched him carefully.

He couldn't tell what was on her mind until she said, "Even if you get an offer, that doesn't mean you have to take it."

"I know that."

"Do you?"

Mako set his cup down as gently as he could. "I'll think about going to the interview," he continued with a smile as he rose from his chair.

"If you do, make sure to get yourself something for dinner. I'll be out late."

"Why?"

Schruncing her brows, Lin gave him an odd look. "What do you mean why?"

"I was just curious."

"You know I don't question as many things as I should about you, kid, so there's no need for all of that attitude."

Mako threw up his hands in defense before stepping back to push his chair in. "I just wanted to know what they had you doing down at the station so late, not any other reason."

"Uh huh," Lin hummed. It was painfully silent for a moment, then she pushed herself to her feet as well and huffed, "Raiko wants to chat about the vine issue. Apparently, he's advocating to try to remove them by human means and wants the police to stand guard at the construction zones. Honestly, I think he's just trying to make things up to me after ousting me from my job and then reinstating me without proper notice. I don't think he likes that I think he's awful at his job."

Mako snorted. "But he is awful."

"And he makes it all of our problems."

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