well that got awkward fast

[pabulously]

WHO: Hei and Bolin, later Korra & Hei
WHAT: Bolin’s come to tell Korra about rumors he’s heard on the streets. But Hei’s the only one home.

[Strangely enough, Bolin's never been to Korra's house. Well, okay, maybe it's not so strange, considering he's broken his heart twice over her and while she's still one of his best friends the idea of being near both her and a bed is just...not a thing he wants to be happening. Particularly when it's a bed she's sharing with another dude. The same dude she'd been seeing before sleeping with him.

That's really the part that Bolin's still struggling with. He doesn't regret the affair or how it ended; he's made his peace and come to appreciate the idea of "sexbuddies." But the idea that he took another guy's girl is deeply uncomfortable, as is the idea that he made Korra a cheater. Luckily he doesn't have much reason to worry about it — Korra's boyfriend is so rarely seen he might as well be a myth. It's not the kind of relationship Bolin would want for himself, but Korra seems happy with it. And after losing her for those months, and the sheer chaos that followed her return, he's just happy that she can be happy.

Anyway. Yadayada, the past is the past, Bolin's perfectly happy to just catch Korra at pro-bending matches and grab lunch or dinner every so often. Why bug her at home?

Except he's started hearing things, whispers on the streets, about Amon and the spirit world and the possibility of a lot of trouble. This is stuff that Korra needs to know, now. Which brings him to her door.

Knock knock.]

Comments

[mortemscintilla]

[ The myth in question is preparing supper. ]

[ His tiresome double-shift at the factory has ended. He's met with a few triads, in smoky red music-halls where no-one visits for the music. Made deals that needed making, with cutthroats as loyal as you could wish for, right until the moment they cut your throat too. When he returns, the stale smoke of the outdoors clinging to his clothes, Korra is still off fulfilling her Avatar Duties. With the place to himself, Hei is both bemused and  exasperated to feel like a lone trespasser into what should be his natural haunt: a place of smooth floorboards, shoji, tiles and gleaming copper. ]

[ He's adjusting (readjusting?) to sharing a livingspace, same as Korra is. There are some days when that's easy to do, but there are other days when Hei feels as unsure as the next person, because the trajectory of his life is so very unstable here. Days when he's barbed and distant and wonders if he really loves Korra or doesn't; days when he wonders whether that love is the kind to sustain this fragile thing blooming between them. ]

[ Maybe in the end that doesn't matter? Maybe  trying to label and define it so rigidly is nitpicking at best. All Hei knows that life is sweeter with her around. Because it forces him to be genuine, to look at things from a fresh if not uncomplicated lens. Because it gives that shifting moral core inside him a chance to peter out -- if only for a few hours. And maybe that's not so bad. ]

[ He's just assembled the ingredients for honey walnut shrimp, steamed fish with ginger (Water Tribe style), and pineapple stir-fried rice. The kitchen is a quiet molecular storm of scents, mixing with sunlight from the windows. Chopping up peppers, he hears the distant creak of footsteps on the stairs. When the security blip sounds, he knows it's not Korra. But he also knows, by the straightforward rhythm of each step, who it is. ]

[ Rubbing his temples, Hei represses the urge to scowl. Great. He doesn't need Bolin's high-spirited chatter today. Especially not when he's aware of his and Korra's messy little fling in his absence. (It didn't take much detective-work to figure it out. Put them in a room together, and their faces gave everything away.) Still, the boy wouldn't be here unless it was something important. So ... ]

[ There's a beat after the knock, then the sound of a set of locks clicking open. When the door opens, 'Li' is in full effect: rumpled hair and wide eyes and a pleasant smile, pale sinewy arms covered by a black sweatshirt and feet bare at the hems of faded jeans. ]

Oh -- Hi, Bolin.

[pabulously]

[Of course Li is the one to open the door, with his weird clothes and that muscle-y build he tries hide. Korra sure does have a type — lean yet muscular, dark hair, gorgeous collarbones. He wonders if Li is bigger than Mako... Not that he's ever looked at his brother's weewee! Deliberately. Growing up on the streets together, it was impossibly to completely avoid seeing each other's private parts. He's not a pervert.]

Hey! Li. [Wow this is super awkward.] Is Korra around? [Please say yes please say yes please say yes...]

[mortemscintilla]

Um. No.

[ Sorry, Bolin. The gods are cruel.

...Also that's one unhealthy fixation with your brother's weewee. Hei would suggest visiting a therapist. If he were the poster-child for perfectly healthy sibling relations himself. ]

She'll be back soon. [ A half-lie. But he's not letting Bolin leave until he's figured out what the boy wants. Privately he doubts it's anything as racy as a secret rendezvous with Korra. Neither of the kids seems capable of double-dipping -- by nature, if not necessity like Hei. He's more concerned with the juicy prospect of information than of -- what's that word? -- wittoling. ]

[ So he smiles, rearranging his face into a practiced tour-de-force of friendliness, innocence, and expectation. He aims this look at Bolin and says, ]

Come wait inside. I'm making pineapple stir-fry.

[ ...said the spider to the fly... ]

[pabulously]

[Bolin's more than ready to say "No, it's okay, I'll come back later" except then Li says those magical words: Pineapple stir-fry. Free. Food. What street kid in his right mind would EVER turn down free food?]

SURE! Wow, thank you. It smells amaaaaaaaaaazing.

[And maybe he is also a liiiiiiitle curious about Korra's lovenest. He peeks around as he walks in, and is surprised at how spartan it looks. Where's the leather? The chains? The elaborate bondage gear he's been imagining ever since Korra'd mentioned that he liked to tie her up?


...he'd keep it in a closet somewhere. Duh.]

[mortemscintilla]

[ Li smiles, that polite, practiced smile. ]

You won't have to wait long. It'll be done in six minutes.

[ Also: this isn't Fifty Shades of Gray. The most scandalous paraphernalia you'll find in the closet are rubber gloves for those meticulous Housecleaning Sundays. The attic is a different story. That's where he keeps the real heavy artillery. And by that we don't mean the bleach and mops. ]

[ He's right about the spartan decor, though. There are no photographs or decorations inside. Nothing that can be called homey save for two housewarming gifts from his neighbors: a delicate silver windchime at the entrance, and a bowl with two swirling Siamese fish in the livingroom. (One is blue and pretty and the other is red and boring, so he's named them Korra and Mako respectively.) ]

[ He ushers Bolin in, the haze of simmering cooking floating between them and the ceiling. Ambling casually past the boy, 'Li' glances at him sidelong, a calculated weapons' sweep disguised as goodnatured interest. ]

[ In the kitchen, he resumes chopping up the salad. Tosses Bolin a ring of red pepper, and says, ]

I'm surprised you dropped by. A big mover-star like yourself ... you must have a packed schedule.

[ Unless this is an emergency. He doesn't say that. Silence works best at drawing out Bolin's type. ]

[pabulously]

Mover star or not, it's important to make time for your friends. [Bolin pontificates, secretly pleased as punch to be called a big mover star.] Pluuus we're between movers right now. Varick's still working on the next script.

[It doesn't occur to Bolin to bring up his real reason for being here. Li's a nice enough guy, and he probably deserves to know what danger his girlfriend is in, but it's not like he can do anything about it. He's a dork. Might as well just wait until Korra's back and let her handle it. She's the Avatar, after all.]

[mortemscintilla]

[ Hei isn't discouraged by the failed gambit. Mostly his deep-seated need to go for the jugular serves him well, but in this it will only hinder him. He wants details from Bolin -- more to correspond with information already in his possession than to coax out something new. He can afford to play this by the ear. Heap a few scraps of attention and flattery on the boy, until he gets careless about what he says. ]

[ (Is that operational interest? a nagging imp of resentment whispers, where it lives and breeds pettiness in his brain. Or because you're curious about what details Korra might have spilled to him during their fling?) ]

[ He ignores that voice. ]

Really?

[ He hefts for examination an eggplant as large as a baby's head. Sets it on the cutting board. and begins to chop -- with prodigious speed, but also with care, mindful of the finished product. Through it all, he keeps the attention of his bright spaniel-eyes on Bolin. ]

I hope it's a Nuktuk sequel. Sure, the movers [ defy the sacred laws of physics, logic and all good acting ] have great comedic value. But they've got political messages too. [ There is a geekish earnestness behind his smile. ] We need those. Especially with how crazy things are lately. People need to rally behind a cause -- and remember not all change is bad.

[pabulously]

Rally. Right. [It's been a long, long time since Bolin was abducted by Equalists and nearly had his bending taken at Amon's rally, but for some reason Li's words put him right back in that space. Maybe it's because of the rumors he's been hearing...]

Hey, do you think Korra'd be interested in being in the next mover? You know, spread the word, get her message out there? I know she does a lot of press conferences and radio speeches, but who listens to those these days?

[mortemscintilla]

[ Merciful Buddha. The boy has the attention-span of a cockroach. ]

[ Even so, it's clear the word Rally has tapped something in the recesses of Bolin's mind. Hei would prod for details ... Except Bolin's mouth is already flapping. His voice bores into Hei's inner ear like the ceti eel in Wrath of Khan, making him very suggestible to the other voice in his head which advises to stuff a Nerf ball into that torrent of words for the good of humanity, dear god in heaven, his kingdom for a Nerf ball. Sadly he has no kingdom. Someone else's kingdom for a Nerf ball, then. King Tut's, King Ralph's, King Kong's ... ]

[ 'Li', a more patient and easygoing individual, only smiles and says, ]

It's an interesting idea. But I doubt that's the kind of attention she'd want. [ Unless she's planning to embrace the Kardashian lifestyle. ] There might be flak from the public about her caring more about making money than fixing the city.

[ There's a beat, before that twisted little monster in his head nudges the next words out with a crooked smile. He just wants to see Bolin's reaction. ]

Well. That. And Varrick might put her in some skimpy, exploitative fur bikini.

[pabulously]

[Korra... in a fur bikini... Bolin's eyes go hazy as he imagines this delightful mental image. He quickly shakes it off.]

Yeeeeeeeeah. Yeah, that would be bad, wouldn't it?

[Has Li ever seen Korra in a bikini? Do they ever dress up in costumes while having sex? Don’t think about that!]

[mortemscintilla]

She'd certainly go down in history as the, um ... Avatar Who Bared All.

[ Li's expression, too subtle to be called amused, belies that sly curl of irony in his chest. Bolin -- and indeed most of Korra's friends -- are so transparent sometimes, that in the old days Hei used to wonder if they did that on purpose. Maybe, he thinks, they just don't know how else to be. ]

[ He tips the eggplant, sliced wafer-thin, into the frying-pan with the stir-fry. There is a sizzle and a puff of aromatic steam. The lamb is crisping nicely, the pineapples bronzing, and the vegetables have toasty brown patches. Almost done. He stirs the contents with a wooden spoon, until the heavy spicy sent envelops the kitchen. When it's done, he slides a quarter of the bubbling mess onto a plate with white rice, setting it in front of Bolin. ]

Here.

[ Now stop picturing his girlfriend naked. ]

[pabulously]

[And oh, it certainly is an all worth baring. Bolin hums — at the food, of course! Not the memory of a naked Korra!]

Thanks! This smells amazing.

[He starts shoveling food into his mouth.]

Mmmf! Tastes amazing too!

[mortemscintilla]

[ Sure. Li believes you. Just like he believes that actress, Ginger, is a natural redhead. ]

[ He watches Bolin stuff his face, and freaky as hell though it is, it reminds him of Korra -- the cheerful way she inhales a whole pot of noodles after a grueling workout. He wonders, idly, if Bolin used to fuck Korra with the same dolt-faced enthusiasm, like a kid on a carnival ride. He can almost imagine the pair of them rolling around like two merry puppies. Something in him curls up at the thought, like a salted slug. But something else also unfurls, something bored and dismissive that reminds him this little boy is a nothing, his opinion of no interest. ]

[ The two somethings duke it out, and the boredom wins. Bolin is just a kid. Clean, chipper, honest. And admittedly dull. Not that that is a bad thing, if you're a simple, simpering, nicey-nice girl. But Korra is more complicated than that. Her tastes skew toward a sparkier edge. ]

[ He smiles easily, and says, ]

Thanks. You're welcome to take some home with you, later.

[ After he's gotten that info out of you, anyway. ]

[pabulously]

[Bolin salutes him with his chopsticks.] You are a gentleman and a scholar.

[He looks at the other man. Nice. Attractive. Can cook. No wonder Korra likes this guy. It's kind of hard to believe that this nice, perfect guy is a demon in the sack.]

[mortemscintilla]

[ Isn't that what all the girls want, though? A doofus in the streets and a freak in the bed? Minus the doofus, anyway. ]

[ Of course, Bolin doesn't realize Li -- sweet, harmless Li -- is just a reflection of his world. The image of a man for the civilian realm. His sunny articulation has a darker root system; and the Reaper is always deeply rooted in there. For a moment -- just a moment -- he wonders how Bolin would react if he knew the truth. But such speculation is dangerous and unnecessary. If Korra's friends ever find out she's riding the wild pony with a killer, he doubts they'll sit around playing canasta and chatting about it amiably. They'd do everything possible -- short of maybe murdering him -- to pry him off her. Hell, the only reason Tenzin & Co tolerate him right now, is because they're convinced he's a bumbling wuss. ]

[ At Bolin's compliment, he blushes with becoming modesty. ]

Well. I try. [ There's a beat, before he admits, more sheepishly, ] I'll be honest. Sometimes I worry a go-getter like Korra will get tired of a boring guy like me.

[ Of course she would. Praise the gods Li is no realer than he needs to be. (Although sometimes he does wish Li was real. He'd treat Korra far better than Hei ever has.) ]

[pabulously]

You don't have to worry about that. Korra's not that type of girl. And, I mean, she's told me you are — [Really, spectacularly amazing in bed okay no she never said that she's not that insensitive but it was very clear from how good she was that Li is something else]

really important to her. [Yeah, let's go with that. Still true, less embarrassing to admit.]

[mortemscintilla]

[ Hei blinks, oddly discomfited. There's a stuttering subtext in Bolin's remarks that makes him wary. What exactly has Korra told him? If it's something as gossipy and trivial as his dick, or how he likes to fuck, he doesn't care. But if their talks have scratched anything below the surface, he needs to be cautious. ]

[ It makes him realize that he's fallen out of habit with having the intimate aspects of his life routinely breached. The Syndicate's clearance teams were very thorough about their ops' personal habits. Especially Contractors whose bodies were considered property. Even so, Hei tends to guard the heart of himself, because others in his profession did the same. A man carries himself a certain way, walks the walk and talks the talk; but what the hell does anyone really know about him, about what he's thinking. Mere guesswork. And the domestic flipside of a his public life -- that territory should be zoned against trespassing. ]

[ He prefers to keep his private life private. Ironic, coming from a spy. But who else would understand the value of boundaries? ]

[ Li, though, just smiles at Bolin, a look of sincere gratitude that conceals the fact that he's either internally rolling his eyes or frowning at the boy. ]

That's ... wow. That's good to know. [ Bashfully, (calculatedly), ] I didn't realize she talked about me with her friends.

[pabulously]

She doesn't actually talk that much about you. It's kind of weird. [Wait, that came out wrong. Weird. Something.] I mean, it's not like she avoids talking about you, or we're not interested in hearing about you because we are! We totally want to know more about Korra's Man of Mystery! But you know she's so busy with her Avatar duties and this whole spirit crisis thing.

It's obvious, though, in how she talks about you. Doesn't talk about you. [GEEZ BOLIN GET IT TOGETHER. He takes a deep breath.] Just... she's with you. Korra doesn't waste her time on people who don't matter to her.

[mortemscintilla]

[ It's funny how you can read everything on Bolin's face; his worry, his guilt, his super-charged cheer. The quintessential problem of normal people, Hei thinks: where he is not all there, they are way too much there. And with that endless stream of chatter, this is Bolin to the max, a heavy presence at Hei's side of wide-eyed looks and stumbling chatter and frittering energy. While he babbles, Li nods understandingly, and thinks sourly, This is the impromptu mid-supper pep-talk that is my hell. Nodding, smiling. ]

[ Still, one thing is clear. Whatever Bolin's hiding is of minimal importance. Probably he's embarrassed by intimate details he's learnt during his fling with Korra. By proxy, if nothing else. Everything the boy's trying not to think about, trying to keep hidden and repressed, rushes across his face as he chatters in a full-immersion sensurround. ]

[ When Li speaks, his words come with quiet ease. ]

She matters to me too. [ The one truth in this entire conversation. ] That's why I worry so much, I guess. Especially with how dangerous things are lately.

[ A beat, before he drops his voice confidingly, ]

I keep hearing all these rumors of something bad brewing. Something after her.

[ A subtle prodding for Bolin to share whatever he knows. Or thinks he knows. ]

[pabulously]

YOU HAVE TOO?!

[Wait.]

How?

[Bolin has his street contacts. Who does Li know?]

[mortemscintilla]

[ The lie slides off Li's lips as smoothly as the heaping of seconds he offers Bolin. ]

Well. My fruit-vendor knows a guy in the police who knows a guy who lives in the slums who knows a guy who deals with one of the triads. At least, that's what he tells me.

[ There's a beat, before his face puckers into a disgruntled moue. ]

I don't spend all my time cooking stir-fry.

[pabulously]

Wooooooooow. Nice connections!

[Bolin inhales the rest of his rice before leaning in.]

So does Korra know that people are saying Amon didn't really die and he's leading the spirits in a revolution against the Avatar and that's why the vines are destroying Republic City?

[mortemscintilla]

[ Well. That was anticlimactic. ]

[ Hei is tempted to dismiss the whole thing as absolute garbage, and a waste of time and oxygen to boot. He knows -- for an irrefutable fact -- that Amon is dead. But it's also true that every rumor is shaped by a kernel of truth, hidden beneath the layers of unsubstantiated fiction. His mind conjures up an absurd image that is nonetheless chilling: the reanimated corpse of Amon clawing itself up from its murky grave, mask chipped, blood dripping from its mouth, its scummy teeth snap-snapping. Except, in this case, he knows which stirrings -- deep in the underworld's belly -- are feeding that slim fragment of truth. Secret meetings. The mysterious rash of deaths among the high-ranking leaders of the triads. A dangerous masked man. ]

[ So much for discretion. ]

[ He shakes his head at Bolin, a small, comforting smile sitting on his face. ]

The only rumors I've heard are that the vines signal the end of the human age. That the Lion Turtles will return -- and demand the Avatar's blood as payment for protecting us again.

[ The amount of bullshit in that sentence could feed the entire Dragon Flats Borough. ]

[pabulously]

[Ohoooo? And how do you know that, Hei? Amon's "death" was well before your arrival in this world. UNLESS — no I got nothing.]

What? [Bolin is equally unimpressed with Hei's rumors.] That's ridiculous. Why would the lion turtles want Korra's blood? They're supposed to be HUUUUUUUUUUGE. Like, all the blood in her body would be nothing more to them than this stain is to my shirt. [He gestures emphatically to the stain.] Man, people are so stupid. They'll believe anything!

[mortemscintilla]

[ Considering he's used every ounce of his extant resources to follow leads on Amon -- alive or dead. And that every one of those leads has categorically yielded nothing but baseless drivel ... Yeah. He's sure Amon has kicked the bucket. The man has, however, left behind a large, if directionless, following. People who still exhale ideas of revolution with every breath. Who are desperate for someone to fill the void Amon left behind. ]

[ Politely, he offers Bolin a napkin for said stain. ]

I know what you mean. I guess when people are that frustrated and scared ... they'll look for any way to take their minds off the present.