Deer Country IC Inbox

[pabugotmoves]

Huh? Oh-- You've reached Bolin!
Yeah, I'm a pretty busy guy but leave me a message and I'll beep you back

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[royalfling]

[ Wu shuts the book, even though he catches that lotion can help stave it off so he sure is going to put a lot of lotion on as soon as he can. He steps back over to the two of them, biting his lip ]

Yours is still... in our bed, isn't it?

[ Gross, gross, gross, that is so gross ]

Please burn them. And the sheets, too.

[arclightning]

I'm not burning the sheets.

[ What a waste, those are nice sheets, Wu! Mako pushes herself back to her feet, frowning lightly. ]

But we're definitely burning both skins. Wu, you're sure you don't have one?

[pabugotmoves]

[A blub blub blub crocodile tears all over Pabu and Zuko. He’ll get it out of his system in a second, this is exhausting]

[royalfling]

[ Rude, Mako. Wu shoots her a glare as he sinks down next to Bolin and offers him one of Wu's magic calming hugs. Come here, buddy, he can make it at least feel less bad ]

You can look. Sorry to disappoint you, but I've always been like this.

[arclightning]

As far as you know.

[ Mako mutters, though the evidence is pretty clear that it is in fact her and Bolin who have changed, and Bolin not even all the way. It's uncomfortable to think that she's in some other version of home (when she isn't even yet committed to it being home) with someone who is and is not her girlfriend and is and is not her sister. Mako's discomfort is a palpable thing as she heads over to the book to read over the passage again. ]

Wu, there's tea for Bolin on the stove. I'm gonna see if there's any special way we have to do this.

[pabugotmoves]

[Wu’s Special Magic Calming Hugs (tm) are the best thing and greatly appreciated as he sniffles and tries to calm down, drying his tears on an oversized sleeve that drapes over his hand like an imperial court lady. ]

Sorry, I’m sorry, this is just so much.

[royalfling]

Hey, hey, hey, don't worry about it, buddy. I got you.

[ He keeps Bolin bundled close because Mako, no matter her gender, isn't really the hugging sort. Wu is pretty sure of that, at least.

When Bolin has stopped crying, Wu gets up to pour her some tea, pretending to ignore Mako collecting her weird skin corpse upstairs. He doesn't want to think about it, no, nope, not at all. ]

Maybe once they're burned, you'll be back to normal!

[pabugotmoves]

I hope so..

[A deep breath. Then another. Whooooosah okay.. okay okaay... This is. This fine. It's something. They're gonna be okay.

Give him another sec and he'll move to the couch, receiving the tea with a soft thank you and holding it like an anchor.]

I wonder how many people woke up different this morning.

[arclightning]

I'm guessing at least a third of the city, if we're any indication.

[ Sure, they're only 2/5 of Team Avatar, but still. Mako comes back down the stairs with her own... skin... sort of awkwardly bundled in her arms. She's held worse. She's slept in trash, this shouldn't be as gross and weird as it is but there's HAIR and it's skin and it is actually entirely gross. She may not be burning those sheets but they are sure as shit going to wash them.

The whole thing gets dumped on top of Bolin's little chest-thing, and then Mako immediately turns to wash her hands. ]

Okay. Before we do this, we need to make sure there's not a catch. You okay, Bo?

[royalfling]

What catch? Why would there be a catch? Did the book say there was a catch?

[ Wu waves his arms broadly because he certainly wants his Mako back, but-- well. Maybe this Mako will disappear. Maybe she doesn't want to disappear, and that's a valid fear. He bites his lip ]

You think, you think you'll go back? To your version of Trench?

[pabugotmoves]

[Bo is listening but doesn't feel the need to interject. He, too, does not like the idea of a catch.

Still, he nods when asked, because what else can he do. No, he is not okay at all but he needs to be and so he will be. If not for any other reason than Mako needs him to. Mako who is not his Mako but is definitely Mako. Mako who Bolin swore was their mother on first glance. She looks so much like her.. sounds how he imagines she would have. It's kind of hard not to stare.]

[arclightning]

I don't know.

[ It's soft, an admission Mako doesn't like. She dries her hands off and comes to sit heavy on the couch in front of Bolin, one arm curling absently around her own ribs. ]

But do either of you trust that it's that easy? Really?

[royalfling]

It's never that easy.

[ Wu still has an arm around Bolin, and he's going to stay there until he's not needed anymore, but his eyes track Mako, chewing on his lip. ]

But it said it might speed it up, so it can't hurt... right?

[ Hopefully. Hopefully the book isn't lying ]

[pabugotmoves]

Unless destroying our skins means we can’t ever get them back..

[Sorry to be the party pooper. Then again it could be the opposite. The sooner the skins are gone the sooner they can grow their own bodies back and put things right. ]

[arclightning]

Yeah, that's what I'm worried about. I don't want to mess this up. I...

[ It's Wu's paleblood, probably, sending something into the air. Mako's mouth twists. ]

I don't want to disappear.

[royalfling]

Okay. Okay! There are risks to doing it. But what about the risks to not doing it? Not that I'm not happy you're here! [ Said to Mako ] But don't you want to be back with your Wu? Your girlfriend? And Bolin, you don't want to be stuck like this forever, right?

We can always, ah, test it?

[pabugotmoves]

[Bolin nods, brows drawn with concern. For himself, yeah, but mostly for his brother-come-sister. Saying something so candid like that.. the vulnerability..]

We'll do mine first.

I'm where I'm supposed to be, so it's safest. And then we see what happens and if it's fine then we can get Mako back to her world.

[Then quickly back to Mako-] Not that we don't like you but like Wu said, you have a girlfriend and a sister who are probably worried sick about where you are.

[arclightning]

I'm not using you as a lab ratpig, Bo.

[ That is a thought, though. Mako reaches out with one foot, brushes it against Bolin's knee for something like support. ]

You think that could be it, though? Your Mako switched with me?

[royalfling]

I... maybe? It seems weird that you, you would remember a whole different past and not be completely different. You know?

Someone has to be the ratpig! [ And he can't be! He doesn't have an icky gross skin to offer ]

[pabugotmoves]

Someone has to be the ratpig. [Bolin nods in agreement.]

Sorry bro- sis.. it's two to one. We're burning my skin.

Why is that so normal to say, this place ugh..

[arclightning]

Okay, just. Drink your tea, give me a second.

[ To stand up and go get the book from where Wu left it, to page through it with the intensity Mako gets when she's on a mission. She's not going to do anything that willfully endangers Bolin or Wu, and she really doesn't want to disappear.

But there isn't much more about the skins in there. That they may be valuable, which is... interesting and also horrifying, that it may speed up the process. Nothing about what the process means. Nothing about what happens to the other shed skins. Is that all she is? ]

[royalfling]

[ Wu tries not to be impatient, but he is impatient, watching Mako read and pace and read and pace and he wants to know what's going to happen. It all feels very urgent, like if they don't figure it out right now they'll never figure it out at all.

To distract himself, he turns to Bolin ]

You don't have to be the ratpig, Bo. We can, we can figure something out. Maybe somebody out there likes what they turned into! We could test on theirs!

[pabugotmoves]

[Well he. He doesn’t love this, that is for sure, but he’s also feeling the pressure of urgency.]

We don’t have the time, do we? And what are the chances we’d even find someone?

[He’s terrified of getting stuck in a body that doesn’t feel right, of course he is. He’s terrified that the book doesn’t guarantee you’ll turn back, too. But what choice do they have? Everyone is different so even if it works for someone else that doesn’t mean it will work for him.]

Why go through all that when I could just.. do the thing.

[Starting to pull up like it’s been decided. Skin there, fire there, it’s not hard. What would Varrick do? He wouldn’t overthink it, he’d just trust the process and it would work out.]

I’m just gonna do it-

[arclightning]

No—!

[ Mako snaps too-sharp, her head darting up. ]

Sit down, Bolin. We're not going to do anything reckless. We're going to burn a little piece of mine first to make sure.

[royalfling]

[ Wu grabs Bolin's arm to hold him back. He trusts Mako here. If Mako wants to try this, he should. She should. ]

Let's do it Mako's way. Okay? I don't want you to get hurt-- either of you to get hurt! But Mako knows what he... she's doing.