As of Yet Unnamed Legend of Korra RPG (Chocolate Bones, Knight of Day)

[Chocolate Bones]

"It's about time they re-opened this place!"

Bolin hurriedly stuffed a cloth napkin into the collar of his shirt and proceeded to delve into the bowl of steaming noodles in front of him, using his chopsticks to create a whirlpool of broth that emptied into his mouth. The restaurant's staff eagerly tended to Korra and her friends' needs, rejoicing in having Republic City's saviors dine with them. Two of the waiters ran off to fetch more noodles for the others, while another one stood by Bolin's side with a cart and full pot beside him, ready to refill Bolin's noodles at a moment's notice. Mako could only roll his eyes at his brother's gluttony before pulling out a chair for Korra, gesturing toward it as he smiled at her.

"After you, Miss Avatar."

 

[Presidian]

"Miss Avatar."​

Throughout her life Korra had always been proud of her abilities as the Avatar, but before she had ventured to Republic City and defeated the Equalists, she had celebrated herself for the wrong reasons. Before she had thought that the reason she was to be so happy with herself was that she was special. She was unique. She was the Avatar, the most powerful being in the world; the only bender who could control all four of the elements. That was what made her special. That was what made her unique. But it wasn't all about her, she had found.

It was about the people who she could help with her abilities. The people she could save with her abilities. The fathers and mothers, daughters and sons, sisters and brothers, that only she could help, that made her special. Because without them, she had no purpose. That was the reason that she was born: to help others. Before she distanced herself from people she thought were different from her. Before she didn't realize how much alike she was with normal people.

Being separated from family, from potential friends, from everyone, for the most part, had done this to her. It had torn her apart from her humanity. The thing that she craved the most. To be liked, to be loved, to be looked upon as someone normal. As someone unlike who she was born to be. But being in Republic City had changed that. She had experienced everything that someone normal her age would've otherwise. Heartbreak. Fear. Loss. All of these things had brought her closer to humanity.

Every time she heard herself called that: "the Avatar"; all these thoughts crossed her mind instantly, and again she was reminded of what she had gone through. What she was. What she had experienced. What she had become.

Korra smiled back at Mako. One of the many people who had helped her come to these realizations. One of the many people who had helped her humble herself. Helped her realize who she truly was, and helped her become who she truly was. He was one of the few people who treated her normally. And yet, every so often, he let slip the one word that let loose a cascade of long lost deep thoughts and promises. She hoped that no one, especially Mako, had noticed her delve into her reoccurring thoughts. He would worry too much.

"Thank you," she said quietly, sitting down gently, allowing her flurry of thoughts to gradually settle at the bottom of her skull.

A bowl was laid down before her, making a small sound as its lower edges collided with the mahogany tabletop. With it came a pair of chopsticks. Suddenly she remembered why she had been so eager to come here. The pang of need for consumption echoed throughout her insides, bubbling throughout her, an occasional noise escaping her abdomen to alert others of her need of food.

She grinned at Bolin, quickly picking up her chopsticks and mimicking him in every way she could. Positioning her napkin as he had; pulling noodles from the warm broth until her chopsticks were heavy, then piling them into her mouth, as he had; and finishing the bowl by taking the edge of it to her lips, letting the incredibly satisfying liquid run down her cheeks, as he had. She knew all of it drove Mako insane. That's why she did it.

~~~​

Asami sat down beside Bolin, not daring to sit anywhere near Mako. Their relationship was still awkward. Awkward enough for her to avoid him. She forced herself to look down at the bowl of rice she had ordered instead of the couple that sat across from her. She couldn't revisit that now. She couldn't remember how Mako had done that for her just weeks ago. She couldn't hurt herself like that.

Instead she began slowly eating her meal; rice had been the only alternative to noodles, something that she had never liked. The owners of the restaurant had insisted that she try their signature dish. Asami hadn't been in the mood to be anywhere near polite and accept the owners' requests. It reminded her of her father too much, being told what to do and having no say in her life. Doing things that she never wanted to do blindly out of love for her father. The father she hadn't known until just a few months ago, when he had been revealed to affiliated with the Equalists. Something that she had denied his doing in. Something that she knew nothing about. For that, she was ashamed of herself.

Now she had no one to share this with. Not her dead mother. Not her fake father. Not her ex-boyfriend. She had no one.

She wanted to stay back in her impromptu apartment, away from everything, and away from everyone. She just wanted to be alone; like how she felt.

 

[Chocolate Bones]

Mako forced a smile as he watched in horror as he saw Korra wolf down the noodles and broth even more ravenously than his brother did. In all honesty, it ruined his appetite, and he swallowed hard as his smile began to fade, still not used to seeing Korra's prominent tomboy side outside of her fighting. Still, he pretended not to mind and looked down at his own bowl of noodles, almost gagging at the thought of eating them. He forced another smile, dipped his chopsticks in and slowly pulled a couple loose noodles into his mouth, bracing himself before slipping them into his mouth, his smile starting to quiver as it fought against his gag reflex before choking them down, letting out a clearly exaggerated "Mmmm..."

Bolin, meanwhile, paused just long enough between his bowls of noodles to notice Asami's silence and distance from the group. Never one to let anyone sulk without at least trying to cheer them up, whether or not they're better off left alone, Bolin leaned forward across the table toward Asami, looking slyly left to right before whispering to her.

"Psssst... Asami... Check this out..."

He quickly cleared his throat and faked a gasp, pointing in the far corner of the restaurant.

"Mako! Look over there!"

Mako, silently glad that there was finally something to distract him from the unappealing noodles, quickly turned to where Bolin was pointing, searching rapidly for the source of the surprise.

"What?! What is it??"

Bolin saw his chance and yanked the collar of Mako's shirt back, letting a slippery noodle slide off his chopstick and into the back of his shirt before releasing his grip, trapping the noodle in his shirt. Mako froze in surprise with his eyes wide before squirming uncomfortably, contorting his body in whatever way would make him the least uncomfortable as he felt the slimy noodle against his bare back, gritting his teeth. Bolin lost himself in a fit of laughter, almost spitting out the noodles he was in the process of eating.

"Wh-what the heck was that for?!?!"

Bolin continued to laugh at the spectacle, at which several other diners watched intently, giggling themselves. Mako grunted as he finally slipped his hand into his shirt and pulled the noodle back out up through his collar, stopping to inspect it grumpily before shuddering in disgust, tossing it aside and glaring at Bolin, who continued to laugh as hard as he could, forgetting that he did it to cheer up Asami in the first place.

 

[Presidian]

Asami faked a smile as Bolin's attention shifted to her. She knew that he was up to no good the second he looked in her direction sporting a mischievous grin and a hasty demeanor. She reached across her bowl to grab her glass of water, taking a quick sip before spraying her mouth's contents into the air around her as she watched Mako squirm incessantly, embarrassing himself in front of all their fellow diners. She progressed into a laughing fit that lasted several minutes; she didn't feel the slightest bit of sympathy towards him, and didn't regret it either. He got what was coming to him.

~~~​

Korra smirked, accepting a waitress' offer of another bowl of noodles, the scent of the broth wafting up through the steam emanating from the broth's surface. She eagerly heaved a hearty helping of noodles into her mouth and contained a squeal as she watched Mako shake, biting her lip in an attempt to prevent her noodles from escaping from her mouth. She quickly swallows and began laughing before she coughed loudly, almost choking. She pounded on her chest with a clenched fist continuing to cough until it alleviated the unusual but unpleasant feeling that spread across her throat.

Korra noticed Mako's display of aggravation and simply patted him on the back of his left shoulder, that was the only way to calm him down in any way.

"You're fine, it's just a noodle," she said, half coughing as she spoke. "It didn't kill you."

 

[Chocolate Bones]

Mako grunted and rolled his eyes, mumbling bitterly while trying to shrug off the incident.

"Whatever..."

Bolin wiped his eyes with the back of his hand and tried to calm himself down, still chuckling to himself every now and then from the joke, still grinning widely.

"Hahahaha, you should've seen the look on your face, bro!"

Mako grunted again angrily and turned back to his noodles, taking a quick bite in order to distract himself from everyone else's laughter.

Just then, the doors of the restaurant slammed inward with a loud smack. Almost everyone inside stopped what they were doing and looked in the direction of the commotion. Despite the surprise and abruptness of their entrance, two robed figures stepped in slowly and calmly. The collars of their robes were in the shape of the petals of a lotus, brilliantly white and balanced with the orange and yellow of the rest of their clothing. They addressed the hostess of the restaurant, who simply stood in silent shock.

"We are to believe the Avatar is here at this moment. Is this correct?"

Mako and Bolin both took their attention from the two men to Korra, trying to hide their subtle chill of terror as they looked at her with wide eyes.

The hostess nodded and pointed toward Korra's table with a shaky finger. The two men looked in its direction before nodding, taking another step in unison.

"Miss Avatar..." one began. The other continued.

"We're afraid to inform you that a current state of events calls for the attention of Republic City's greatest defender..."

The other peered at Korra deeply.

"But there is much more than the Republic at stake..."

"The balance of all things is in peril..."