[Open] It's getting hot in here

[showsnopiety]

Who: Caren and anyone visiting the hot springs!
When: Post dungeon, could be right after fail/success, could be days after
Where: Hot Springs of course
What: There's a hot springs, so now there's a hot springs episode.
Rating: Could be a p-13 and beyond because some people are only wearing towels in this place.





[Win or fail, everyone needed a reason and a way to relax. With the fall of the towers, there was all sorts of good things to come from it. Some would say it was the birds; and others would say it was the hot springs.

The large, large pools of heated water. Sure, they could be used as a way to get all steamed up (or even steam punk) but after all that hard work, everyone deserves a break!

Bring your swimsuits, your towels, your drinks and snacks-who knows, you should be able to find them in the bazaars, or even on Airy. It's time to soak in the heat!]

Comments

[rollin]

[ BOLIN HOW COULD YOU BE SO yeah no yata likes eating too. But Bolin's attitude doesn't dampen Yata's enthusiasm. ]

Well, I mean they're cool, aren't they? They can fly faster and soar higher than anyone... [ He jerks a thumb at himself. ] That's why I'm Yatagarasu! Like the one in the legend!

[sediments]

Yatagarasu?

[ That’s right Yata. Despite the fact that Bolin is Asian, he’s not actually Asian because Asia doesn’t exist where he comes from. Therefore he has no idea what the boy is talking about, just like the way that a lot of the real life references in this game are lost on him. ]

You’re named after a legendary bird?

[ That’s interesting. ]

[rollin]

[ Poor, sweet Bolin. Yata has half a mind to go into detail, but he's not very good at explaining things himself. Instead, he scratches his head and laughs sheepishly. ]

Oh, nah. It's my codename.

[sediments]

Your codename. [ Bolin repeats, sounding confused for the most part. ] Are you a spy or something?

[rollin]

[ He leans in, the tattoo on his left collarbone now in clear view, and for the first time, the look on his face is rather... ominous. ]

You really wanna know? [ yata don't make this sound worse than it is ]

[sediments]

[ Ooh, is this a DANGEROUS and WILD story? Bolin loves that kind of thing. ]
Yeah!

[rollin]

This happened two years ago. It was night.

[ He's starting from the very beginning. He's in flashback mode. Bolin just unlocked his origin story. ]

Me and Saruhiko were running away from a clan in the streets of Shizumecho. Seven clans ruled over Japan, and Jungle was one of the most notorious. Saru and I thought we could beat 'em, but our plan... failed. So we ran.

Saruhiko got hit in his right eye and if I hadn't jumped in, it coulda been worse. But there were too many of 'em, and we could only run so far. We started thinking we were done for...

[sediments]

[ So there's a lot to this story that makes no sense to Bolin. Who Saruhiko is, what Shizumecho is, and what Yata means by "clan", but he's always been known for his imagination so he fills in the gaps.

Saruhiko must be Yata's blood brother, and the two obviously forged a bond after mistakenly killing a man together and having been forced to go on the run. Shizumecho would be something like Republic City underground, littered with rats and open gutters, men with knives hidden in their clothing. And a clan, well that would just be people with the same colours vying for power: he associates them with benders.

So he nods. ]

Okay?

[rollin]

[ well bolin's not far off the mark so i mean

that saves yata the trouble ]

Then we saw him. The Red Demon. He's the leader of the clan Homra and feared by all! Even me. But Saruhiko told me to go! Run to him! So I ran as fast as I could. I was so scared, I didn't know what to do. I could make it on my own, but Saruhiko was lagging far behind...

[ Then, his eyes sparkle. ]

That's when it happened.

Mikoto-sa—er, the Red Demon went kapow! and covered Saruhiko in a HUGE fire. [ He punches the air and makes an appropriately gesture with his hands. ] Ah, but it didn't burn him. It was like a protective aura... Yeah.

[ He smiles at himself, satisfied with his description. ]

But all his attackers were shocked! They backed off immediately; I don't think anyone there had seen flames so huge before.

[sediments]

Whoa!

[ BOLIN IS LISTENING i'm sorry yana please just let me be lazy ]

[rollin]

[ that's fair i'm getting lazy too LOL ]

Yeah! Like, what was his business with a bunch brats, right? But he saved us. Someone strong like that saved us...

We were just a couple of dropouts back then, but he picked us up, and we became Homra's vanguard! An unstoppable force! Well, it's just me now. But! All of Shizumecho trembles in fear whenever they hear my name... Nothing gets past the Yatagarasu!

[sediments]

[ That Red Demon guy sure sounds pretty great, he sounds like some kind of terrible gang leader, but Bolin hardly ever bought into that stereotype. There are tons of gang members that are great and look after young kids, so he nods in satisfaction to Yata's story. ]

That's a pretty cool origin story. [ He's still peering closely at the redhead, interest obvious. ] So Yata isn't your real name?

[rollin]

Hehe.

[ Yata's just glad Bolin's reaction is more satisfactory than CERTAIN ELVES, to say the least. He preens at being called 'cool', but at Bolin's question, he scrunches his nose. ]

Yata is my real name! It's my last name.

[sediments]

Oh, so they call you Yatagarasu because you're name is Yata.

[ He nods, pretty impressed with this story. It makes Yata's calm during the Expo attack seem a lot more reasonable, and he can just imagine the boy enjoying the rough and tumble lifestyle of a gang member.

Must be fun.

Then, he furrows his brows. ]

Why am I calling you Yata then? [ If that's his last name. ] Shouldn't I use your first name?

[rollin]

No. [ Said immediately. ] No one uses my first name.

[sediments]

[ Bolin takes no offence to the curt reply, instead barrelling on with: ]

Is it... [ his interest is obvious ] is it a secret?

[ Something that he had to discard once he was indoctrinated?! ]

[rollin]

[ Bolin what the hell. Yata rolls with it, though. Much, much cooler than his original intentions. ]

... Yeah. I can't just go around tellin' anybody about it.

[ Because once he tells Bolin, he just knows he's never going to let him live it down. "Misaki this, Misaki that." It's embarrassing! ]

It's confidential! [ A word he learned from Izumo one day. ]

[sediments]

[ Bolin nods to himself, crossing his arms and feeling proud for having figured it out. ]

That makes sense. That's a really cool story though. [ His eyes light up. ] I bet they're really missing you back in your gang.

[rollin]

[ You keep telling yourself that, Bo... ]

Yeah. [ Yata's own eyes dim as his voice falters. ] Yeah... I wonder what they're doing now.

[ He can see it clearly: Mikoto slumped onto the couch and Izumo wiping another wine glass as he chats with Tatara. Kamamoto's stuffing his face with rice, and Anna's in the corner drinking strawberry juice—

ANYWAY, FLASHBACK OVER. ]

What about you? Anyone missing you back home?

[sediments]

[ Because spoon refuses to write another thread where Bolin is angsting about Mako, we're going to take a more lighthearted approach here. Let's say it's because Bolin can see the slight fading of Yata's smile, and is determined to keep the atmosphere light and easy.

He squares up his shoulders. ]

Oh yeah, probably everyone. [ Not as much as they're missing Korra probably, but it's not a competition. ] I mean, I had a lot of friends, fans, my family, my girlfriend.

[rollin]

[ He raises an eyebrow in curiosity. ]

Fans? [ Bolin didn't seem like a celebrity. Then again, he doesn't know a lot about the guy. ] Are you an actor or something?

[sediments]

Not really. [ Bolin admits, he'd starred in a trilogy of movies three years ago, but that doesn't really make him an actor. People much better suited to the trade had shown up in the time since then. ]

Maybe I exaggerated a little. My grandma probably misses me though! [ Well. ] I mean, once she notices. I travel a lot so...

[ He furrows his brows, shrugging. ]

What about your family?

1/2

[rollin]

[ Travel. What does this guy even do? ]

Oh, uh. Like family family? [ He furrows his brows too as he counts. ] Well, there's my mom. Uh, and my dad. [ A beat. ] He's not really my dad. Then there's my brother and sister. [ Another beat. ] Half-brother and... half-sister... [ A long exhale. ] Haven't seen 'em in a while.

[ Not since he up and left. Sometimes he wonders if they do miss him. ]

[rollin]

[ But Yata wants to keep this conversation light-hearted, so he bounces back! ]

Anyway! So what do you really do?

[sediments]

[ Bolin is far more interested in asking about Yata's family, but the younger boy isn't exactly subtle about his subject change so the earthbender rolls with it. ]

Oh, I'm in the military. [ Isn't it obvious? He's obviously the tough, intimidating type. ] The Queen of one of the four countries where I come from was assassinated a couple years ago, so I joined the military to try and help with all of the fighting and fragmentation.