[even with the grim mention of his own demise, Mako may as well be echoing Manabu's conscience, saying things like that. reasonable things. cutting him some slack -- way more than he's apt to do. it takes a lot to pound hard truths into his thick skull, and even when he knows the right call, if it doesn't move him forward, well...it's a hard sell.
now that he's agreed, Manabu knows it's for the best, and he can just move ahead from that feeling and onto what's next...which is apparently an ask about work?] Mm-? Sirius Platoon, you mean? Uh, sure, I don't mind...
[after all, talking about it makes it more real, puts it outside of his own head, keeps the memories stronger, and perhaps harder to snatch away from him the way Orpheus says this place is apt to do. after all, it's what he's learned in the SDF that makes him as capable as he can be, and without it? well...he's going to be a helluva lot of dead weight around here.
more than currently.
absolutely no death-related puns intended. not allowed.
he moves toward the kitchen to set things on the table and lay them out bit by bit, giving Mako room to finish taking his shoes off and take his own time. if they're lucky, Michael's freaky warg-dog-thing, Eleanor, won't wind up roaming back into the yard and spook them, and things can be at least calm for a spell.
when Mako's arrived:] What did you want to know about? [a beat, and then his eyebrows lift, remembering something.] Uoh...the ghost-train, right? That you asked about at the college. Was that it?
[ It's always a little weird to be inside someone's house for the first time. There's an instinct in Mako running deeply through him, ingrained a long time ago, that still makes him look around as he's unlacing his boots, clocking every visible entrance and exit, the places you could hide, the things that look the most valuable.
He feels a little guilty every time he notices something like that, expensive and easily-pocketed, hasn't acted on those impulses in a long time, but they're there. Mako shoves them away with the ease of long practice, lines his boots up neatly by the door, and pads after Manabu, trying not to notice anything else. ]
I mean, all of it.
[ He slips into the kitchen and sort of hovers there, watching, trying to figure out where to fit himself in. ]
But especially the ghost-train. Is that... normal? Did you know it was full of ghosts before you got on it? What's Sirius Platoon, exactly?
[ Maybe pull back on the questions to the recently-dead guy, bud. Mako doesn't notice exactly how rapid-fire they're coming out. ]
[for the most part, the place is fairly innocuous. if you...ignore the weird hat-with-a-face on the hat rack by the door. Manabu chooses to ignore it. it's a Michael thing, it's for the best.
the kitchen isn't much, though it shows signs of life and intense use, thanks to the latest grease fire Amara had to stamp out. there's a deck of cards on one of the counters, the usual suspects of appliances and things, and sign that this won't be the first round of soup Manabu's had since returning to the house.
before he can think about what he needs to do with this stuff first, Manabu shivers and winds up slumping into one of the chairs. once he's rode out that wave of weariness, he rubs at his face and lifts his head back up.]
Sirius Platoon is...we're the ones assigned to Big One. Of all the SDF trains, it's one of the strongest, most balanced between combat and recon. Vega Platoon's more combat-oriented, Spica's more intel...and Sirius is a fair mix of both.
[ Without missing a beat, Mako steps forward and grabs the bag from the counter to pull out the miso, still mostly frozen in its tub. This, at least, is something he can do. He feels a bit ill at ease in someone else's kitchen but it's better than just hovering awkwardly by Manabu peppering him with questions. Anything's better than that. ]
I'll put this in the freezer— [ He hefts the miso up, showing it off for a second ] —unless you want some now.
[ There's some tea, too, but that's much easier. Mako doesn't even really need a kettle for that.
Or thinking. Which is good, because Manabu has just brought up the idea of what sounds like a battle train, and that is... kind of wild. ]
What does the combat? The train, or the platoon? Is it like an armored train?
[ Kuvira, he thinks, had something similar. They all thought it was her whole strategy, using the rails, until they'd pulled out that massive awful mech. ]
[he breathes out a little laugh, rubbing at the goose bumps on his arms.]
Both. The train cars are...designed to house offensive and defensive equipment. And platoon members man them remotely from their stations at the engine. Or...well, if it's got a few fighter birds, then they climb onto those.
Iron Berger's able to lug around the really heavy cannons...but usually only for big emergencies. Like asteroid sweeps. Stuff like that. Big One's got a nice artillery array, too... [that's where his bias is. as much as he admired Captain Murase's team and rig, Sirius Platoon is where his heart still is.]
All the trains on the railway have...armor plating. Just in case. Asteroids, magnetic storms, pirates...
[ What an absolutely wild series of things he's describing, Mako thinks, trying actively to picture these things and, largely, failing. Fighter birds could mean anything from literal birds to ostrich-horses that Manabu's platoon outfits in armor the way Earth Kingdom troops used to.
Asteroid sweeps, too, could be anything at all, and magnetic storms. Pirates, at least, make sense.
He notes the goosebumps, absently, and leans on the counter across from Manabu and starts pushing heat into the air around them. It's not an easy thing to do by any means, but he can do it with enough concentration, and it's something else to focus on. ]
You're gonna have to explain a few of those things. Asteroid sweeps. The trains are how people get around your universe, right? Are they all that dangerous? How many are there?
[some time after this, Manabu's going to find it weird that he knows two different people who seem capable of heating a space just...at-will. for now, though, he's barely aware that's Mako doing that -- could very well just be the oven on!
...or. y'know. fever stuff. he doesn't know how diseases work here, so who's to say?
that aside, another flood of questions comes. it's nice to be able to talk about things he knows, though Manabu's a little worried he won't be able to keep up with the pace at which these questions are getting shot his way.]
Well, um. I... [he grimaces.] Okay. How...much do you know about how space works? [does he know?]
[ Mako's a human oven, or at least he's been called that at this point by both his brother and also by Wu and probably by anybody he's managed to spoon with over his short years. The boy makes heat when he's not even trying to, and right now, when he's trying to? There's a lot of it. It is a gentle kind of radiating heat, like a steam radiator in the dead of winter.
Mako pauses, though, raising a slow eyebrow as he lets the countertop take more of his weight. He should get back to making the tea, at some point. ]
There are planets, and the moon. In my world the moon has a spirit associated with it. Every 10,000 years every planet in the system lines up, [ he says, like this is a normal space thing because as far as he knows it is ] and... there are comets.
[that's not as terribly low a bar, he supposes. he even knows about systems, which is more than he could say about some other encounters. he'll take it.
so...asteroids.]
Um, so...Asteroids are clumps of rock and metal that typically orbit around a star, and usually in big clusters. Like comets? Except comets are more like hunks of ice and rock, not metal. [hyper details not important. moving on.]
Anyway, usually asteroid fields stay in their systems, just floating around the way everything else does...but there's a notorious field that has a huge orbital swing that spans multiple systems. It can put trains at risk depending on the time, so every once in a long while...SDF members have to go out and do a sweep. Basically just...shooting down some of the larger and more threatening asteroids that could come do some damage to the trains or connecting stations.
They...don't seem like much from afar, but...some asteroids can be larger than a city or country, so getting hit by that...
[ There are definitely a lot of words in there Mako doesn't know—orbital swing chief among them—but again, he can pick up on the context clues and form a fairly rough mental image. Like a debris field, like the kind of thing the Earth Kingdom used to drop into their seas to try and stop invaders getting too close. Like the rocks guarding Kyoshi Island or Serpent's Pass.
Okay, he can get behind this. So Manabu and his platoon are the people who get rid of the threats ahead of the trains so the trains can pass through safely. ]
You're like a strike team. Go out, deal with the problem before it becomes a bigger problem, no matter what the problem is. How'd you get involved in that?
[ He definitely still wants to hear about the ghosts but there's a lot of other stuff here, groundwork he'd like to know about. ]
[with the chill quite quelled by the warmth in the room, Manabu can sit up and feel a little less gnarled up with discomfort in his own skin. he nods, looking over to where Mako's leaning.]
Yeah, that's a good way to put it. Other teams go out looking for trouble before it starts, but if the fire's already started, we get sent to put it out. [is that a bad analogy to use around a fire bender? who knows. Manabu doesn't. his head is empty even without flu in the mix.]
I always wanted to be part of the SDF. My dad used to be captain of Big One, and he led the platoon I'm in. Hell, my big brother was part of the SPG, which are like the boots-on-the-ground division. [his mouth tugs on one side.] You don't grow up seeing stuff like that and not want to follow along, right?
[or...maybe you do, considering their grisly fates. but that didn't stop Manabu. as said before: head empty.]
Most people I came across seem pretty glad for it. I mean-- [his eyes wince.] Not...not everyone, but...I don't think it's easy to please everyone all the time. Or...do right by them, when there's so many.
[that vendor...it was like night and day, the way he was. from a friendly, generous civilian to a suicidal terrorist in the span of a few hours, willing to die to destroy the SDF...
Manabu never did find out why.]
I'd like to think we do more good than anything, at least...
Let me guess. There are some sour seagrapes who think you're hurting them by existing, right?
[ Spoken with, maybe, a little too much familiarity. ]
I mean, I get it. It's not like the RCPD was there to help me out when I was a kid. They could only care about so much, but. As long as you're out there trying to help and you're not, I don't know, following some dictator's orders without thinking about them [ specific example there, bud! ] then you're probably fine.
[sour seagrapes...? that's one way to put it, Manabu supposes. as Mako continues to speak, Manabu slowly, but certainly does catch onto the context. not knowing the full name of the acronym doesn't strip away understanding that this guy's also talking some level of law enforcement, because, as he belatedly recalls, this guy's a detective.
...hence all the questions, huh? Manabu's mouth twitches briefly at the realization, which hits right on time with the prompting of ghost train.]
Aa? [beat.] ...Oh. Mm. Right. Ha. Sorry, I forgot I left you hanging on that one... [jeez. so much has happened since then, too!]
The ghost train's an old 138-model, from way, way early on before the Galaxy Railways project was fully underway. It's said to have no actual destination, or...if it does have one, it's not gotten there yet. But everyone aboard, except the conductor, is a dead soul taking their last journey.
Ha. Yeah... I mean, unless Louis and I just went crazy for a bit and the rest of the team decided to play along? Which isn't likely at all, so. [shrug!]
We hopped on board, chasing after a man who was determined to find his fiancée... [his expression sobers to something more distant and thoughtful; as goofy as a ghost train sounds, there was nothing slapstick about that man's pain.] And it was...just like that: Everyone on there was someone who had passed away, and they were taking one last journey through the stars. Hell, the conductor was an SDF-style android, and he saw nothing weird about it at all!
[he shakes his head.] Never did find out where the people go after they get off the train, though...
But the train itself was solid? It was like a normal one?
[ It wouldn't be the first story of a ship full of spirits that turned out to be real. Mako learned almost as soon as he met Korra than half the things he thought were just fairytales were true.
Ghosts, though. That's something they don't talk about at home. ]
That's... so weird. I mean, I guess I thought a lot of spirit stuff was weird before I met Korra. Spirit stuff comes with the package, with her.
[he nods, then...nods again, though after a hesitation. who's Korra? someone he should know by now? he has a notion to ask, but Mako gets his questions in first.]
Uh, mm. Yeah. It was kind of a close call, since...he was ready to just give up the rest of his life to stay with her, but that'd mean leaving his little sister behind. Luckily we were able to get through to the both of them, and that woman convinced him to let her go.
[he rubs at the back of his head awkwardly, looking askance.]
It was the right call, but still...felt really weird to be there. Something like that...it's pretty intense, you know?
[ Mako winces out of sympathy more than anything. ]
Being a bystander to stuff like that is always weird.
[ There are a lot of reasons that Mako failed to tell Korra that they'd broken up, when she forgot about it, but all the eyes on them, their audience watching and judging Mako's response, was definitely part of it. He can only imagine what being a bystander to all that awkwardness was like. Just remembering it makes his face a bit hot. ]
Was that a big part of your job? The dealing-with-people stuff? I never, uh. Really got that part down. I'm good at following up on leads, but when all these new airbenders started popping up and we had to talk them down, I'm... pretty sure I made it worse.
[the way Mako phrases it, even without the confusing alternate-worldbuild bits, somehow tickles him, and makes Manabu laugh a little. he stifles it behind a closed fist, shaking his head and clearing his throat after a moment.]
Mako... If you didn't want to deal with people, why would you pick a job all about helping them? I wouldn't do what I do if it had nothing to do with helping anyone...
[ Mako's cheeks go even redder. Curse his Fire Nation complexion and how easily his embarrassment shows. ]
I wasn't exactly thinking about that when I took the job. Beifong offered me a job as a beat cop, and... it was about time I did something to help other people instead of just trying to take care of Bolin and myself. I thought it'd be good to have someone like me on the force.
[ Poor, he means. From the very areas the RCPD were often too understaffed to protect, with inside knowledge of Republic City's streets and how the various Triads operated. But that's a lot to explain, and he doesn't like revealing that kind of thing so easily. ]
[Manabu's smile turns a shade apologetic, seeing how ruffled a little laughter made him. but still, he'll ride that feeling for a bit longer, since it feels better than unending aches and the general crumminess of his health at the moment.]
I bet it was...I mean, if it wasn't, you wouldn't have been kept on, right? [because surely even law enforcement isn't a fan of status quo for the sake of it!!!!]
[ Mako snorts in memory, leaning on both elbows on the hard countertop. The air is finally at a steady level of warmth, less like a sauna and more like a sunny day. ]
I wasn't great at the whole... sticking to the hierarchy thing, at first. I don't know about you, but I found it pretty hard to have my leads ignored just because I was new to the force. I was actually onto something, but nobody listened until it was way too late. Took a while to learn the ropes.
[Manabu makes a drawn-out, knowing sound at that, bobbing his head in a slow nod.]
I know how that goes. It's not even always coming from a bad place, is it? It's just...how things work sometimes. [he looks back toward Mako.] That just means it's more important to stick with it. The right people will see your conviction soon enough...and the other right people will whip you up into shape, one way or another.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
no subject
now that he's agreed, Manabu knows it's for the best, and he can just move ahead from that feeling and onto what's next...which is apparently an ask about work?] Mm-? Sirius Platoon, you mean? Uh, sure, I don't mind...
[after all, talking about it makes it more real, puts it outside of his own head, keeps the memories stronger, and perhaps harder to snatch away from him the way Orpheus says this place is apt to do. after all, it's what he's learned in the SDF that makes him as capable as he can be, and without it? well...he's going to be a helluva lot of dead weight around here.
more than currently.
absolutely no death-related puns intended. not allowed.
he moves toward the kitchen to set things on the table and lay them out bit by bit, giving Mako room to finish taking his shoes off and take his own time. if they're lucky, Michael's freaky warg-dog-thing, Eleanor, won't wind up roaming back into the yard and spook them, and things can be at least calm for a spell.
when Mako's arrived:] What did you want to know about? [a beat, and then his eyebrows lift, remembering something.] Uoh...the ghost-train, right? That you asked about at the college. Was that it?
no subject
He feels a little guilty every time he notices something like that, expensive and easily-pocketed, hasn't acted on those impulses in a long time, but they're there. Mako shoves them away with the ease of long practice, lines his boots up neatly by the door, and pads after Manabu, trying not to notice anything else. ]
I mean, all of it.
[ He slips into the kitchen and sort of hovers there, watching, trying to figure out where to fit himself in. ]
But especially the ghost-train. Is that... normal? Did you know it was full of ghosts before you got on it? What's Sirius Platoon, exactly?
[ Maybe pull back on the questions to the recently-dead guy, bud. Mako doesn't notice exactly how rapid-fire they're coming out. ]
no subject
the kitchen isn't much, though it shows signs of life and intense use, thanks to the latest grease fire Amara had to stamp out. there's a deck of cards on one of the counters, the usual suspects of appliances and things, and sign that this won't be the first round of soup Manabu's had since returning to the house.
before he can think about what he needs to do with this stuff first, Manabu shivers and winds up slumping into one of the chairs. once he's rode out that wave of weariness, he rubs at his face and lifts his head back up.]
Sirius Platoon is...we're the ones assigned to Big One. Of all the SDF trains, it's one of the strongest, most balanced between combat and recon. Vega Platoon's more combat-oriented, Spica's more intel...and Sirius is a fair mix of both.
no subject
I'll put this in the freezer— [ He hefts the miso up, showing it off for a second ] —unless you want some now.
[ There's some tea, too, but that's much easier. Mako doesn't even really need a kettle for that.
Or thinking. Which is good, because Manabu has just brought up the idea of what sounds like a battle train, and that is... kind of wild. ]
What does the combat? The train, or the platoon? Is it like an armored train?
[ Kuvira, he thinks, had something similar. They all thought it was her whole strategy, using the rails, until they'd pulled out that massive awful mech. ]
no subject
Both. The train cars are...designed to house offensive and defensive equipment. And platoon members man them remotely from their stations at the engine. Or...well, if it's got a few fighter birds, then they climb onto those.
Iron Berger's able to lug around the really heavy cannons...but usually only for big emergencies. Like asteroid sweeps. Stuff like that. Big One's got a nice artillery array, too... [that's where his bias is. as much as he admired Captain Murase's team and rig, Sirius Platoon is where his heart still is.]
All the trains on the railway have...armor plating. Just in case. Asteroids, magnetic storms, pirates...
no subject
Asteroid sweeps, too, could be anything at all, and magnetic storms. Pirates, at least, make sense.
He notes the goosebumps, absently, and leans on the counter across from Manabu and starts pushing heat into the air around them. It's not an easy thing to do by any means, but he can do it with enough concentration, and it's something else to focus on. ]
You're gonna have to explain a few of those things. Asteroid sweeps. The trains are how people get around your universe, right? Are they all that dangerous? How many are there?
no subject
...or. y'know. fever stuff. he doesn't know how diseases work here, so who's to say?
that aside, another flood of questions comes. it's nice to be able to talk about things he knows, though Manabu's a little worried he won't be able to keep up with the pace at which these questions are getting shot his way.]
Well, um. I... [he grimaces.] Okay. How...much do you know about how space works? [does he know?]
no subject
Mako pauses, though, raising a slow eyebrow as he lets the countertop take more of his weight. He should get back to making the tea, at some point. ]
There are planets, and the moon. In my world the moon has a spirit associated with it. Every 10,000 years every planet in the system lines up, [ he says, like this is a normal space thing because as far as he knows it is ] and... there are comets.
That's it.
no subject
[that's not as terribly low a bar, he supposes. he even knows about systems, which is more than he could say about some other encounters. he'll take it.
so...asteroids.]
Um, so...Asteroids are clumps of rock and metal that typically orbit around a star, and usually in big clusters. Like comets? Except comets are more like hunks of ice and rock, not metal. [hyper details not important. moving on.]
Anyway, usually asteroid fields stay in their systems, just floating around the way everything else does...but there's a notorious field that has a huge orbital swing that spans multiple systems. It can put trains at risk depending on the time, so every once in a long while...SDF members have to go out and do a sweep. Basically just...shooting down some of the larger and more threatening asteroids that could come do some damage to the trains or connecting stations.
They...don't seem like much from afar, but...some asteroids can be larger than a city or country, so getting hit by that...
[no bueno.]
no subject
Okay, he can get behind this. So Manabu and his platoon are the people who get rid of the threats ahead of the trains so the trains can pass through safely. ]
You're like a strike team. Go out, deal with the problem before it becomes a bigger problem, no matter what the problem is. How'd you get involved in that?
[ He definitely still wants to hear about the ghosts but there's a lot of other stuff here, groundwork he'd like to know about. ]
no subject
Yeah, that's a good way to put it. Other teams go out looking for trouble before it starts, but if the fire's already started, we get sent to put it out. [is that a bad analogy to use around a fire bender? who knows. Manabu doesn't. his head is empty even without flu in the mix.]
I always wanted to be part of the SDF. My dad used to be captain of Big One, and he led the platoon I'm in. Hell, my big brother was part of the SPG, which are like the boots-on-the-ground division. [his mouth tugs on one side.] You don't grow up seeing stuff like that and not want to follow along, right?
[or...maybe you do, considering their grisly fates. but that didn't stop Manabu. as said before: head empty.]
no subject
Anyway, he mostly just smiles a little. ]
I wouldn't know, but that makes sense. My little brother felt the same way about me for a while. Joined the RCPD for a while to see if it was for him.
[ It Was Not. ]
How does the rest of the galaxy think about the SDF?
no subject
[that vendor...it was like night and day, the way he was. from a friendly, generous civilian to a suicidal terrorist in the span of a few hours, willing to die to destroy the SDF...
Manabu never did find out why.]
I'd like to think we do more good than anything, at least...
no subject
[ Spoken with, maybe, a little too much familiarity. ]
I mean, I get it. It's not like the RCPD was there to help me out when I was a kid. They could only care about so much, but. As long as you're out there trying to help and you're not, I don't know, following some dictator's orders without thinking about them [ specific example there, bud! ] then you're probably fine.
So. Ghost train?
no subject
...hence all the questions, huh? Manabu's mouth twitches briefly at the realization, which hits right on time with the prompting of ghost train.]
Aa? [beat.] ...Oh. Mm. Right. Ha. Sorry, I forgot I left you hanging on that one... [jeez. so much has happened since then, too!]
The ghost train's an old 138-model, from way, way early on before the Galaxy Railways project was fully underway. It's said to have no actual destination, or...if it does have one, it's not gotten there yet. But everyone aboard, except the conductor, is a dead soul taking their last journey.
[he smiles a little crookedly.]
Seems like some made-up kids' stuff, huh?
no subject
Yeah, it sounds exactly like a story my mom used to tell us about a ghost ship. But it's real?
no subject
We hopped on board, chasing after a man who was determined to find his fiancée... [his expression sobers to something more distant and thoughtful; as goofy as a ghost train sounds, there was nothing slapstick about that man's pain.] And it was...just like that: Everyone on there was someone who had passed away, and they were taking one last journey through the stars. Hell, the conductor was an SDF-style android, and he saw nothing weird about it at all!
[he shakes his head.] Never did find out where the people go after they get off the train, though...
no subject
[ It wouldn't be the first story of a ship full of spirits that turned out to be real. Mako learned almost as soon as he met Korra than half the things he thought were just fairytales were true.
Ghosts, though. That's something they don't talk about at home. ]
That's... so weird. I mean, I guess I thought a lot of spirit stuff was weird before I met Korra. Spirit stuff comes with the package, with her.
Did you find the guy's fiancée?
no subject
Uh, mm. Yeah. It was kind of a close call, since...he was ready to just give up the rest of his life to stay with her, but that'd mean leaving his little sister behind. Luckily we were able to get through to the both of them, and that woman convinced him to let her go.
[he rubs at the back of his head awkwardly, looking askance.]
It was the right call, but still...felt really weird to be there. Something like that...it's pretty intense, you know?
no subject
Being a bystander to stuff like that is always weird.
[ There are a lot of reasons that Mako failed to tell Korra that they'd broken up, when she forgot about it, but all the eyes on them, their audience watching and judging Mako's response, was definitely part of it. He can only imagine what being a bystander to all that awkwardness was like. Just remembering it makes his face a bit hot. ]
Was that a big part of your job? The dealing-with-people stuff? I never, uh. Really got that part down. I'm good at following up on leads, but when all these new airbenders started popping up and we had to talk them down, I'm... pretty sure I made it worse.
no subject
[the way Mako phrases it, even without the confusing alternate-worldbuild bits, somehow tickles him, and makes Manabu laugh a little. he stifles it behind a closed fist, shaking his head and clearing his throat after a moment.]
Mako... If you didn't want to deal with people, why would you pick a job all about helping them? I wouldn't do what I do if it had nothing to do with helping anyone...
no subject
I wasn't exactly thinking about that when I took the job. Beifong offered me a job as a beat cop, and... it was about time I did something to help other people instead of just trying to take care of Bolin and myself. I thought it'd be good to have someone like me on the force.
[ Poor, he means. From the very areas the RCPD were often too understaffed to protect, with inside knowledge of Republic City's streets and how the various Triads operated. But that's a lot to explain, and he doesn't like revealing that kind of thing so easily. ]
no subject
I bet it was...I mean, if it wasn't, you wouldn't have been kept on, right? [because surely even law enforcement isn't a fan of status quo for the sake of it!!!!]
no subject
[ Mako snorts in memory, leaning on both elbows on the hard countertop. The air is finally at a steady level of warmth, less like a sauna and more like a sunny day. ]
I wasn't great at the whole... sticking to the hierarchy thing, at first. I don't know about you, but I found it pretty hard to have my leads ignored just because I was new to the force. I was actually onto something, but nobody listened until it was way too late. Took a while to learn the ropes.
no subject
I know how that goes. It's not even always coming from a bad place, is it? It's just...how things work sometimes. [he looks back toward Mako.] That just means it's more important to stick with it. The right people will see your conviction soon enough...and the other right people will whip you up into shape, one way or another.
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)