[ 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.
[ An observation he didn't quite mean to make aloud, but it just hit him so quickly, and it makes him smile. ]
But yeah. That's exactly what happened. Beifong saw that I was right, and I did need to... actually work with the rest of the force. I was just so used to not having anyone else to rely on, you know?
[a stick-with-it guy? Manabu blinks at that, needing a few seconds to get it around his foggy head, and by then Mako's already moved on, so Manabu does as well.]
I-it's good that you found a way to, though...people aren't...made to deal with tough stuff all alone all the time. At least, that's how it usually is. [he can't really speak to outliers, can he? he's been a pain-in-the-ass team player from the get-go; striking out on his own wasn't really ever in the books for him.
lo and behold! he's out on his own here. and it's not going great.]
Though I guess...being here makes that...kind of tough, huh.
[ There is a quiet kind of sympathy in Mako's voice and on his face. He tries to keep it down, because he himself hates being pitied, and he doesn't want to do that to Manabu. He can handle himself, Mako is sure, but— ]
But you're not. Not really. Everyone here is—honestly, it's kind of weird how willing everyone is to help each other. It would never happen like that back home.
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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
[ An observation he didn't quite mean to make aloud, but it just hit him so quickly, and it makes him smile. ]
But yeah. That's exactly what happened. Beifong saw that I was right, and I did need to... actually work with the rest of the force. I was just so used to not having anyone else to rely on, you know?
no subject
I-it's good that you found a way to, though...people aren't...made to deal with tough stuff all alone all the time. At least, that's how it usually is. [he can't really speak to outliers, can he? he's been a pain-in-the-ass team player from the get-go; striking out on his own wasn't really ever in the books for him.
lo and behold! he's out on his own here. and it's not going great.]
Though I guess...being here makes that...kind of tough, huh.
no subject
[ There is a quiet kind of sympathy in Mako's voice and on his face. He tries to keep it down, because he himself hates being pitied, and he doesn't want to do that to Manabu. He can handle himself, Mako is sure, but— ]
But you're not. Not really. Everyone here is—honestly, it's kind of weird how willing everyone is to help each other. It would never happen like that back home.
no subject
Guess it...depends on who you run into around here, huh.
[because sometimes rather than help, they deck you.
...then help later.]