I actually love probending, like especially as a concept, because Republic City is truly such a disparate mess. it's never fully evolved a national identity or political system of it's own, yet it's detached from any true belonging to the original four nations, turning benders of all elements against each other and fragmenting descendants from the different nations into diaspora groups. there's extreme class discrepancy and violence, some people live in huge Disney Land mansions, meanwhile, children on the streets barely scrape by, and gang members murder people from all backgrounds. benders and non benders are in conflict with nonbenders feeling disadvantaged, because of the privileges benders hold over nonbenders in a more cynical, individualistic society compared to the original nations that integrated those abilities into responsibilities that benefited everyone.
the only thing that could fully bring everyone in the city together no matter their background or social standing, was probending - ironically, though, it's also connected to most of the social disparity, it's uniquely Republic City's own thing. which makes it that much more striking when Amon attacks the arena. it's an attack on the city's only sense of unity and identity.
Does anyone remember this really old LOK fanart from before LOK ever aired (circa 2010-11) of Korra, Mako, and Bolin wearing 1920s gangsta inspired suits and fedoras?
Amused by the fact that there are no age brackets in pro bending.
Bolin is like 16 in B1, and assumedly he's been Probending for at least a little while. And Toza has only recently quit Probending and he's AT LEAST in his late 60s.
Request: Imagine Bolin is trying to restart the Fire Ferrets after the events of the show and Korra calls you, an old friend, to try out for the team... Fire bender reader X Bolin
After the war with Kuvira, Bolin debated what he wanted to do with his future and after working a few months as President Zhu Li's assistant he realised there was one job he'd really ever enjoyed...being a pro-bender! He loved the excitement, the physical challenges and the attention of the fans of course. So he decided it was time to get the team back together...the only problem? Korra was off in the spirit world with her new girlfriend Asami and Mako was with Wu in the Earth Kingdom helping him form a democracy. So Bolin's options weren't looking good and the new season was only weeks away... but Korra wasn't about to leave Bolin high and dry, she had the perfect person for the job. You.
You and Korra met when you became her Fire bending teacher and first real friend. You'd been brought to the North Pole to help Korra learn fire bending for two main reasons. 1. you were very skilled and had finished the academy many years early almost beating the record 2. you were the same age as Korra and very similar to her. Like Korra you were impulsive, confident and well impressive. Katara thought you'd be a great fit for the young Avatar and she was right. Korra liked you from the minute she saw you (apparently that happened for all water avatars and their fire bending teachers) and you became friends very quickly. Over the years you and Korra kept in touch as much as possible. You'd also helped her out a few times, convincing General Iroh to leave early to help secure Republic City from Amon and raising Korra's case about the Water Tribe civil war to the Firelord herself but apart from that the two of you had been far too busy to socialise. The last time Korra contacted you it was to tell you a spot had opened up on a pro-bending team for a talented fire bender. Never one to say no to a challenge and someone who didn't like to stay in one place for too long you quit your job and decided to move to Republic City. Being a pro-athlete would be fun.
Apparently, Korra's recommendation and your past experience were so good the team captain, an earth bender named Bolin, had given you the place without even needing an audition. You were flattered but also suspected the captain was a little desperate for players considering the matches started in less than three week. He'd agreed to meet you in the arena to start training and so after dropping your stuff off at your new apartment you headed to the huge stadium. You followed the instructions in Bolin's letter and pushed the door open to find a red fire ferret alone in the centre of the room. It turned to look at you as the door opened and was very cute. When it scampered over to you, you smiled and bent down to pet it "well considering you're a fire ferret I'd say I'm in the right place but I don't suppose you're Bolin?". The fire ferret made a chittering noise and you laughed as it nudged your hand for more pats. "I'll just stay here with you I guess" you shrugged sitting on the floor and you stayed playing with the ferret for a while until you heard footsteps.
The door was pushed open by a person, or you supposed there was a person behind the many boxes. "Pabu I don't suppose you can lend a paw?" a voice called as the figure manoeuvred its way into the room. The fire ferret, who you assumed was called Pabu, made an unimpressed noise and scampered away. You laughed standing up "I think Pabu said no but I can help" you called taking a few of the top boxes to reveal a face. The boy had a strong jaw, black hair that curled adorably in the front and stunning green eyes. "Ow! Is it 2 already? I'm so sorry I'm late, I'm Bolin". "Yeah so I figured" you smiled setting the boxes down and turning back around "I'm y/n". Bolin shook your hand beaming "it's great to meet you! I'm super excited to have you on the team". "Excited to be here" you replied "Korra gave you a glowing review and said pro-bending was one of the best experiences of her life so I can't wait to start". Bolin smiled "that's what I like to hear, let me give you a tour of the stadium.
You and Bolin quickly became acquainted and Halfway through the tour Bolin turned to you. "You are definitely Korra's friend" he commented and you laughed "what makes you say that? Do I have her cocky strut?". Bolin chuckled "No but you do have her confidence. The way you carry yourself is exactly how she did when we first met. I'm beginning to think Korra got it from you". "Of course she did, I was her teacher" you cried and Bolin laughed "I think we're going to get along well y/n". His smile made you pause because it was so sweet and beautiful but you soon recovered. "You know what, I think we will too" you agreed and Bolin smiled even more. You had a good feeling about this.
One of the first orders of business was training together as a team so you could get used to each other's fighting styles. This was made slightly more difficult due to the fact you were one person short but luckily Korra had handled that too. She'd apparently contacted someone from back home and you were excited to find out who was joining you. When Bolin told you the waterbender's name a grin appeared on your face. "So I take it you know him?" Bolin asked and you smiled "of course I know Toalu! He was at the compound with us, he was Korra's water bending master's assistant. He's an awesome water bender so don't worry, we've got this season in the bag". Bolin grinned caught up in your infectious determination and when Toalu arrived he too was swept up in the excitement. The two of you had a nice reunion and him and Bolin soon bonded. "To the fire ferrets!" Bolin announced raising his glass at the end of the night and you and Toalu smiled raising yours too. "The fire ferrets!" you both replied and you smiled, the good feelings just kept coming.
Your first match was now two weeks away so the three of you spent most of your time in the gym, working out plays together and just getting comfortable around one another. You were all great benders in your own right but still hadn't mastered being a team...yet! You were making progress every day and Bolin was a very good leader. You'd found yourself drawn to the earth bender from the very first day and your relationship had only been growing. Bolin was very easy to get along with and honestly the sweetest person you'd ever met. Of course, Korra had told you this about Bolin but words were no comparison to the real thing and one thing Korra had severely undersold was how hot Bolin was. The first time you saw his biceps your eyes brows nearly went as high as your hairline and when he showed you and Toalu his Nuktuk movefs you thought you were back in the Fire Nation with how warm you became. You couldn't deny you were attracted to Bolin and apparently, the feeling was mutual...there was just one problem.
"So y/n..." Bolin said turning to you after training one day. "I was wondering if you'd maybe like to go out to dinner with me? Like on a date?" the blushing Earth Bender asked. You turned around slowly and sighed "Bolin I'd love to spend more time with you but I don't date people I work with" you admitted "I have a rule and I've never broken it. It just keeps everything tidier and more professional, so sorry but I can't". Bolin shook his head "no don't apologise that's completely fine! Probably a lot wiser". You smiled "thanks for understanding" and left leaving Bolin feeling deflated. He respected your decision but damn he wished there was a way around it.
Since becoming a pro-bender again Bolin was receiving a lot of attention from the fans. He now had quite a lot of guys and girls competing for his attention and once the season had started and you'd won a few early games he let himself start to enjoy it...however one thing he noticed was having lots of people attracted to you wasn't as good as he remembered it. He didn’t get excited any more hearing people yell his name or having crowds of attractive people waiting around outside his training room...but Bolin figured he knew why. The person he wanted the attention from was you. However despite the constant tension between the two of you, you had your rule and Bolin respected your wishes enough to not try pushing you. So he'd just have to keep trying with new people and hope one of them took his mind off you.
So Bolin became a celebrity in Republic City once again and didn't shy away from the romantic attention he received. After one match a group of his fans showed up to the changing room looking for him. They rushed inside congratulating him and you and Toalu were momentarily stunned by all the bold fans. Bolin took in your expression and rushed over. "Sorry I said they could hang out after the show, do you guys mind?" Bolin asked. He'd seen the surprised look on your face and wondered (hoping just a little) that you might be convinced to reconsider your rule but in response you just smiled. "Not at all! Toalu and I will get out of your hair so you can have more privacy" and with a sweet smile the two of you left. Bolin sighed as the door closed and he was the only left feeling deflated. He knew nothing was happening with the two of you because of your aforementioned rule, not to mention Toalu was in a loving relationship with his boyfriend but he still felt jealous you were giving Toalu so much attention when Bolin was craving it. Still there was nothing he could do so he just turned back to his newfound friends
Your POV
You and Toalu meanwhile were walking through the streets of Republic City, chatting about fight strategies while you made your way to the gym for some late-night training. After you'd mentioned Bolin for the third time Toalu smiled "can I ask you a question?". You nodded and he paused choosing his words "why are you and Bolin torturing one another?". You laughed "what?". "Well it's clear the two of you like one another, you're always checking each other out or flirting but you refuse to date him because of some rule you have? Are you sure you're not being too fire nation about it?". You laughed "that rule has kept my life uncomplicated and stress-free for years. It's just easier for everyone if we remain professional, for instance, would you really want to be in a team with the two of us if we dated and then broke up? Imagine how awkward that would be". Toalu nodded "yeah but that's imagining the two of you didn't work out, what if you're both very happy together and use all the energy gawking at one another to actually do more training?". You smirked "while I see your point it's just too big a risk. Bolin's great, he's interesting, kind, funny and well do I even need to mention attractive? But he's just a risk I can't take...no matter how much I want to. It's not the mature thing to do". Toalu smiled "I think you're scared". "What!" you cried "no I'm not! I'm being responsible". "No you're shying away from something uncertain just so you can be in control, news flash y/n control is an illusion. None of us are ever properly in control of our own futures so just swallow your pride and kiss the pretty boy. It's that simple and trust me I'm speaking from experience". "Whatever let's just go train" you shrugged and made it clear you didn't want the conversation to continue. However just because Toalu stopped didn't mean you stopped thinking about it. You ponded his words over and over again. Were you really just taking the safe option because you were scared? Maybe your desire to be perfect and never a liability had made you push your wants and needs to the side. Perhaps you weren't as healthy and well balanced as you thought...
The Fire Ferrets were doing relatively well in the league and as you got further through the season more and more of Bolin's friends came to see him and you were shocked how many just kept appearing. Each week more and more appeared from the farthest reaches of the globe but the one that interested you the most was Opal Beifong.
You'd of course heard of the Beifongs so when Bolin introduce you, you were quite impressed. You watched him and Opal together and could see they were very close friends but you were amazed to hear they used to date. You'd never seen two exs be so civil to one another and you studied them confused at the whole concept. When Opal noticed she asked you if everything was okay and you confessed. "Sorry I just can't believe you're Bolin ex! You're both so...kind to one another". Opal laughed "well yeah have you tried being mean to Bolin it's impossible?". You shrugged agreeing and Opal continued "plus our breakup was very amicable, Bolin was so respectful and kind I couldn't be mad at him. Sure at first I took some time to deal with my emotions but there was no bad blood between us so when I'd recovered I had no negative feelings towards him. Even my boyfriend loves him". "Really?" you asked in disbelief and Opal nodded laughing "yep, he even helped us move to Ba Sing Sei last year. Bolin's just a great guy". You nodded "I can't actually believe how nice a guy he is, like is he even human?". Opal chuckled "i thought the same thing but you'll soon realise that's just Bolin. The only thing bigger than his biceps is his heart". You nodded your head in agreement and Opal smiled "he talks a lot about you". "Ow really?" you asked casually but on the inside your heart was racing. "Yep, he told me you were the best fire bender he's ever seen". You laughed "and what did his brother, my predecessor think of that?". Opal smirked "I won't tell if you won't but Bolin is really fond of you and seeing you fight together so well...you'd think you've known each other all your lives". You smiled "yeah we got really lucky, we just gel so well". Opal nodded "so y/n are you currently seeing anyone?". You shook your head "nope...why do you ask?". "No reason" Opal smiled but you knew the reason and his name was Bolin.
When you reached the quarter-finals in your first season that brought out the big guns aka the Avatar. When Bolin told you Korra and Asami would be coming to your next match you were thrilled! It'd be so great to see Korra again and meet the wonderful Asami Sato. They got into town the day before your match and you all spent the afternoon together before going away to train. You had a match to focus on and Korra understood so she arranged a party for you after the match where you could all properly catch up and celebrate your success.
The following day you had your match and you narrowly missed out on the win. You were a little upset but then Bolin told you how great this was for a first season and how you'd come back next year and take the title. He instantly made you feel better and you smiled admiring his positive attitude. To say three months ago you didn’t even know one another and you'd only had a few weeks worth of training before starting, the quarterfinals was amazing! You'd bumped the Fire Ferrets up the league tables and had sponsors interested in the group. You were very proud of all the three of you had achieved and were grateful for Bolin helping you see it this way. You watched as he happily chatted to Toalu and admired the earth bender, something you caught yourself doing constantly. You'd just never met someone who was the total package like Bolin. It wasn't just his looks, his wonderful green eyes and toned body that drew you to him. It was also the fact he was the sweetest person you'd ever met, a perpetual optimist who would do anything for others. On paper that sounded like it could get annoying but Bolin was so genuine it was endearing. Given his upbringing it was even more impressive, he'd started from humble beginnings but never lost his hope or belief in humanity. He loved his friends and family fiercely and was comfortable in his masculinity which you found very attractive. You also loved how he made everyone feel at ease and treated everyone equally. He was just an amazing person and you'd never met someone like him before. "Now party at Korra's!" Bolin cheered suddenly knocking you out of your train of thought "you ready y/n?" he asked noticing you looked pretty out of it. You nodded "yeah let's go!" and shoved everything into your bag which you could barely zip up it was so full. Bolin smiled noticing "let me get that for you" and lifted it like it was nothing. You sighed inwardly, Bolin was making this very hard.
The party was at air temple island and it was so beautiful. You admired the air benders immensely and had a very fun conversation with Master Tenzin about his culture. After you'd been talking for a while you realised you should probably make an effort to talk to everyone else and began walking around the room. You spotted Bolin straight away and of course he was in the middle of a group telling them all a very funny story. You smiled watching him from a nearby chair when you realised what you were doing and went outside. Your absence was noted and not five minutes later the Avatar found you. "So you okay?" Korra asked and you looked at her "yeah why?". "Well you do that thing when you're super stressed where you stare oddly into space looking constipated". You pushed her eyes going wide in shock and she laughed "what it's TRUE! So what's wrong?". You sighed "I...do you remember that rule I have? About not dating people I work with?". Korra nodded "yep, it was the reason you rejected my invitation to hang out when we first met because you thought I was hitting on you". "You basically asked me out!" you argued and Korra smirked "you wished! You just thought I was a cocky young avatar trying to shoot my shot with a hot fire bending teacher". You grinned "guilty but my point is, Bolin's really making me question my rule". A grin appeared on Korra's face "I knew you'd hit it off" she smiled and you gasped "what? You did this on purpose?". Korra laughed "calm down that's giving me way too much credit. I had no solid proof the two of you would end up liking one another but it made sense. All the reasons you broke up with your past partners weren't a problem for Bolin. He isn't unprogressive and problematic like Sonrik, he isn’t afraid to embrace his femininity unlike Tarrak, he's kind and sweet which Kilan wasn't. He's funny, selfless and impressive, not to mention completely you're type with the curly hair and huge muscles". You blushed but winced "well all of that is true but there's one problem. I work with him". Korra rolled her eyes "So? Y/n I get why you had that rule with me and in the military but you're not in the Fire Nation anymore! You don't have to be so strict and nobody is expecting soldier like discipline. You're allowed to date a teammate and trust me I would know, I dated all of mine!". You laughed and Korra smiled "plus and I'm going to try and say this sensitively but you just got knocked out of the cup". "Wow kick me while I'm down" you replied and Korra laughed knocking you with her soldier "what I mean is, until the next season Bolin isn't really your teammate and that's not for 3 months! That's a great amount of time to get that honeymoon period of the relationship out of the way and become a more stable couple by competition season. You wouldn't even be breaking that stupid rule of yours!". You could see the logic in what Korra was saying but you paused. "What is it?" Korra asked and you groaned "I'm scared" you whispered and Korra frowned "what?". "I'm scared okay!" you cried "I've never met someone as good as Bolin before! I usually date people I know won't be long term but Bolin...what if I mess it up?". Korra shook her head "impossible, to mess something up you have to be human and you're perfect". You laughed "I'm being serious!". "So am I!" Korra grinned "Y/n you're one of the most impressive people I've ever met. You can totally handle the dating scene and you know what, even if you do mess things up that's not the end of the world. Relationships are messy, that's why they're so great. There will be bumps in the road but it’s nothing you can't handle I promise". You nodded "okay but one final thing, what if Bolin doesn't like me". Korra snorted "I'm not even going to dignify that one with an answer now go back in there and get your Bolin". You blushed but feeling pumped up you walked back into the room.
You spotted Bolin and were relieved to see the group was now smaller. He was just sat with Asami, Toalu and Toalu’s boyfriend so you made your way over and caught his eye. “Hey Bolin can we talk?”. Bolin jumped and he suddenly looked a lot more serious, but he then smiled and nodded “sure, would you like to go somewhere quieter?”. “Yes please” you nodded and Asami smiled “I’m sure Korra wouldn’t mind you using our room. It’s down that corridor third door on the right”. You led the way and when you reached the room began to feel a bit panicked, your confidence from Korra fading. When you hesitated Bolin frowned “y/n are you okay?”. You nodded “I’m fine I just don’t know how to say this...”. Worry filled Bolin’s face “ow no you want to leave the team!”. You frowned “what...no” but Bolin was already carried away on his train of thought. “I mean i get it, you’re a distinguished citizen of the Fire Nation. I bet this is nothing compared to your past roles in the military not to even mention the pay...but y/n I promise we’ll keep improving and take the championship. We all work really well together and I think part of that is because of you! You’re so strong and confident, you’ve saved me and Toalu so many times and I can’t imagine the team without you so please stay!”. Finally Bolin stopped talking and you shook your head “Bolin I don’t want to leave, that’s not what I had to tell you!”. “Ow thank Rava! Wait so what did you need to tell me?”. You blushed “well I erm...see the thing is...do you remember that rule I told you about?”. Bolin suddenly sat up straighter and turned slightly pink “the no dating rule?”. You nodded “well I was thinking of altering it”. Bolin smile “reallyyyy, I mean okay cool” he said leaning back as if this was totally casual “any reason why?” he asked. You smiled at just how bad Bolin was at playing it cool, finally you found a flaw of his. “Yeah well there’s this teammate I quite like” you admitted and Bolin’s eyes widened “really? That’s the best thing I’ve ever heard...I mean erm cool”. You smiled “yeah I hope Toalu thinks so too, it is him after all”. Bolin’s jaw dropped and you burst into laughter “you should’ve seen your face! I’m sorry but I couldn’t resist!”. Bolin shook his head “you really had me going there y/n!” and he let out a breath of relief. Then Bolin took a tentative step closer, a small smile on his face “is it me?”. “Yes” you nodded feeling suddenly less jokey “the rule has worked for me for years but you have to change and adapt them to suit you otherwise they begin to rule you instead of the other way around and we’re not in the Fire Nation anymore so I don’t need to be as strict....” you said very fast due to your nerves and Bolin blinked “not gonna lie, I didn’t get all of that but I agree we’re not in the Fire Nation so you should definitely date me”. You chuckled “I agree” and Bolin smiled “I can’t wait. I just think you’re the coolest, most interesting girl I’ve ever met. I felt at ease around you so quickly and I feel like I’ve known you for years not just a couple of months. I also understand a little about the Fire Nation so I know this, you changing your rules for me, is pretty huge. So I wanted to thank you, I promise I’m an excellent boyfriend and I will try with all my power to never let you get hurt”. You smiled “Ow I know, I got details from Korra and Opal about dating you and they both gave you glowing references”. Bolin paused “wait you asked them for references?”. “No i’m joking, but they did both tell me how great a guy you are, after that it was pretty clear I’d be lucky to date a guy like you”. “I’m the lucky one trust me!” Bolin cried and he smiled looking at you intently “y/n?”. “Yes Bolin?” you replied “can I kiss you?” Bolin asked and you smiled “yes”. Bolin closed his eyes and lent in, you did the same and met in the middle. You shouldn’t have been surprised given his past experience but Bolin was an excellent kisser. The kiss was very sweet and gentle but also very hot and made you certain you’d made the right decision. When you pulled away Bolin was blushing adorably and you laughed taking his arm “that was a pretty great kiss”. “Yeah it was...” he smiled in a daze and he stared off at the wall. You laughed and squeezed his hand “would you like to lie down for a second or can we rejoin the party?”. Bolin blinked “don’t worry i’m back! Let’s rejoin”.
When Korra saw you she screamed. Any actual scream came out of her mouth and so naturally everyone else looked over. They all then crowded around to give their congratulations and Korra was very smug. “I knew this would happen” she told Asami and Asami nodded “sure” and winked at you making you laugh. “You know i’m really happy for you both but it has just occurred to me i’m going to be a third wheel all the time now” Toalu commented. “Aww don’t say that, you were always a third wheel now it’s just official” you replied and Bolin burst out laughing. “No but seriously we won’t be that bad. We’re the Fire Ferrets and that’s not going to change anything”. “Yeah, at training we will be totally professional!” Bolin nodded seriously “unless y/n does something really cool or cute then I’ll probably melt but other than that serious leader!”. You smiled fondly at Bolin and the rest of the evening was just as wonderful. Your new life in Republic City was off to a brilliant start, you loved the city and people, really enjoyed your job and had an amazing boyfriend....next it was just that championship title but something told you that would be no problem, not for the Fire Ferrets.
_______
Requested by @aoncyberplague I hope you liked it! Thank you so much for sending in your Bolin request, I really enjoyed writing it 😊😊
I stand by my idea that the Legend of Korra would be so much fun as a sports "anime".
Just pro-bending through all four seasons and Korra treating the finals as just as important as defeating the big bad. You would get scenes like the one where she, Mako and Bolin storm a council meeting like "you can't cancel quidditch!" played just as serious as scenes like where Zuko tells Korra about the Red Lotus.
No matter how bad the big bad is the wolfbats are always talked about as if they are the biggest evil in the world.
Tenzin slowly coming to love the game and through it comes to accept more modern styles of bending alongside the traditional. Maybe even adding air to pro-bending as an incentive to join the air nation.
Idk maybe I just really love pro-bending but it would have been fun.
PLOT: Probending is easy when it’s all about the money. There’s no time for friends, romance, or allies—but that all changes when Y/N’s in-game rival saves her life. loosely based on this request by @comicgeek
WARNINGS: enemies to lovers, a little fluff, a little angst, stuck together
WORD COUNT: 2.9k
A/N: i rewrote/edited this entire piece, so that’s why i added a tag list. it used to be 1.4k words and that wasn’t cutting it for me so i made it longer and decided on it being one part only, also i hated the gif i originally used so here’s a new one lol
MY MASTERLIST
Here come the Fire Ferrets’ opponents! The three-time defending champions, the White Falls Wolf-Bats!
Y/N raised her right arm above her head, watching proudly as her winged sleeve unveiled itself to the fan-filled stadium. She stood in a triangular formation beside Tahno and Shaozu, who were howling as loud as they possibly could.
Her expression was nothing more than stoic as a low whistle blew from her lips, adding an unnoticeable pitch to the viewer’s screams and cheers for their reigning champions.
Flames erupted around their team, fireworks exploding in the air in bursts of red and yellow. Through the plastic of her wolf mask, Y/N could clearly see her opponents, the Fire Ferrets, groaning in disgust at the obnoxious display in front of them.
A large smirk rose from Y/N’s lips as she noticed the unmistakable frown of annoyance on her rival’s face. He stood with a slight slouch, visibly cringing at the antics of the Wolf Bats, determined eyes paired nicely with his loathsome look.
In all her time living in Republic City, Y/N had never met anyone quite like Bolin. He had this natural positivity and enlightenment ingrained into his personality that she’d never been able to fully understand.
Sure, she hadn’t exactly been trying to get to know the earthbender any better—but he also hadn’t ever been at the top of her priorities.
Probending was the main idea on Y/N’s brain ever since she’d learned of the sport. As a child, her parents had taken her to countless matches and championships that she’d found a passion for the game. There was nothing she loved more than a good match between challengers.
But after the death of her parents to the Triple Threats, Y/N’s love for probending subsided. The excitement quickly died and was replaced with ambition. A dry and one-dimensional ambition for nothing more than the profits of fame and autographs.
Y/N cracked her knuckles, shooing away any nerves or hesitations she harbored over the probability of their win. They’d already bribed the referees, there was no way their opponents could win—even if they did have the Avatar on their side.
The champs and the challengers face off at the center line. And here we go!
At the echoing ring of the bell, Y/N dashed forwards. The familiarity of the game infused with her muscle memory made her a dangerous player. She knew the ins and outs of the sport, giving her the advantage over any skilled opponent, no matter how powerful they were.
She turned to Tahno, giving him a curt nod of reassurance, before watching him begin to shoot waves of water at the Avatar. On her opposite side, Shaozu made his way towards Bolin. Bursts of fire shooting in every direction, including Y/N’s
Flames seared the air, narrowly missing her face as she easily dodged Mako’s first attempts at an attack. She studied his movements, picking up on his style of fighting before letting her senses connect with the weight of the stone beneath her feet.
She raised her hands quickly, sending the flying slabs in Mako’s direction in a cross formation. Y/N whipped her head to see all three of her attacks hit their target, forcing the firebender into the next zone.
“Perfect form, Y/N!” Shaozu shouted, encouraging his teammate in eliminating their opponents. He turned to speak again, before being knocked down by none other than Y/N’s least favorite person in the entire world, Bolin.
As the boy cheered himself on, his teammates chimed in with words of gratitude and proudness. “Nice shot, Bo!” Mako called, complimenting his younger brother with a large smile pinned across his face.
Y/N, however, was anything but excited for him. She instinctively sprinted in his direction, making a beeline plan of attack. The stones nearest to her raised up and around her body, focusing on the figure that was Bolin.
Revenge was the only thought on her mind. The idea of the physical winnings and profit that she could make off of this match alone. The idea of the billboards and interviews that she’d get paid for, egging her emotions of anger on.
Bolin screamed in surprise as the disks targeted him. He threw up his own hands, blocking her attacks with clumsy ease. “Is that the best you’ve got?” He taunted between breaths, barely managing to dodge her stream of deadly attacks.
Whilst Bolin was distracted, Y/N gestured to Tahno, who’d been dealing with Korra, for assistance. The snake-like boy gave a sly smile to what he assumed Y/N was hinting at, leveling an ongoing stream of water directly at Bolin.
Look at that! Y/N uses her quick thinking to undermine Bolin, whilst Tahno performs the perfect, borderline illegal, assist that should certainly elicit a foul—or apparently not!
“Are you kidding me?” Bolin’s mouth was agape in shock at the ref’s decision. He grunted as Y/N gave Tahno a high-five with a sneer gracing her lips. At the sight of Bolin’s helplessness, she let out a laugh—finding his exasperation amusing.
Bolin mimicked her movements in pettiness, making fun of the way she walked and talked. Y/N rolled her eyes at his childishness, choosing to respond with the same amount of maturity while sticking her tongue out in annoyance.
As the game went on, the two teams seemed to be quite evenly matched in terms of strategy and teamwork. Not even the hefty bribe Tahno had given the referee seemed to put the Wolf Bats in favor of winning.
After what felt like hours, the challengers had reached the point where a coin toss was deemed to be necessary to determine the winners of the probending championship. This event, having never happened before, caused an uproar in the stands, chaotic excitement raging through the arena.
Y/N stared in anticipation at the airborne coin, her heart pounding in unison with every flip and turn it made. She could feel the sweat dripping down the back of her neck as she waited to hear who had been determined to choose the final element.
“Yes!” Korra shouted, pumping her fist into the air before grabbing both Mako and Bolin by the shoulders and taking them aside to their section of the field. Y/N, Tahno, and Shaozu impatiently waited for them to finish—though Y/N already had a good idea of what was about to happen.
“I’m taking this one.” Bolin announced, pushing his brother and Korra aside. He nodded to the referee, confirming the Fire Ferret’s conclusion. “Earthbender versus earthbender, Y/N.”
Y/N reluctantly laughed as Bolin puffed out his chest in an attempt to appear more intimidating. She shook her head in disbelief that he actually thought that he had a chance of beating her. “Alright, big guy. Let’s see what you’ve got.”
She stepped up on the pedestal, facing opposite to Bolin, before pulling her fists up to her chest. While settling their stances, Y/N sent a sly wink in his direction, confusing him further—causing him to completely miss the ring of the starting bell.
Bolin ducked, feeling the crisp wind from the flying rock slab touch his hair. He continued to dodge attack after attack, sending an equal amount of stone in Y/N’s direction as she was in his. His skill was impressive and undeniable, but also equal to his opponent’s.
“Fight back, you coward!” Y/N screeched amidst her attacks. She was beginning to feel as if she was losing valuable energy while being the only player on the attack. Bolin hadn’t made a single move that couldn’t be defined as defense, choosing only to avoid her marks.
In her frustration, Y/N’s advances had grown sloppy. She’d become less focused and precise, and more upset and angry. Her emotions were very obviously conveyed through her bending, Bolin taking note of her current emotional status.
He finally made his move, seeing his opportunity and thrusted one first in her direction. Unfortunately for him, Y/N made her move at the exact same time, causing both benders to be thrown from the platform.
The thin discs collided between them, becoming nothing but pebbles and dust in the thick air. Fog shrouded their surroundings, restraining them from seeing four feet in front of them—their only idea of what had happened being the moderator’s booming voice.
Well, what do we have here folks? Our very first and unbelievable championship tie, thanks to the outstanding performances today by the Wolf-Bats and the Fire Ferrets!
Gasped filled the stands as the fog dispersed, revealing a dumbstruck Bolin and a fuming Y/N. She huffed dramatically, her face the shade of a red tomato, and marched towards Bolin, pointing her finger at him accusingly.
“I can’t believe you!” She screamed, throwing her hands in the air. She lunged forwards, slightly pushing Bolin away before continuing her rant. “You only sent one attack! One—and somehow that makes me lose the entire game? No!”
“All you did was stand there! You don’t deserve this win, I do!”
Bolin gulped, feeling his Adam’s apple bob in his throat. As much as he liked to say that he couldn’t stand Y/N, that she gave him immense anger and frustration, that didn’t make him any less afraid of her.
“All I did was play the game.” He defended, genuinely frightened by her overwhelming negativity. Bolin stumbled back, taking one hand and scratching the back of his neck in awkwardness, before saying something that was better left unsaid.
“At least I’m not just some gold digger who only wins when I bribe the ref.”
Y/N’s mouth dropped at his accusation, shocked that those words were able to come out of Bolin’s mouth. Bolin, who was supposedly the most kind and understanding person in the entire city. “What did you just say to me?”
Bolin pursed his lips, refusing to say more in fear of making the entire situation worse. Luckily for him the chittering and cheers of the crowd drowned out their argument, the only people listening being their teammates who were standing by in silence.
“I could beat you with or without a bribe,” Y/N challenged, trying to save the little dignity she had left. While she hated to hear Bolin’s accusation, there were parts of it that were true. Would she really be able to win without a little help from up above? Or was she just a washed out player with no real talent?
Pushing her hesitations aside, Y/N took another step closer to Bolin. She smirked as she saw him shake nervously at the absence of space between them. “Tomorrow night, just you and me, in the town square for our rematch.”
Before Bolin could accept or deny her offer, static filled the arena. Electricity fizzled throughout the stands, causing police offers to drop like flies. Y/N’s eyebrows furrowed as the barely made out the masked figures standing in the audience above unconscious guests.
Electric gloves coated their arms, forcing innocent bystanders to surrender to them and their unjust and self-righteous cause. The Equalists stood as one in a circle around the seats, confidence and selfishness rang off of their looks.
Y/N trembled in fear—fear of losing the thing that mattered most to her, her bending. “Is that?” She trailed off, afraid that if she spoke his name aloud, it would make the moment even more real.
“Amon!” Bolin’s voice boomed in her ear, along with the sound of explosions. The dome above the entire arena had been destroyed, fragments and shards of glass nailed down onto the guests and players. Y/N’s eyes widened, her body was frozen in place, not nearly bracing itself for the inevitable impact.
She could faintly make out a voice shouting, “Y/N! Get out of the way!”, before being grabbed like a rag doll. Y/N felt weightless in the air, falling from the playing field and into the still water below. Her head was forced underwater by a large hand whilst glass continued to rain from the sky.
Y/N hurriedly swam towards the surface of the deep pool, gasping for air and spitting the contaminated water from her mouth. She flailed her arms like a flying lemur with its head cut off in an attempt of adjusting to her new surroundings and environment.
“Watch where you throw those things!” An unexpectedly high pitched voice groaned from behind her back. The boy behind the noise grabbed her untamed hands and held her body close—Y/N assumed he must’ve been making sure there were no Equalists lurking at the bottom of the arena.
After a moment of silence, Y/N craned her neck to see who had saved her from the blast of the explosion. Her expression of gratitude quickly turned to one of annoyance as she saw that it was just Bolin, who she realized was still holding her to his chest.
“Bolin.” She struggled to escape from his grasp, wriggling and kicking his legs in the dark water. “Will you please get your hands off of me? I am capable of swimming, too.”
With her request, Bolin immediately let go of his hold on her, his strong arms ejecting themselves out of his tight embrace. He swam beside her, the earthbenders wading towards the platform connected to the finishing pool that led to the back exit doors of the arena.
“Do you think they’ll be alright up there?” Bolin asked, nervously twiddling his fingers together. His face was distraught, feelings of uselessness overcame his thoughts. “I know Korra and Mako are strong and can definitely handle themselves, but I feel like I should be helping at least a little—”
“Don’t think like that.” Y/N interrupted him, seeing the stress that had drowned out his natural optimism. She gave him a small smile, the corners of her lips rising slightly in an attempt to comfort his nerves. “Your only job right now is to stay alive.”
Bolin took a deep breath, seriousness taking over his features. “You make it sound so easy,” he shuddered, letting his clenched fists relax. “Staying alive is so much hard work. One of these days I’m going to end up as the main course in the Triple Threat barbecue.”
Y/N couldn’t help but giggle at his ridiculousness. It felt good to lighten the mood with a small joke, and Bolin always had humor to share—and much as she liked to despise him, he could be quite funny sometimes—maybe even a little cute.
She raised her right arm, touching his shoulder affectionately, and gave him a real hug. One where her arms wrapped entirely around his body, comfortably sitting above his waistline. It felt right to be in his arms. Perhaps she’d been wrong about Bolin in all their time knowing each other.
Bolin peered over he shoulder in the middle of their first mutual embrace, ensuring that they were safe in their current position. “I don’t see any signs of Equalists down this hall.” He whispered, motioning for Y/N to follow behind him.
The two earthbenders quietly snuck through and around the twists and turns of the underground passageways while the battle above them could still be heard. Chaos and cries for help echoed down the metal halls. Y/N shivered at the thought of what might’ve happened to her if Bolin hadn’t saved her in time.
Considering Y/N had never been one with the skill of hiding her emotions, Bolin took great notice of the fear that had overcome her. He internally fought a long hard battle with himself, before ultimately deciding to put his ego aside.
Bolin reached for Y/N’s hand, taking her’s in his own. He gave her a heartwarming smile, his grin toothy and pure. “I’m really sorry for what I said earlier,” he shrugged, sighing quietly before taking in another breath. “I was really angry and I know that’s no excuse.”
“I have absolutely no idea what your life is like outside of the games, and it was totally uncool of me to even assume anything about you. Can we just move on?”
Y/N snorted in amusement at Bolin’s innocence and purity. She took her hands, while still in his, to her mouth. She pressed a light kiss to his knuckles before letting go. Bolin stared at her in awe, surprised but welcome to the new development that their relationship had taken.
As he struggled to say a single word in response to her kiss, the two rivals had already reached the service doors that lead into the outside, and hopefully safe, world. Y/N pushed the exit open, holding it so Bolin would be able to escape as well.
“I guess this is where we part ways,” she grimaced, realizing that after tonight, they’d go back to their old routine of cat and mouse. Y/N didn’t know what to think of Bolin, but she definitely had a different perspective than she did when she woke up in the morning.
Bolin was quiet for a moment before his face lit up in excitement. He raised his eyebrows at Y/N, wiggling them for a moment in an attempt to make her laugh, which he succeeded in. “What do you mean part ways?”
