cyclicality | Unrest Grows

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Unrest Grows

Those who are native to Republic City have it easy. They're not the recipients of cold stares or asked to leave businesses even if they're willing to pay. It's often impossible to tell who's from the city and who was dragged in by the Spirit World, but people are trying anyway. To make matters worse, the new people are understood; to the natives, they speak fluently! The only thing language-wise that might give non-natives away is an inability to read, but even then, it's not like Republic City has a 100% literacy rate. So all people really have to go on is how familiar a face is to them.

Many businesses are making it mandatory to present some form of identification that's at least one year old before rendering services. That means people who have been living in Republic City before the Spirit World started dragging in people are being denied as well; whatever it takes, apparently. It's only the larger businesses who can really afford to do this, but even some smaller ones are treating ID presentation like a law; they're typically the ones who don't want to be targeted for "supporting foreigners." Business owners are afraid of the consequences one way or another and it feels like nobody really wins. Refuse service and lose money from potential customers or give service and lose customers who don't approve of supporting foreigners. Most places of business don't resort to physically removing people from the premise, but some do. Some threaten to throw foreigners in jail, but thankfully no one really has that power yet.

Items are still appearing around the city council office, but what has been appearing the most is gold. By now, there are people staking out for it, but it doesn't appear in quite the same spot each time, nor at the same time. The gold has been tested and it does appear to genuine. The "hope" message has been stomped out, but another word, "wish," has taken its place nearby, albeit without the fancy light show.

With gold and heirlooms on the ground for anyone to gather, it frequently becomes a bit of a free-for-all anywhere near City Hall where it appears. People often bring any container they can find to collect the gold, frantic to collect every bit they can gather. They fill bags, jars, their own clothes, waddling away as best they can under their loads. There are those who aren't comfortable trusting mysteriously appearing gold, however.

As the gold grows, it seems no one is content with a "fair share" – nor can they even determine what a "fair share" is. Without moderation, without enforcement, citizens begin to argue. Squabbles break out, then fights, and coins scatter everywhere as citizens tussle over who’s had enough and who has the right to more. Without a police force with strong leadership to step in, the fights will only get worse over time. The force will do their best to restore order, but they argue even among themselves on how to contain the fights, impeding the process.

The area around City Hall is quickly dissolving into chaos. It is burying the word "wish."

[ OOC: Will your character step in to help the police? Try to get their own share of the gold as it keeps appearing? Add to the chaos? Something else? Remember: Eyes are watching! For AU characters, if you're interested in something from their OU world popping up that feels familiar, feel free! Just make sure it's nothing too OP. Limit one item! And hopefully your character can grab it before it's snatched up. If you're unsure if something's allowed, shoot us a PM. (Someone's still watching, by the way.) ]

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Clueless as Bolin is most of the time, it doesn't take him long to figure out what's going on with all the shopkeepers. Even though he's in the clear as most people recognise him as Nuktuk and one of the Fire Ferrets (it even helps that Pabu is with him most of the time), he's heard from many people that shopkeepers are starting to withhold goods from the so-called foreigners, as if it were there fault. Well that's not okay; he was poor (poorer?) once, and he knows what it's like to not be able to afford food. And he's not going to let them get away with that.

And so, even though Bolin's not exactly rich, he is going to do his part to help others. He's going to be buying goods—on credit if he has to—and redistribute that to foreigners.

"Here you go," Bolin is going to say with a calm voice. "Those storekeepers are downright, no-good jerks, I know, but it's no use going hungry."

Anyone who runs in with Bolin might find that his stomach is growling a bit more than normal though.

Thanks to fights breaking out in the business districts, Mako's been spending time between cases on patrol. Self assigned of course. It's been a little on the rough side and he has to dust off his uniform. The amount of discrimination that's going on is annoying him to no end.

It's the sight of his brother that's the highlight of his street patrol.

"Hey, bro. What's with all the food?" Out of the two them, it's usually Mako who does the grocery.

Except when he takes all their pro-bending money to gorge himself...

When he hears his brother's voice—and he knows his brother's voice, even without the "hey, bro" part—Bolin swivels about to face him. And yes, his hands are absolutely full with various foodstuffs and accoutrements. There are loaves of bread and sacks of vegetables and fruit as well. "Mako, hey!" he calls out before he wanders over to him.

He has to shuffle a few of the things in order to make holding them a little more comfortable, but once he does that, he gives his brother a look that implies that he knows what he's doing. "Now I know you're going to say that this is probably a little frivolous, and maybe a waste of money, but have you seen all the people who can't buy food from so many of the shops in the city? They can't just go hungry, Mako; I don't want to wish any of what we had to go through on anyone. So I bought some food, and I'm passing it out to people who are having trouble."

That's one way to put it. Likening it to the hard time they've had to go through just to get food has been a perspective Mako's used, but Bolin doing the same and acting on it? That can soften the tightly wound up cop that is Mako.

"That's good of you, Bo. I'm proud of you." Because seriously, his brother has a heart of gold when not being naively led down the wrong path. "We've been trying to catch businesses that insist it's a law to show ID. But other than that, they have the right to refuse service to people." Something that doesn't sit well with Mako. Before he can say anything else the rumbling coming from Bolin's stomach sops him completely, eyebrow raised while he looks from the food to Bolin.

Don't tell him...

For a brief moment, Bolin is going to be the happiest person this side of the Fire Nation. Seriously, his brother's compliments are about the best thing a guy could ever ask for, and he's practically glowing at that. "Oh, whew. I was worried you were going to say that I didn't know what I was doing again. But I'm at least the police are doing what they can... even if they can't..."

And that's when Bolin's stomach decides to intrude.

And that's when Bolin's cheeks go stark red.

Awkward.

"Mako, it's not what you think!"

Correction: It's exactly what Mako's thinking.

Even if they can't. Welp. Close enough, he knows Bolin tried at least.

He tilts his head and raises his eyebrows, practically pleading with his brother. Years, years of being a brother-hen and Bolin still tries...

"That you have all this food and haven't even eaten yet?" He sighs and shakes his head, eyes relaxing as if this is perfectly normal. "You can't help anyone if you can't help yourself. Come on. I'll pick us up something to eat."

Because having your apartment burnt down meant having a surplus of income.

Bolin can't help but feel a little ashamed by the fact that he's not been taking care of himself. The worst part is that he could have asked for help from his friends to do this, but he decided that he wanted to go it alone, partially to prove that he could make a difference. Helping out by volunteering a while back with Asami has really made an impact. Perhaps too much of one.

"But Mako," Bolin protests just a little bit, even if he knows his brother is right, "have you seen how many foreigners are here? And not just from all these otherworldly places either. So many people are here from the Water Tribe and Earth Kingdom, and how can shopkeepers do this to them?"

Of course his brother knows, but really, if Bolin were to try to help everyone in need of help, well... even he doesn't have enough money to do that.

"I'm sorry. I know it's kind of a little too much, but... I just can't stand to see people go through things like we had to, Mako. And I don't really want to be sponging off of you for this, but..."

Mako gives a flat look at 'sponging' and just shakes his head. "You can't help everyone by yourself, Bo." That he needed to get across as soon as possible before his brother went bankrupt. "Take care of yourself first, then worry about everyone else."

Easy advice to give since Mako's usually worrying about everyone else so Bolin doesn't have to. That's how it had always been until they weren't living on the streets.

"Besides, we're working on it. It'll take some doing but the police can't just let people starve because of jerk shopkeepers."

"I know I can't help everyone, but I still want to try sometimes," Bolin says with a weak and flimsy protest. "I mean, isn't this kind of how Korra felt when she was going to save the airbenders, sacrificing herself for the sake of others?" Look at Bolin, he's learned the concept of self-sacrifice... in all the wrong ways.

"I know the police are working on things and that none of this will change right away, Mako," he adds rather seriously. "I really do. But I still want to do my part for everyone. I became really good friends with one of them, so I can't just do nothing." Not that Mako is asking him to step aside, but Bolin is not a man of half-measures.

"Emptying your pockets on everyone and starving yourself isn’t helping Bolin. You can’t provide for everyone." Mako rubs his forehead. "You couldn’t even provide for yourself until we got off the streets. Trust me, bro, I know what I’m talking about."

Says the mother of one.

"There’s got to be some charities you can donate to. Check with Asami, she probably has one." But he’s not letting Bolin go hungry and he motions him to follow to where they could get some quick, hot food.

Says the one who wouldn't really let Bolin take care of himself for a long while. Not that Bolin is thinking that though.

But the alternatives that Mako is providing doesn't sound like all that bad of an idea, even if it's just as dangerous as actually doing the work himself financially speaking. "Hmm, you're right, she probably does. Alright, Mako, I'll make sure to ask her next time I see her."

Nevertheless, he follows along, though it's not long before he pipes up again. "Well, in that case, can we stop by my place first so I can put all this food away first?"

"Good. And tell her I said hey." Because that’s the extent of his social skills.

That puts a smirk on his face. "Yeah, of course." His motorcycle’s not the best vehicle for taking groceries, but it’s fast and he knows the way to Bolin’s place.

"Hop on, and try not to lose anything."

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Unrest Grows

13th and onward - [Open]

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