SEEING
The Soaring Sky Bison was the most prestigious hotel in all of Republic City. Bolin was slightly annoyed that he had his own apartment - there really was no excuse to book a room using the vast pockets of Verrick Industries. Nevertheless, he found any and all excuses to enter the immaculate building while on company payroll - official title: Mover Actor. Job duties: Pristine upkeep of appearance, ability to memorize, and, above all else, the ability to swoon.
He happily jogged up the front steps of the Sky Bison, and allowed the doorman to usher him in with the wave of a hand. Verrick left the latest revisions to a script in his room, and Bolin jumped at the chance to retrieve them. It was the very motion of entering and exiting the hotel that made him giddy. When he stepped down from the large, stone facade, people on the sidewalk moved over. Women whispered to each other, and children stared wide-eyed at what they assumed was a rich and powerful man.
He rode the elevator to the 5th floor and left a shiny coin in the palm of the attendant. Rounding the corner, he stopped short and took a few steps backwards.
Zhu Li stood in front of Verrick's door, fumbling for a key-card as she tried to manage too many boxes. She was not the shopping type - most of them were probably Verrick's. As she pulled the key-card from her skirt pocket, all of her boxes fell to the floor. Zhu Li sighed, and put the key-card between her teeth as she crouched down to pick up her mess.
Bolin had the strangest feeling that Zhu Li's body was hollow - that if you looked into her pupils, you could explore her vacant head, peer down her throat, and examine an empty chest. Or she was full of gears and wires, and secretly ran on steam and electricity, just like Mr. Sato's robotic suits.
The truth was - she scared him. She was not a bender, and he did not recall any hand-to-hand combat skills. But she was emotionless, and followed orders without a second thought. He wondered if she was secretly a slave, and even went insofar as to look through Verrick's desk once, hoping to find some sort of contract or notarized piece of paper that would confirm Zhu Li's humanity - that she did not bend to his every will by her own accord. But such a document did not exist, and her blind devotion to this man confused him.
He watched as picking up one box caused her to drop another. Despite the butterflies in his stomach at the very thought of interacting with her, Bolin's feet took him around the corner and into her field of vision. Zhu Li looked up at him, and her glasses slid down her nose a little. She squinted, and pushed them back up.
"Bolin." She said in greeting.
"Hey, Zhu Li..." His voice hit higher octaves with each word until the question ended in a squeak, "So… Do you need some help?"
"Yes." She quickly stood up and handed him several boxes, until the stack was nearly as high as his head. She slid the key-card into Verrick's door and waited for a low click before turning the handle.
"You can put the boxes on his desk. I will take it from here."
Bolin saw a stack of papers on the desk and assumed they were the missing script. He placed the boxes on the shiny, reflective surface and ruffled through the pages to make sure that he was correct. Satisfied that he had the necessary document, Bolin turned to leave. He noticed, however, three boxes still on the floor of the hallway.
"Do you need help moving the rest of them?" He pointed to the threshold.
"No. Those are mine."
Bolin laughed at what he believed was Zhu Li's dead-pan sense of humor. She raised an eyebrow at his amusement, and he stifled his giggles, "Really?"
"Why is that so hard to believe?" She crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes at him.
"No reason!" Bolin waved his hands in emphasis and walked out of the room before the situation could get any more awkward.
"If you really must know," came Zhu Li's voice as she followed him into the hallway, "I bought a pretty new dress for tonight's mover premiere."
Zhu Li closed the door, and jiggled the handle to ensure that it was locked, then bent down and picked up the last three boxes, "I also purchased shoes and some cosmetics."
Without another word, she turned away from a stunned Bolin, and headed toward her own room.
Zhu Li never doubted herself, and found it quite strange that for the first time in her life, she felt insecure. It was the most minute of all things that had her feeling so negative - a pair of glasses.
Her face looked oddly different without the wire frames. Her own features stood out, and her focus did not immediately center on the bridge of her nose where her spectacles usually rested.
She only needed them for distance. If someone were to wave at her from across the room, she would have to squint to discern who it was, but she was confident that she could go one night without them.
Zhu Li took one last look in the mirror, then shut off the bathroom lights before leaving. The premiere would start soon, and she and Verrick needed to catch their limo to the arena.
Despite writing and directing the mover, Verrick was on the edge of his seat, as if he did not know where the story would take him. Perhaps he was just overly excited at what he had accomplished, and the sheer size of the audience. Many were in awe by his technological masterpiece, and gripped their armrests in anticipation whenever the hero was in peril. None seemed to notice the occasional string or accidental hand that propped up a piece of scenery.
Bolin steered his attention from Verrick when he caught a movement from the corner of his eye. Zhu Li lifted her fingers to rub her temples. She dropped her hands, then squinted at the screen.
Something was amiss. He realized that he did not see any reflections on Zhu Li's glasses. Whenever they cut a scene, Zhu Li would inspect the footage with Verrick, and the light from the projector would reflect off of her lenses. Zhu Li sighed quietly, then excused herself.
Bolin was not quite sure how to proceed. He slipped from his chair without Verrick noticing, and peered behind the velvet curtain that separated their box seat from the hallway. He spotted Zhu Li sitting on a bench, rubbing her temples again. She growled in frustration, and placed her head within her hands.
Bolin noticed the difference in her attire. She wore a simple green, silk dress, with dark green piping and a Mandarin collar. Her shoes were also green, and had a slightly higher heel than what she was accustomed to wearing. The strands of hair that framed her face were curled, and instead of her usual pony-tail, she wore her locks in an intricate bun that was probably held in place by multiple pins. It was strange to see her elbows and legs - she was always covered from head to toe.
Bolin had an interesting thought - if he was still part of the Fire Ferrets, and if he had never met Zhu Li before, he would probably try to woo her with his earth bending.
"Huh," he said to himself. Bolin never once thought of Zhu Li as a lady. He knew she was a person, but her stoic demeanor made him think of a mechanical suit.
Zhu Li looked up at the sound of his voice, and Bolin froze. It was too late to duck behind the curtain, as Zhu Li had already spotted him. Perhaps her vision was bad enough that she could not make out his face.
"Hey, Zhu Li..." Bolin had not fully emerged from the curtain, thinking that in some strange way it would act as a barrier between himself and the woman in front of him - that it could somehow protect him from her death-glare and overall scariness.
"Bolin," she flatly stated.
"So... What are you doing out here?"
"I have a headache."
"I see," Bolin looked up, hoping that, perhaps, he would find an answer to his predicament written among the ceiling tiles.
Zhu Li looked like she was in a lot pain. He frowned a little, feeling sorry for her, and moved from behind the curtain.
"Where are your glasses?" He asked while sitting down beside her.
"Not here."
"Obviously," Bolin said as he rolled his eyes.
"I left them in my hotel room," her voice was somehow softer than usual - not that she was particularly loud - but it lacked that monotone, straight-forwardness.
"Huh. I guess I don't understand why you would do that." Bolin truly was puzzled, and placed a hand on his chin in a very pensive manner.
"It's complicated," Zhu Li answered.
Bolin wished she would elaborate.
"Fine. I can't make you tell me why you'd leave your glasses behind when you so-obviously need them to see, but I can help you get back to the hotel." Bolin stood and held out his hand. Zhu Li took it, and he pulled her up with surprising force. His large hand dwarfed her own, and his strength was never more apparent.
Bolin stayed in the entryway of the hotel room while she fetched her glasses. He heard the bathroom light switch on, and saw the soft yellow glow from underneath the door. Her heals clicked against the tile a few times. When she emerged, she wore her usual wire frames, but her face was oddly crestfallen.
It was then that Bolin had an epiphany.
"Zhu Li... Is this whole situation... my fault? Because I think it's my fault." His eyes narrowed in thought and he gazed at the floor. She could tell that he couldn't quite put his finger on the missing element. He knew he did something wrong, but the offending action was not yet apparent.
Zhu Li crossed her arms, "You laughed at me."
Bolin stared at her, mouth slightly agape, eyes wide. He raised one hand in protest, then dropped it when he realized that he had, in fact, laughed at her.
"Jeez... I'm sorry, Zhu Li. I really thought you were joking when you said you bought all that stuff. I mean, c'mon... You're not exactly the girly type."
"You're making it worse."
Bolin shut his mouth.
Zhu Li sighed and removed her glasses. She cradled them in her hands, and turned them over a few times as if she were inspecting them.
"I'm just starting to realize how tough it is to be invisible," she began, "I spend my whole day catering to someone else. No one really sees me, they just see Verrick, like I'm an extension of his person. And I don't really blame them.
And who would pay attention to me, anyway? You've got Ginger, Asami, and Korra - I'm quite the Plain Jane compared to them. I thought that, maybe, if I ditched my glasses and dressed up, someone would notice me..." She trailed off, and shrugged her shoulders, unsure of what else to say.
"Now, wait a minute!" Bolin interrupted, "You can't start comparing yourself to other people. That never ends well. Trust me." Bolin had little experience with upset women. He knew, however, what it felt like to be ignored, and Zhu Li's plight hit home.
"And what do you know?" She raised her voice, and it sounded slightly harsher than she expected, "You were a Pro-Bender, now you're a mover actor. Everybody loves you."
"I know..." Bolin was quiet for a moment, then sighed. His shoulders sagged a little, and his face turned oddly stern. This was strange for Zhu Li, whose only impression of him was a goofy, clumsy young man who had a really hard time memorizing his lines.
He cleared his throat before he continued, "I know what you mean about being invisible. Mako and I were orphans, and we lived off the street for a very long time. I used to watch other kids with their parents, and I used to think to myself about how great it would be if one of those parents noticed me. But they never did. Mako was the only person who ever cared - ever looked out for me.
I do notice you, Zhu Li. I've always thought you were tough and smart, and the truth is - I'm a little scared of you," Bolin ended his serious tone with a sheepish grin.
"Really?" Zhu Li perked up, and placed her glasses back where they belonged.
"Yeah..." He rubbed the back of his head, "so it just confuses me... Why do you let Verrick order you around so much?"
"I don't think anyone really understands," she started, "Verrick may seem like a total annoyance, but he's smarter than he lets on. His ideas are big, and sometimes useless, but once in a while he comes up with something that could totally revolutionize the world. I have a feeling that one day he will be a part of something great, and I want to be there, too. It sounds silly, but I love the notion of saving the world..."
She giggled to herself, at the child-like desire to be a hero.
"I don't think I've heard you laugh before..."
Zhu Li dropped her hand, "I suppose you're right..."
There was an odd silence. Zhu Li felt a strange burning in her chest. She could only compare the feeling to when they tested one of Verrick's mech suits. The robot was on one knee, and Zhu Li climbed up its body to enter the cockpit. As the robot stood tall, the ground got farther away, and her hands shook despite the excitement.
She knew what she had to do.
Bolin was not prepared for what happened next. Zhu Li was not particularly strong, but when she lunged at him, he stepped back. His backwards motion coupled with her forceful embraced slammed his body against the door. Her arms wrapped around his neck, and her puckered lips latched themselves onto his own.
This was unlike any other kiss. He kissed many young women when he was a pro-bender, and they were all the same - a blushing, tentative girl lifting herself on tip-toe.
Zhu Li was daring and strong-willed. Bolin could not help but close his eyes and let his arms wrap around her waist.
Verrick stood up and jumped onto his chair as the credits rolled. He applauded loudly, and cheered at what he believed to be his best work. He realized his voice echoed in the empty room, and looked from side to side as he ceased clapping.
"Where is everyone?" He asked himself.
He peeled back the velvet curtain, and spotted Bolin and Zhu Li in the hallway. Bolin straightened his collar, and Zhu Li looked into a mirror, a few hair pins in her mouth. She gingerly stuck the pins into place, calming any fly-away strands.
"Why did you guys leave so early?!" he yelled.
Bolin and Zhu Li froze, their eyes wandering to each other, hoping that one of them might be able to conjure a believable excuse.
"You see, sir..." Zhu Li began before she was cut off by her employer.
"The credits are the best part!" he continued, "You can see my name so many times! I love it!"
Zhu Li sighed in relief.