A/N: Written for a prompt on Ficbending and not to be taken too seriously. What if after losing the tournament the Fire Ferrets became a jazz band? I'm kinda playing fast and loose with continuity here. I added Asami later than canon here for very little reason. Asami's awesome.
I was gonna have Lin join as their pianist, but ended up running out of gas.
Enjoy and let me know what you think.
It had been Bolin's idea. Another get-money-with-performing scheme. He and Mako learned a bit of music from the Triads. Both brothers sang for their supper more than once.
As for Korra, The White Lotus believed the Avatar should be trained in culture as well as bending.
Bolin's big hands and steady rhythm worked great for the standing bass. As the strongest, he could hold such a big instrument with easy. He kept the music together just like he was the glue within the team.
Mako's breath control and lean form was better for brass. His thin fingers slid quickly across the valves of his alto trumpet. He led the music like he led their team.
Korra was always full of passion and energy. She could play anything from french horn to piano. Her one true love, however, was the drum kit. No one could hold a beat like Korra. She was the steady power behind the music.
Bolin and Korra liked to get showy when they played, she would spin her sticks around her fingers, he would practically make love to his bass. Mako kept rigid and on-key while they did this.
They started by busing on street corners and in the park. Quite the crowd gathered as they tuned out the equalist rallyer with their sound.
Jazz. Smooth, steady, and key to get people dancing.
Plus, the money was easier than the tournament.
When people stopped them on the street they asked about where they'd play next as opposed to whom they were fighting. The celebrity of music felt nicer than that of sport. More love, less violence and competition.
The weirdest thing happened, speaking of the competition.
"Hey Uh-vater." Korra started at the voice.
Tahno, looking less disheveled than when she last saw him gave a little wave.
"Listen, I heard you guys play the other day and thought you might need a banjo player."
"I don't know Tahno, I'll talk to the guys."
"Absolutely not." Mako said over noodles.
"Yeah, Korra, Tahno's a nasty dude."
"Come on guys, he's just as bored as we are. He doesn't have his bending anymore. We should at least listen to him play. We were just saying more players could give us a bigger sound. Clubs would let us play there if we had a full ensemble."
Mako sighed through his nose. Bolin slurped noisily with a frown.
"We'll listen to him play, no guarantees."
"Wow Tahno, that's amazing." Korra gaped.
"How did you learn to pick like that?" Bolin asked.
Tahno flushed and brushed his limp hair back. He muttered something about his family and learning it from his uncle Euclid.
Mako warmed up to the idea as soon as they started playing as a quad as opposed to a trio. The addition of a banjo definitely gave them a bigger sound, but it needed more melody now.
He was leaving the gig when a girl stormed up to him. Bolin and Korra had left to go dancing and Tahno slumped away with a few girls.
"Can I help you?" He asked.
The girl took a deep breath before saying, "You need a clarinet in your band. The saxophone and banjo comination make it too twangy. The clarinet would smooth out the sound."
Mako frowned, a little weirded out by the girl's advice. However, she was pretty and seemed to have money.
"I'm Asami. I play the clarinet."
"Mako. Trumpet."
"I know."
He blushed, obviously she knew.
"Do you wanna come by Narook's tomorrow morning and show us how you play?"
"It's a date." She said and mounted her Sato-cycle.
"Date." Mako said into the silence.
Asami was good. No, she was excellent. It was kind of adorable to see her powdered cheeks puff out as she played the clarinet.
Bolin and Korra elbowed each other excitedly as she played. Mako sat in an infatuated silence. Tahno hadn't showed up, probably sleeping off the girls and booze.
Asami gave a little curtsy at the end of her set.
"Welcome to the Semi-Pros, Asami."
"Great! My dad has connections, he can get us a gig at the Cotton-Ginny."
"Get out of town!" Mako shouted.
They all turned to snicker at his outburst.
Playing on a proper stage made them nervous. They had done nothing but practice for the past three weeks. Tarrlok and Tenzin were getting annoyed at Korra's constant absence from her bending practice and task force duties.
No new from Amon so far. He seemed rather confused by the whole jazz thing. She was surprised he wasn't tearing her down for having a party lifestyle and low morals. Maybe Amon was a music lover.
Mako was adjusting Bolin's tie and watching Asami out of the corner of his eye. Her hair was done in loose, fat curls. She wore a feathered headband and loose dress. She was pacing and making hole placements with her fingers.
Tahno had shed his suit jacket in the car and now sat with his sleeves rolled up and his tie untied. A fedora was titled sideways on his head. He liked to still think of himself as the group's sex symbol, thus he put as much time into looking like he didn't care as possible.
Korra looked goofy with all her curves and muscle stuffed into slacks and suspenders. The suspenders made wide detours around her breasts and were more for decoration than keeping her pants up. She was tapping a spat-clad foot to the beat of the current group.
After setting up Korra gave a little greeting.
"Hi everybody, you may know me as the Avatar, but here I'm just a drummer."
"Just a drummer." Bolin scoffed.
They were good at witty banter. She stuck her tongue out at him and thanked the owner for having them. Then she thanked and introduced their newest member, Asami.
The song they started on was a slow, clarinet-led piece with no drums. Korra played piano for the first set.
By their first break the club was hopping. Korra was getting herself a Nehi when she bumped into a familiar face.
"Tenzin! What are you doing here?"
"I wanted to see what was more important than your airbending training. I must say, I'm impressed, you kids are quite good." He stroked his beard.
"Speaking of kids..." Korra looked around.
"We-ah left them with the acolytes tonight. Thought I'd take Pema on a proper date." He blushed.
"You ladykiller. Well, don't let me hold you up."
Tenzin left in a cloud of grumbling and a flap of his robes.
As she moved back through the crowd she noticed the mix of fans gathered around tables. Benders and non-benders were sharing booze and conversation in the easy atmosphere.
As she hammered a beat out on the drums that evening, Korra though that she might be able to bring peace through music rather than bending.
Take that spirituality.
Her eyes unfocused in the trance of playing. In her mind swirls of yellow and orange danced along to the music.
"Good job, Korra."