NOTE: TO THE PERSON WHO LEFT A REVIEW ASKING IF THEY COULD TRANSLATE THIS TO RUSSIAN, IF YOU SEE THIS-YOU DIDN'T SIGN YOUR REVIEW, BUT THE ANSWER IS YES. In fact, please translate this to Russian. I would appreciate it greatly!
Disclaimer: I do not own Tahno, Korra, or any other element of Legend of Korra you may find in this story. It was written purely for my own amusement (and I'm sharing it with you!). Please enjoy!
Most of my fanfictions are written from prompts received on my rp tumblr account, freshkorra. If you would like to request a prompt, please go there or private message me directly here. This story, however, was not written from a prompt.
All reviews are welcome and appreciated! Constructive criticism always desired!
Tahno was having a hard time believing he was at a charity event, even with his ulterior motives. The idea of him donating money to charity was somewhat laughable.
But then again, the money he was donating was buying him a date with the Avatar.
That's right. It was a charity auction for a date with Korra. Tahno didn't even know what the charity was. It could have been a charity for the Equalists for all he cared so long as he got a date with Korra.
"And our final date auction for this fine charity is for none other but the Avatar herself. Shall we start the bidding at 20 yuans?"
"40!" Tahno called immediately, impatiently, raising his auction card.
"50!" "65!" "80!"
And the bidding war began. After his initial bid, Tahno held back until it slowed down at around 500 yuans. Tahno was impressed, but not enough to hold back from bidding.
"550 yuans," he bid after a slight pause.
"575," his competitor raised. Tahno watched as Korra searched for his face, his mischievous grin as he raised it again;
"600," he said confidently. He saw the recognition wash over her face when their eyes met.
"615," his competitor challenged.
Oh, he'd gone down in his raise; he was growing less confident. Tahno grinned wider, and Korra's face paled slightly.
"675," he said, eyes locking with Korra's. Silence fell over the room, and Korra slowly glanced toward Tahno's challenger. The hope on her face was crushed, and Tahno knew he had won.
"The date with Avatar Korra goes for 675 yuans! Thank you, sir," the auctioneer announced. "That concludes our date auction for the organization for—" Tahno tuned out as he stepped toward the auction table to pay his bill and collect his prize of sorts.
"Why," Korra demanded in a half-statement when she met Tahno at the auction table.
"Because I wanted to and I had the money to spare," Tahno answered with a shrug.
"Why did you want to?" Korra specified.
"Shhh," Tahno said, placing a single finger against her lips, still pouted slightly from the end of her sentence. "Later, sweet." Her face flushed with anger, and Tahno pretended it was flushing from a different emotion.
Their date was scheduled for the next evening. Tahno made sure to dress to the nines (as his grandmother would have called it), and he bought for her a single, yellow rose. He really wanted to impress Korra. This wasn't some plot to get her to join his probending team or leave the Fire Ferrets. He genuinely wanted her to like him.
He arrived five minutes early to the downtown restaurant that the charity had reserved for them. Korra showed up ten minutes later.
A smile spread across his lips when he saw her. "Korra, you look lovely tonight," he said, displaying the flower for her to take. She eyed it with a suspicious glare, but took it anyway. Albeit roughly.
"So you never told me why you wanted to do this," she said.
"Because you're worth it," he answered and offered the young girl his arm. To which she rolled her eyes and walked over to the man at the podium.
"Table for two, please," she requested, and they were seated immediately.
Tahno smiled at her as he sat down across from her at the small, intimate, candle-lit table. "Lovely atmosphere, isn't it?"
"Actually, the low light kind of makes me nauseous."
"You can order whatever you like," Tahno offered, trying to maintain a smile despite Korra's sour mood and utter disregard for every genuine and kind move Tahno made. "I have more than enough to cover it all."
Korra raised a challenging eyebrow as if to ask, You sure you wanna go there, buddy?
To which, Tahno's smile responded, Try me.
And so, when the waiter came, Korra smiled sweetly at him, "Can I have a tail of the finest porcupine-lobster you have? Oh, and a steak. Your best steak. I don't even care what animal!" She laughed lightly, handing the waiter her menu.
"And to drink, madame?"
"Ohhhh, how about… a warm cup of chai tea, a glass of platypus-milk aaaaaand water," she added.
Tahno smiled, shaking his head slightly as the waiter turned to him. "I'll have a salad."
"Lightweight," Korra coughed.
"With salamander-squid ink dressing," Tahno added. "And I'll be fine with a cup of chai."
"Right away," the waiter said, taking Tahno's menu and heading off.
"Just a salad? Really, Mr I-Can-Pay-For-Anything?" Korra asked.
"Well, I figure with the size of your porcupine-lobster tail and that steak, you'll need some help… finishing," Tahno teased in response. Korra glowered at his choice of words. "We can share food; it'll be so cute!" Korra's glower darkened.
That's when Tahno gave up. He sighed, and his face immediately fell. "Korra, I'm really trying and being genuine here," he began. "I don't know why you can't understand that I legitimately like you and just want you to see another side of me." Korra's eyes widened, even as a confused scowl settled on her forehead.
"But—"
"No buts, Korra," Tahno argued. "I know we got started on the wrong foot, and we're not necessarily in the best position to be involved, per se, but that doesn't mean it would be impossible. And that's not even what I'm asking for! I just don't want you to hate me."
Korra nodded slowly, and Tahno thought he saw understanding hit her face.
A slow pause hung between them, tension and desperation thick in the air. Tahno knew Korra was stubborn, but he could swear she was breaking under his earnesty. And finally, she broke, along with the silence;
"So why ayellow rose?" she asked, hesitantly enjoying the scent of the flower. "Why not a red one?"
Tahno smiled.
"Because yellow represents a promise of new beginnings."
A/N: I've been told that yellow represents more of a friendship kind of promise of new beginnings. Not sure if you noticed, but he kind of expresses that he means just as friends. He says "and we're not necessarily in the best position to be involved, per se [...] And that's not even what I'm asking for! I just don't want you to hate me." So, yes, the friendship promise of new beginnings fits just fine. He knows he can't have Korra like that, so he's not trying for it yet.