It's midnight. They all know this because the large clock tower in the city center clangs twelve times. It's cold out tonight, freezing. They had accomplished so much in the last few hours and still felt incomplete. The five of them had set out to find Avatar Korra and while they had freed a number of Lin's young officers from an equalist prison cell they had yet to fulfill their original goal.
There was a mixture of relief and dismay for Lin when she saw her men, sitting impotently behind bars they might have once dominated. They were alive and that was something. Yet, they were dead in a way as well. Completely devoid of their livelihoods and without limbs they had come to depend on. Bending was an extension of oneself- to think of losing it...well, she didn't want to dwell.
The trail had run dry after their face off with Amon's thugs and after they had returned each of Lin's officers to their homes, expressions full of regret, they pressed on. Aimlessly. Bolin had recommended simply flying over the streets on Oogi in a grid pattern to keep an eye out for anything suspicious. The rest of the group gave him a withering look, but eventually conceded they didn't have any better ideas.
It was a full house on the sky bison that night. The earthbender and the Sato girl sat to one side, deathly quiet. The firebending boy with the scarf, stared out anxiously across the city skyline looking rather posed. Lin was grateful for their silence, though she could have done without the tension. It didn't take a detective to realize there was some kind of static between Mako and Asami regarding the Avatar.
She assumed, correctly, that the teens in this saddle remained unaware of the tension brewing on her end. If she had whipped a metal cable forward it would have been stuck in the thick air that existed between her and the bison's pilot.
"Ok, I hate to say this, but I'm falling asleep," Bolin announced, blinking his eyes wildly for effect.
"We can't give up now!" Mako returned sharply. Lin noticed the shift in Asami's demeanor. She recognized it as something she'd felt herself do a million times. With that in mind, she looked over her shoulder at Tenzin.
"I think we ought to drop this one off," she called against the whipping wind. Tenzin turned to her and nodded.
"No, no, no," Bolin protested quickly, "I don't want to stop. I just need an eye opener."
"We can stop off at Sing Tea Shop- they are open late," Mako advised, "But only for a minute."
"Perfect. Sweet, sweet caffeine," Bolin hummed with gratitude.
Oogi landed softly before the small tea shop, taking up most of the space in the street. Each member of the search party slid off his back and to the ground without incident. Sing Tea was a tiny little shop with dingy lanterns and one old man, sporting a headband and a scowl behind the counter.
They ordered quickly at Mako's insistence. He went first, stepping to the side with his arms folded. Asami ordered next and as she reached for her purse to pay, was stopped by Lin's hand on her elbow.
"I'll get it," Lin provided sternly.
"Oh, that's ok- I can-"
"No, it's on me," Lin reiterated in authoritative tone. She felt for this girl who was so clearly out of place in this scenario. There was also a certain amount of guilt involved on Lin's end- considering she had just frozen most of Asami's assets.
She ordered her own tea, green and basic like the earth. Tenzin followed up, with his usual herbal concoction, with no consideration for caffeine. As the group made their way from the shop, Lin dipped her hand into a box of honey sticks, stowing several in her jacket pocket. It was a habit.
They ascended again on the back of Oogi, who seemed as if he could use a little pick-me-up as well at this point. Each member of the search party gripping their steaming cups for warmth. Lin watched as Tenzin uncovered his lid and looked inside the cup, shoulders sloping in disappointment. She had anticipated this reaction and cautiously maneuvered over the edge of Oogi's saddle, settling herself beside him.
"Old habits die hard, I guess," she joked, pulling out the honey sticks from her coat pocket. Tenzin smiled at her, meeting her eyes for a moment that was a little more intimate than either had intended.
"Thanks, honey," he smiled casually, accepting the honey into the palm of his hand. Lin's lips pressed together into a thin line as she fought an amused smile at his accidental term of endearment.
Midway through dispersing one honey stick, Tenzin's head shot up, looking her in the eye. She raised her eyebrows at him and he blushed.
"I didn't mean...well, you know...I just, it was a mistake and you know..." he stuttered as she watched him, smile spreading against her will.
"Old habits die hard, I guess," he repeated her with a sigh.
Lin shrugged, "Guess so."
There was a howl from below.
"Hey! That sounded like Naga!" one of the boys exclaimed, grabbing their attention. With one last look at Tenzin, Lin climbed back over the saddle as they made their descent.