Float in the wind. Change. Adapt. Sway. Be the leaf.
"Y'know you breathe really loudly, right?"
Ignore your surroundings. Focus. Deep breathing. In. And out.
"How does that not distract you?"
Let the words wash over you. They mean nothing and you do not hear them.
"Is your eyebrow twitching?"
"It's really hard to meditate with you talking to me, Lin!" He blurted out, then regaining his composure, "Please be quite."
"You're right, sorry." She said.
Lin watched as Tenzin relaxed his body once more, his breathing even, and couldn't help but stare at his face. As the lone member of an almost extinct race, one could see the weight of his people rest on his shoulders. His face looked years younger, the creases of pressure and responsibility easing away as he fell deeper into his trance, his brow slack with calm. Lin eyed his meticulously bald head, a large light blue tattoo ending on his forehead in a pointed arrow, as is tradition when one of his people masters the art of Airbending. As far as she knew, the same arrow tattoos on his hands joined the one on his head in one continuous line. Tenzin isn't one to take his clothes off. Ever. Not even the top part of his robes could be taken off without his face turning bright red and him making an excuse to leave.
Lin had known Tenzin most of her life, thanks to her mother, Toph Beifong-to most the world's greatest Earth Bender-knowing his father, Aang-The Avatar. Unfortunately for Tenzin, Aang died a few years ago, leaving a bereft family alone and the world without a protector. Lin could empathize more than most, her own mother leaving Republic City to pursue something 'new and exciting. The Triple Triads are boring. I'm tired of bustin' them every other day. I need a new challenge.' She was gone within a week, leaving command of the police force in Lin's hands. She couldn't forgive her mother for abandoning her; a grudge Lin would hold onto for many years.
"Lin?" He interrupted her reverie.
"Huh-yeah?" She said, blinking a few times, bringing herself back to the present.
"Why are you staring at me?" He asked, eyes still closed.
"I wasn't-"
"Lin, I could feel the intensity of your gaze like you wanted to see through me." He said, looking at her now with his stormy gray eyes.
"Sorry, I was thinking..." She said, looking at the shade caused by the tree they were sitting under.
"About what?"
"About-" The loud clomping patter of footsteps cut her off.
"Zin! Zin! Check it out!" His brother, the aptly named Bumi, shouted right before throwing a young turtleduckling into Tenzin's lap.
"Bumi! What the-?" He yelled as the frightened animal flailed and squawked around the prison of his folded legs.
"I caught a turtleduckling!" He said with a large grin, "Moma probly doesn't even know it's-"
The angry screeching of a protective mother turtleduck cut Bumi off. Within a second she was at Bumi and Tenzin's feet, incessantly pecking and flapping her wings at them.
"Give her back the turtleduckling, Zin!" Bumi said.
"It's by your feet!" Tenzin said, pointing at him in hopes of directing the mother's aggression towards his idiotic brother.
With unexpected speed, he grabbed the young scared chick, "Here ya go moma. Here ya go." He said in a soothing tone as he gently placed the turtleduckling in front of its mother. Apparently appeased, the mother gave one last squawk of disapproval before turning around with her child in tow.
Suppressing a laugh, Lin said, "I'll talk to you later, Tenzin. I've got to get to the station."
"Okay, I'll talk to you later." He said with a smile and wave.
"Go get those bad guys!" Bumi added.
Not paying attention to his brother's remark, Tenzin watched her walk away. Her slender frame containing coiled power swaying with each step; square, proud shoulders give her an air of intimidation that demanded respect. He always admired the way her officers regarded her, and the way her long legs carried her confident strides, her slim thighs leading up to her tight-
"Tenzin!"
"Huh-wha? What is it Bumi?"
"Did you hear a word I just said?" He said, then followed Tenzin's line of sight, "Ahhh...somebody have a crush on Chief Beifong?"
"No! That's preposterous! She's just my friend." He said, feeling heat rise to his cheeks.
"I'm sure." He said with a sly grin, "Let's see what Kya thinks."
"What? No!" Tenzin said, failing to mask the panic in his voice.
Not heeding his little brother's complaints and arguments that Kya didn't need to know about Tenzin and Lin's "friendship. And that's all it is!", he sauntered across the park in the direction of their sister.
Kya stood at the edge of a modest pond, attention focused on the water. Letting out a breath, she began to pull at it, willing with her body and mind the liquid towards her. With grace she executed a series of sweeping gestures, bending the water out of the pond into a perfect sphere. Ignoring the loose strand of auburn hair, she remained completely absorbed with the moving and shifting orb. She held the water in place, her hands in a tight formation, circling around each other, keeping the floating circle in constant motion. The force she exerted upon this element couldn't last forever. Kya's mother had taught her this exercise, to help focus and sharpen her mind.
"Kya! Kya! You're never gonna guess who Zin has the hots for!" He boomed.
Instantly her concentration faltered, causing the sphere to explode, droplets of water flying in all directions, some returning to the pond.
"Bumi! What the hell? I was doing a Waterbending exercise!" She said with murder in her eyes.
"Oh, sorry 'bout that." He said with a sheepish grin, "But you gotta hear this."
"What?" She said, eyeing Tenzin standing meekly behind the robust and confident Bumi, "What did you do to him?"
"Me? I didn't do anything." He said in protest, "Honestly, Kya. Sometimes I think you believe I antagonize our baby brother."
"Well, you do." She said, ignoring Tenzin's interjection of his adulthood and being a man in his own right.
"Name one thing." Bumi challenged.
"You threw a rock at him when we found out he could Airbend."
"He easily deflected it, I don't see the big deal."
"He was two!"
Kya was now inches from her brother's face. Two pairs of light gray eyes locked in scorn. Once again, Tenzin had to step in and calm them both down before the argument came to blows, which would often happen.
"Calm down guys. It's okay." He said, "It's already happened. Let's just leave the past in the past-"
"Yeah!" Bumi said, sticking his tongue out.
"Even though it was a very, very stupid thing to do." Tenzin finished.
Kya held a smirk of smug satisfaction. Following his brother's advice, Bumi quickly regained his jovial spirit.
"Zin has a crush on Lin!"
"What?" She said, turning to her younger brother, "Beifong?"
"No." He said, "It's just a misunderstanding, Kya. You see what happened was Bumi interrupted my meditation-"
"In front of Lin, I might add." Bumi said with a smile.
"Was she meditating with him?" She said.
"No, she was kinda staring at him, which was a little weird."
"It was not weird, she was simply thinking and not paying attention to-"
"Ooh! Maybe she likes him too!" She said to Bumi.
"Of course she does!" He said, throwing an arm around Tenzin and cupping his chin "Lookit this mug! Obviously not as handsome as me, but he's definitely a close second!"
"Quit being ridiculous, Bumi." She said, "He's much more handsome than you."
"It's a lie!" He responded, "Besides, it doesn't matter. I'm not the one all googly eyes for Lin."
"As I have said time and time before, Lin is only my-"
"Friend, got it." Kya said, only half listening, "When do you think he'll ask her out?"
"I'm not going to-"
"Hard to say-it's Tenzin after all. He may never ask her out."
"That's true." She agreed, "Lin will probably end up asking him."
"Lin and I-"
"Definitely. We'll have to make sure he looks extra nice next time she sees him. That way she can't not ask him out!" Bumi said, winking at his flustered brother.
"He needs to get rid of that poor excuse of a goatee, that's for sure."
"Hey, Zin just wants to look more like his big bro."
Tenzin slammed his hand against his forehead helplessly as Bumi sang, "Tenzin and Lin sitting in a tree..."
Oh, Bumi-you silly goose! As you can tell this will follow the beginnings, middle, and eventual end of Tenzin and Lin's relationship. Let me know what you all think!
-Z.17-