Korra is looking for Jinora on Air Temple Island.
It's been a week since the Avatar returned from the vacation to the Spirit World with her best friend and now girlfriend, Asami Sato. Their romantic relationship started smoothly and Korra has a lot of fond memories of the time she spent in the Spirit World with Asami, but she was a little naïve when their vacation ended, thinking that they would share a life with zero complications. Alas, that was impossible to happen, at least for now.
Republic City is still destroyed, hundreds if not thousands of people were deprived from their homes and their way of living, and even though everyone is making a huge effort to reconstruct the city, the help of the Avatar and the CEO of Future Industries is still required. Korra and Asami have seen each other on a daily basis but only during the brief moments their tight schedules allow them to. Tired of this, the Southern Water Tribe girl wants to invite her girlfriend on a date, but she needs help.
Korra is looking all over the island for Jinora, but she cannot find her anywhere. She wanted to talk to her first thing in the morning, but the Avatar had to attend to an emergency meeting with Raiko, whom needs an explanation on the actual meaning of "emergency", and when Korra returned home, Jinora was missing. Now that she thinks about it, she hasn't seen Tenzin either. Maybe he and Jinora went somewhere.
On the outskirts of the temple, the young woman sits under the shadow of a tree, with her back resting against its trunk, willing to wait for Jinora when a little animal lands on her left shoulder. Korra looks at it and notices it is a sugar glider.
"Hey little fella. What are you doing here?" Korra raises her right arm with an outstretched hand, and the sugar glider jumps onto it, curiously looking back at the Avatar.
"Hi, Korra!" The dark skinned woman raises her head and smiles when she sees the youngest of the airbender girls in the air, descending towards her. Ikki lands graciously with the help of airbending and stands in front of Korra. The sugar glider leaves Korra's hand and flies to Ikki, landing on her head.
"Hey, Ikki. What's up?" Korra has a smile on her face, her meeting with Raiko forgotten already.
"Not much. Dad had to go run some errands and he took Jinora with him. I went to see the sky bison but they were eating and don't want to play right now. Meelo is with Rohan plotting some kind of prank and they are insufferable when they are like that; mom is reading a book while she keeps an eye on them. I haven't seen uncle Bumi for a while, so I think he is sleeping in his favorite hiding spot and took Bum-Ju with him. I was a little bored but I asked Cinnamon Sparkle if she wanted to play with me and she said yes, and after flying and chasing each other, she found you sitting here and then you asked me 'what's up'." Ikki talks really fast but when she finishes there's no sign that she needs to catch her breath. Korra has always wondered how someone so little can talk that much non-stop, though the airbender is not so little now.
"Right, wanna join me here?" Korra pats the spot next to her. "I am waiting for Jinora."
Ikki sits next to Korra, taking care of not moving too fast so Cinnamon Sparkle will not fall from her head. "Why are you waiting for Jinora? You want to talk to her? Is this a spirity stuff that she always says I won't understand or is it something else?"
Korra chuckles. "No, it's nothing like that. It's…" The Avatar pauses and thinks for a moment, Ikki waiting patiently for her to continue. Korra turns so she is now sitting facing the airbender. "Actually Ikki, I have this little thing and I don't know how to handle it. You know I and Asami are dating now and…"
"Aww, yes, you are a cute couple. I was so happy when you told us you were together, that was one of th-" Korra is smiling while she holds Ikki's lips with her fingers.
"Ikki, I need you to listen first so you can help me with this, ok?" Ikki nods and Korra releases her lips. "Well, look. Asami and I became a couple when we were in the Spirit World, but since we returned to Republic City everything has been a little chaotic with the reconstruction and we haven't seen each other as much as we'd want to. I am planning to ask Asami on a date, the problem is that I don't know how to."
"What do you mean? You've been together for more than a month, haven't you?" Ikki's raised eyebrows show her confusion.
"Yes, but we got together in the Spirit World. We spent an entire month there and then we returned home. I want to ask her on a date, not a vacation, but I realized that I've never done that before. How do I ask Asami out?"
"But this is not your first relationship. You've been with Mako too. Mmm. Funny thing that Asami dated him too. Was he that bad of a boyfriend that both of you had to ditch him or-" At this point Korra clears loudly her throat. Ikki stops rambling and smiles sheepishly. "Sorry. You never invited Mako on a date?"
"Well, no. When I wanted to go somewhere with him, I was usually like 'Come on, let's go to Narook's' and that was it. He was not the romantic type either."
"I don't think it's difficult Korra. You just have to ask her. It will be easier because she is already your girlfriend." Ikki says with a big smile.
"But how do I ask her? I don't want to go and tell her 'Let's go to Narook's'." Korra pouts in frustration.
Ikki takes the sugar glider in her hand and starts petting her with the other. "Look, just buy her some flowers and take her to dinner to a nice place."
"How do I know if that would be enough. She is the CEO of one of the biggest companies in the world. She must be used to 'nice' stuff. And she can practically buy anything she wants." Korra pulls her legs tightly against her chest, places her crossed arms on top of her knees and buries her face on them, letting out a small grunt.
"I think she will like whatever you do. She already told us." The sugar glider makes a chattering noise. "See? Cinnamon Sparkle agrees with me!"
Korra's head shoots up faster than Ikki talks, eyes wide in surprise. "W-What?! When d-did she told you?" Korra is nervous all of a sudden. She never had friends to talk to because of the isolation she had to endure in the compound on the South Pole during her training years. That changed when she moved to Air Temple Island, confiding in Jinora and Ikki about her feelings and the like, sometimes gossiping about others as a normal teenager would. In fact, Korra still gossips with the airbender girls when she has the chance, but she never thought it would backfire until Ikki mentioned Asami. The heiress became close with Tenzin's family while Korra was absent, and Ikki and Jinora may have told her whatever the Avatar may have said about her, especially those parts where she is head over heels for her and hasn't been brave enough to tell Asami yet. Suddenly gossiping seems like a really bad idea.
"Once we were talking with her and she mentioned she liked simple stuff when it comes to dating. She told us she was tired of people trying to win her over with expensive gifts and that she preferred honest gestures." At this point Ikki furrows her eyebrows. "She told us most of the people that wanted to date her were conceited and saw her as a prize that they needed to win."
Nervousness forgotten, now Korra wants to kill someone —not really— but the urge passes as soon as it appeared. She needs to deal with her problem first. "Ok Ikki, you know more of this than I do, so I will follow your advice. I don't know which flowers she likes though, not in the physical world at least. Do you think she will like roses? And where do I take her? Almost every place is closed or was blown up by a huge death ray."
"Oh nonononono, roses are too common, give her nice flowers, like daisies, orchids, tulips, gardenias…" Ikki notices Korra's panicked expression, so she just narrows her list. "I think violets will be okay. They are very pretty and I'm sure Asami will like them." The airbender says with a reassuring smile.
Calmer than just a moment ago, Korra nods. "And where do you recommend I take her? There are a lot of places still closed."
Ikki puts Cinnamon Sparkle on her head. "You don't have to take her to a specific place. You can take her to the beach, or the park, or a deserted island, or the outskirts of the city, or the base of a mountain, or the top of a mountain, or-"
Korra laughs wholeheartedly, interrupting Ikki's rambling. "I get it, I get it. You've helped me so much kiddo." The Avatar stands up and raises her arms just a little to both of her sides. Ikki jumps to hug her, startling the sugar glider which flies and lands on a branch. "Thank you, Ikki. I really needed some advice."
"You are welcome, Korra!" Ikki says when she lifts up her head to look at her friend.
Korra squeezes Ikki one last time and then breaks the hug. "I gotta go. I need to find some violets to invite my girlfriend on a date."
"Where are you talking her?" Ikki can't hold her curiosity.
"I think the park is a good idea. But after we decide where and when to go, I'm gonna need help with making some food. You think you are up to it?" Korra raises an eyebrow playfully, a smirk on her face.
"Sure! I'd love to help!" A big smile is on the little girl's face. "But wait, what about Jinora? Weren't you waiting for her?"
Korra laughs again. "I think I got all the help I needed. Thank you, Ikki."
"You are welcome, Korra!" Ikki approaches the tree, grabs Cinnamon Sparkle carefully and starts running to the temple.
Now feeling more confident, the dark skinned woman can't wait to invite Asami on their first actual date. Korra feels very fortunate for having an amazing girlfriend and incredible friends, though she never sees them like that. Korra sees them as family.