The plot for this fan-fiction is based of the short live but amazingly hilarious Fox sitcom "Titus," and the episode "The Gift of the Car guy." I highly suggest you check it out. That show is unlike any sitcom out there - cause it straight up gets DARK in it's subject material. If I had to make a top ten favorite TV shows of all time, Titus would be on that list somewhere.
Cover is by Vicky Pandora from her Deviantart page.
And now, onto the show.
Evening Citizens of Republic City (or at least those of you who read the Varrick Ind. Gazett).
With every paper, I always add an editorial piece. It helps to keep the creative juices that kept my empire alive flowing. A man can only hang himself upside down and devour spicy dishes for so long before he has to try something else. These editorial pieces have done a wonder for keeping me - as Asami Sato puts it - "legally insane."
Perhaps I've should've wrote more pieces these past three months.
As many of you readers know, Varrick Industries hasn't been doing so well since the induction of the new spirit portal a year ago. It took a lot of time and money working with Future industries to get Republic City back on track - in my opinion, it was too much money.
For I have decided that this editorial piece will also be a public announcement. For the past 3 months, Varrick Industries has been bankrupt.
A lot of factors are to blame. First of all, our newest mover "Bolin, Hero of the World," flopped like a caterpillar-ant from the highest branch of a leche tree. Part of the reason for the terrible turn out was because of the mediocre special effects; and these not so stellar special effects were due to the limited budget we had to film; and the limit budget was due to the fact that we were spending most of our money on clean-up for the city, new clean energy machines that did NOT incorporate the now outlawed spirit vine technology, and donations to several orphanages and charities established by both Varrick Industries and Future Industries.
Even when I was looking down the barrel of bankruptcy, I still donated to the causes that I felt the little voice in my head deemed morally right. Why?
It's part of a saying my father indoctrinated to me when I was a young man (before the circus people took me away).
"If you want to achieve success, you got to make a bold move."
Perhaps that should be engraved in my tombstone, because every choice in my life (especially the ones within the past three months) have ben bold moves.
But I'm not the only one who made bold moves.
Avatar Aang (with the help of Zuko) created republic city.
Avatar Korra not only kept the spirit portals open, but opted to publicly married her longtime GIRLFRIEND, (congratulations to Korra Sato and Asami Sato by the way. I always said that the only thing sexier than a woman is two of them).
And that saying from my father wasn't just lip service. My father once strapped dynamite around his crotch to score with an earth kingdom bomb specialist.
6 months after that, my mother and father were married.
He knew something that I began to realize when I was growing up (thanks to his advice). If you see something, go after it: no matter what the cost. I remember one time - when I was still a young lad in the circus business (age 17), before selling that first canoe that changed my life forever, that a group of buddies and I wanted to attend a dance club where beverages of all kinds were served (if you know what I mean). Unfortunately, our scruffy attire kept us from even getting in the line.
But I wasn't about to let anything stop me:
Not even the two huge bouncers and the metal chain that they could metal bend to their will.
Guess what? I got IN! I didn't even have to acquire fake ID's for the gang.
All I had to do was stand on the hood of a Satomobile going 60 miles per hour & stop 8.4 feet from the bouncers. My body catapulted itself over the large line of people, past the bouncers, past the front door and I made it inside, where I came to a stop after my head crashed into the bar.
Afterwards, I got up, dusted my shoulder off, cleaned the blood out of my ears, and proceeded to party.
See? I didn't let anything stop me. Not even a concussion the size of three air bisons stacked on top of one another.
Of course, I was hearing nothing but high pitched static for a week.
And that's the point. Sometimes when one makes a bold move, there are consequences. Does anyone reading this believe that Avatar Aang foresaw Kuvira when he and Zuko decided to use Earth Kingdom property to create Republic City? Did Korra foresee the re-emergence of the air benders and Zaheer escaping prison when she left the portals open? Absolutely not!
It's a scientific fact (which I happen to know cause I'm a scientist) - for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.
But when one's ass is on the line, a bold move is in order.
My industry was bankrupt, and we were on the verge of ending up so far in the hole that we wouldn't be able to dig ourselves out of it ever; even with my beautiful wife Zhu Li taking up a secrete job on the side.
A bold move was in order.
*Varrick Industry's Republic City manufacturing plant, Ground Floor, 174 AG*
Varrick never thought that one day he and a former prince would be running away from a demented wife who was chasing after them with a wrench larger than his warship; but that was exactly the situation he found himself in.
With his heart racing at a pace that his fervent legs were keeping up with, he and Prince Wu ran into the Republic City Plant's ground floor. Passing several prototypes of several machines currently being halted in the manufacturing process, the prince and the head of a shipping enterprise ducked from several tools Zhu Li hurled at them. Varrick once called Zhu Li, "a cold heartless war machine," thinking that she wouldn't ever express emotion during the attack; choosing rather to be swift and vigilant in her doing.
That was not the case at all; as Zhu Li was throwing each wrench, screwdriver, and needle-nose plier at the fellas, screaming at the top of her lungs, "GET BACK HERE YOU COWARDS!"
With eyes wider than the excessively large saucers of pancakes Varrick had for breakfast, he and Prince Wu rushed into an office room located smacked dab in the middle of the ground floor. Varrick held the door open and both he and Prince Wu rushed in, and locked the door behind them. Now the only thing separating the boys from Zhu Li's wrath was a shatter-proof window which foresaw the plant's operations.
And what invoked Zhu Li's anger in the first place?
As Zhu Li proceeded towards the boys, with a large wrench in her hand, and she stopped at table which laid directly against the window, placed her hands on it…
…and proceeded to tell the boys why she was angry, with a smile that would make Amon soil himself.
"You know….Varrick….honey," Zhu Li frighteningly referred to her hubby as, pacing slowly and methodically back and forth for the boys. "What I love most about Marriage is the…communication that occurs between partners. Communication is when two people who love each other convey information through words, or gestures, or maybe just a simple smile."
Varrick began quivering in his boots as he realized what he did. Sweat poured down every inch of his body as he thought that his final moments would be at the hands of his angry wife. After all, he did commit the ultimate flaw in marriage: lack of communication.
"And maybe, this communication," Zhu Li continued, "Would help me understand why you, Varrick, dear, why you would-"
and with that she quickly and strongly tapped the table below her with the wrench, causing both Varrick and Prince Wu to jump out of their skin. "-SOLD, MY, SATOMOBILE," Zhu Li screamed.
Silence laid in the air for about 30 seconds.
"Well tiger-seal," Varrick replied, fear evident in his shaky voice. "When you put it like that…it does sound like I did a bad thing."
Zhu Li tapped the table again with her wrench, this time much more strongly, and with a pouting face that would make Lin Bei Fong proud.
Wu hid his face from Zhu Li by burring it into Varrick chest with a yelp and a cry.
"Listen, you're scaring Wu here!" Varrick pleaded his wife with a fearful scream of his own.
Gift of the business bender
"Ok tiger-seal," Varrick announced in a tone that a Raven-Lion tamer would use, while also holding out his hand. "I'll come out, if you put down the wrench."
The angered look that was once on Zhu Li's face had replaced itself with a comforting smile (which in the current context had a completely opposite effect) and mouthed the word, 'ok.' Slowly, she put the Wrenched down on the table in front of Varrick and Wu, and then placed her hands behind her back.
Another 30 seconds of silence abounded.
"…I'll come out," Varrick announced again, "If you back away from the wrench."
Zhu Li flashed another one of her scary smiles, and slowly did an about-face. She paced away methodically from the table.
As Zhu Li walked away, Varrick directed Wu to open the window in front of them. As Varrick went out the door to meet up with his angered-beyond-reason wife, Wu grabbed the Wrench and followed Varrick.
Although Varrick and Zhu Li now faced each other, there was a lot of negative space between the two. The mannerism that both possessed spoke volumes about the current emotional state. Zhu Li had a faux smile that could strike fear into the hearts of millions. Varrick paced back-and-forth on the balls of his feet and looked down at the ground, demonstrating a guilty and nervous tone that was like a child when told by his or her parents to say what they did wrong. Silence came around once more.
"Hi," Zhu Li said quickly.
"Hi," Varrick said quicker, in a way which showed how he desperately wanted to defuse the situation.
Zhu Li closed her eyes and clenched her fist. She was trying to make words but the rage within her body was making it difficult.
"Varrick," she proclaimed in a disappointed tone. Realizing that she still couldn't speak, she let one word speak volumes. "Hi," she said again.
Just like before, Varrick responded with a quicker and nervous, "Hi."
Placing a hand to her chest, Zhu Li fought through the rage and said the first true sentence that she spoke in a calm and reserved manner.
"Help me understand this," Zhu Li exclaimed while looking Varrick dead in the eyes (who was trying to avoid the soul gazing eye contact as much as possible). Zhu Li, as she continued to speak, made steps towards Varrick (who surprisingly didn't back up). "I really want to understand this…you see..I really, really, really want to understand-"
At this point, Zhu Li had gotten close enough to her husband that she instinctually placed a hand on his shoulder. From the contact, Varrick's body went stiff as if he saw a ghost. His eyes even possessed the same wide-eyed fear.
"Don't be scarred," she immediately told Varrick, in the same tone of voice that the 'Hi's' were in.
Although his face didn't say it, Varrick's throat quivered out a, "o-o-o-k-k-kay" as a response.
"You see…" Zhu Li continued, making sure her eyes were locked in with Varrick's. "I need you to tell me how you could sell my satomobile without asking me first." With that said, she backed away, showing that if Varrick would give her a reasonable answer, she wouldn't hurt him.
Varrick, unfortunately wasn't good at social morays, and being so frightened that he couldn't think straight, Varrick tried using his charm to sooth his wife. Unfortunately, it didn't come out as suave as he was hoping for, and instead came out like a desperate attempt to retract the situation (which was exactly what it was).
"Well…" Varrick began with a nervous smile. "…tiger-seal…you were sleeping."
Zhu-Li's face returned to the frown.
"And you look like a spirit when you sleep; so peaceful and tranquil," Varrick continued, this time with a smile.
Imbecile Wu, still holding the wrench and standing away from the couple, interjected into the conversation with, "Spirits don't need Satomobile's Zhu Li. They can fly."
"GIVE ME THE WRENCH!" Zhu Li shouted, not looking at Wu, but holding out her hand towards the former prince.
Frightened, Wu asked Varrick, "Should I?"
"Wu," Varrick grumbled as a definite 'no.'
The heat from Zhu Li's gaze was starting to create smoke clouds off Varrick's face, and it was in that moment that Varrick decided he would have to fess up to his mistake. While it wasn't necessarily a big mistake, Varrick knew that Zhu Li wouldn't understand the situation and felt that if he revealed too much information (at least at this point in time) his wife would shut him down. And so, nervously trying to catch his breath, Varrick informed his wife on why he sold her Satomoblie.
"Well I had this surprise that I was going to give to you, and I was going to give it to you when you weren't so cranky," Varrick explained, with the last part of his sentence going back to his signature Varrick ignorance.
Zhu Li leaned towards Varrick's face, murder clear as day in her eyes.
"AHH!" Varrick screamed as he leaned back. "But!" He shouted holding up his finger. "But, But…"
Zhu Li stood in her spot, face still extended, awaiting for the answer.
"…I guess I'll show it to you now," Varrick stated.
Varrick walked around his wife while Wu followed him. As Zhu Li tagged along, she noticed where they were going. Before them stood a Satomobile unlike any Satomobile Zhu Li had ever seen. For starters, it was long. The front wheel's were easily 25 feet away from the back wheels. And on top of that, while most Satomobiles had the steering wheel and drivers set located at the front of the mobile, the wheel and driver's chair (it only had one chair) were resting right next to the GIANT back tires. In front of the driver was the humongous engine, which spanned the length of the mobile, with giant pipes bending out and up into the air. It would've been a really impressive model…
…had it not been corroded, practically broken down with flat tires, missing pipes from the engine, and basically looked like a piece of crap with no paint job and rusty chrome.
In a normal sitaution, Zhu Li would've laughed at her husband's antics of wanting to make a grand entrance, when he lifted the red rag (that was less than 1% of the Satomobiles size) sitting on the engine, and proclaimed "Ta da!"
Even Wu added to the spectacle with his announcement to Zhu Li, "A NEW SATOMOBILE!" He said in a joyful and cherry voice.
Instead, Zhu Li frowned, and with a tone that would've depressed Eska, she stated, "wow…an ugly Satomobile. yay."
"No, No, No," Varrick said quickly as he ran towards his wife, trying to soothe and comfort her. "It's a funny mobile," Varrick explained.
Zhu Li shot him a look that basically screamed confusion.
"…and an ugly mobile…It's an ugly funny mobile," Varrick explained.
Then with a smirk, trying to make light of the situation, Varrick said, "It's a fugly mobile, ha ha-"
Zhu Li lunged forward like she did earlier. Varrick screamed again.
"But," Varrick exclaimed reassuringly. "But…it's your fugly mobile."
Zhu Li's jaw dropped. "…what?" The former assistance asked in shock.
Varrick did not picked up on the surprised tone, and instead went on one of his well known, happy business tirades. These were the types of rants that made Varrick a legend in the business world. These were the rants that made movers possible.
"Yes Tiger-Seal," Varrick proclaimed with pride. "You're looking at the future enterprise of Varrick Industies. Please let me introduce to you, Varrick drag racing!" He ended the last part with an exclamation of joy, and then clarified, "a sport of my design…and also Wu's - UP TOP OLD SPORT!"
Wu, with a giddy smile, jumped up and exclaimed, "YEAH," as he high-fived Varrick.
Then, with his feet firmly planted on the ground, the former prince started to do the one thing that he tried desperately for so long to make into a career. Wu began to sing: much to Varrick and Zhu Li's dismay as both plugged their ears with the first note.
"SHOOTING DOWN THE ROAD LIKE VAATU'S SON, VARRICK DRAG RACING IS NUMBER 1, WE'RE GONNA RACE YA, WE'RE GONNA RACE YA, WE'RE GONA-"
"Wu!" Varrick shouted, causing the well clothed young man to jump.
Varrick then laid a hand on the guy's shoulders, and while gazing into his eyes, he made something perfectly clear. "We've been over this before kiddo," Varrick stated slowly, enunciating every word. "We…don't…need…a theme-song."
With a sad and disappointed frowned, Prince Wu slouched his shoulders, and walked away and around the newly designed drag Satomobile.
"So you just went off and invented a sport?" Zhu-Li asked her husband in confused frustration. "A sport that involves Satomobiles - i assume - and you don't even have an FUNCTIONING SATOMOBILE! You probably had to push this thing in here!"
"Well of course I had to push it in here. I mean look at this thing: it cant' drive; it's a piece of junk," Varrick replied without thinking or looking at his love and instead looking at the car. He said everything with his trademark Varrick-voice.
Varrick immediately caught himself, looked at his wife intuitively, and held up a finger as he explained himself. "It's a piece of junk that we are going to fix up, make several models of, and start a sports phenomenon that will change the world. Eventually will be able to race this baby!"
He had such passion in this project that he assumed his natural joy would rub off on Zhu Li. But after exclaiming "yeah," in a powerful and victory filled tone of voice, he noticed that his wife had crossed her arms, narrowed her eyelids, and furrowed her brows. It was look he had come to know in the year that they've been married, the "really?" look.
Varrick tried to find a scapegoat. Pointing at Wu, he shouted, "Wu, sing!"
And both Varrick and Wu were off.
"WE'RE GONNA RACE YA, WE'RE GONNA RACE YA, WE'RE GONNA RACE YA!"
All the time that Varrick and Wu sang, Varrick would occasionally reach over to Zhu Li and touch her, trying desperately to make her happy. It was a romantic and cute mannerism. It just reminded Zhu Li more of what made Varrick a good husband.
But she couldn't focus on that right now, as a headache was rising up and rising fast. It was already unbearable to have to deal with the fact that she had absolutely NO MODE of transportation now. She had to get to her job that she took up since Varrick industries starting going under, a job that she requested she HAD TO GO TO ALONE: which meant Varrick couldn't hire her a driver, no matter how many times he offered to do so. Now, she had to sit here and suffer Wu's voice as well. Varrick wasn't exactly tone deaf, but was not a vocalist either.
Eventually, while rubbing her right temple with two fingers, she snapped. Enough was enough.
"SILENCE!" She screamed.
Varrick and Wu went stiff. The room remained like this for another 30 seconds.
Then Zhu Li laughed out of sheer disbelief and confusion. "So, wait," she said in her sarcastic and desperately-trying-to-cling-to-sanity tone of voice. "This is My car, but I can't drive it?"
Varrick then walked over to Zhu Li (who when she was speaking, walked herself over to a tool chest). In a comforting tone of voice, Varrick answered her.
"I know," he replied. "It's complicated."
Zhu Li picked up a pair of bolt cutters. Varrick, without even blinking, placed his hand on top of hers and sat the weapon down.
"Well, she could theoretically drive it," Wu stated. "If she doesn't mind going 1 to 180 in a straight line."
Wu ended his sentence with a laughed filled with tomfoolery. He held up his hand, waiting for the high-five. Varrick turned and singled it off. Then he passed on the pair of bolt cutters to Wu.
As Varrick passed the bolt cutters, Zhu Li, desperately trying to get her husband to listen, stated "Honey, Honey, Honey," several hundred times.
It was when she screamed, "SIR," at the top of her lungs out of old habit, that Varrick snapped his attention towards Zhu Li.
Zhu Li wasn't even sure where the outburst came from.
One thing was definitely for sure, something changed in Varrick. With a growling voice and with hungry eyes, he softly grabbed his wife's hand and bent down to kiss it.
"I haven't heard you call me that in forever," Varrick said with passion in his low voice.
Zhu Li angrily ripped her hand from his soft grasp, and brought it up to smack him. Varrick yelped and jumped up, bringing both his hands up to, like a criminal or fugitive would do to say 'Don't Shoot!'
A brief pause passed between the two as Zhu Li took deep breaths. Then, she softly placed her hand on her hubby's left shoulder.
"Hey," she said calmly. "It's Ok. I know things are complicated. So lets see," she began this next sentence as she looked back down at the tool chest, taking her gaze away from Varrick's face. "How can we simplify this. Well first, we could try to figure out-"
Then, loosing all manner of reserve, she grabbed Varrick's face with the thumb and index finger of her right hand, pushing his cheeks together like a mother would do if they caught their child screaming obscenities, and bringing his face down to her face-level, she yelled, "WHAT'S WRONG WITH YOU!"
Then, still angry, she brought her volume down. "I mean, c'mon honey. We are Married. That means were a team. Say it with me, team."
Varrick replied through his clenched cheeks being held by Zhu Li's hand. "Team."
"And we make big decisions together," Zhu Li added. "Say it."
"Together," Varrick replied.
"Especially big financial decisions," Zhu Li concluded.
"…I know, it's complicated," Varrick answered.
Zhu Li furrowed her brows again. That was not the answer she was looking for.
It's a scientific fact that girls mature faster than boys. But what scientist came to that conclusion?
A girl scientist.
I rest my case.
Looking down at her watch, Zhu Li's day went from bad to worst.
"Varrick," she whined. "I have to be at work in exactly 40 minutes."
"Like I've been saying," Varrick interrupted. "I'll have one of our employees take you."
"They don't work like that," Zhu Li corrected her former boss. "I know you'd like to think they they are just a whole bunch of miniature assistants running around, doing our errands, but you can't work them like that. I have to go to work by myself, and I don't have a SATOMOBILE. Did you give any thought to that?"
Varrick, without hesitation, stated, "Well, I still have my Satomobile, I'll just take you to work myself."
And with that, Varrick rushed out of the ground floor to get his car ready. As he was racing to the door, he heard "NO!" being shouted at the top of Zhu Li's lungs.
The tone of voice is what caught him off guard.
Stopping, he turned around slowly. Far back behind him, Zhu Li had her back towards Varrick, and stood completely motionless.
The thing about the 'no,' that Varrick found so inquisitive, was how it was unlike all the other 'no's' that Zhu Li had stated before concerning this topic. When they had dinner at home, discussing Zhu Li picking up another job discreetly to help dig themselves out of the finical grave, Zhu Li calmly refused rides from the employees like Varrick suggested. He figured it was because if she got rides from employees, they would start asking questions, they would find out about the bankruptcy, one of the employees would spill the beans and the fire-ferret would be out of the bag.
But now, Varrick was offering her a ride, and there was no problem with that. But her tone of voice was much more frantic than it was when he offered the employees to drive her to work. It enticed Varrick's curiosity. Having her so quickly to refuse him giving her a ride meant only one thing -
- something was up.
Varrick walked back towards his wife. When he reached her, he asked a simple question. "Why not?"
Then Zhu Li revealed her face.
My how the tables have turned, Varrick thought.
Before, it was him with the nervous smile trying desperately to diffuse the situation. Now, in this moment, Zhu Li was acting like a fumbling cartoon character in a mini-mover (as Varrick liked to call them). Her nervous and sporadic laughter made it hard for Varrick to interpret what Zhu Li was saying half the time.
"Be-….Because," Zhu Li desperately wheezed out as she backed away from her husband. Varrick followed. "Because…you'll…uh…um" then she turned her back towards him as she desperately thought of an excuse. Then it hit her.
"You don't have the address," she barked out quickly, with her back towards Varrick.
Varrick smiled mischievously. He walked towards his wife slowly.
"But…" Varrick interjected. Between his words, his baffled chuckle came through. "I know somebody who works there…you. So maybe, you could give me directions to the place. Don't worry, I'll wait."
Zhu Li turned quickly, hoping to invoke that fear that she had placed in the heart of her lover a few moments ago. She had everything nailed down perfectly. Her eyes were wide, her voice was loud, she even had her finger pointed.
It was the delivery in her voice that screwed it all up.
"HEY!" She shouted. "CAR NO DRIVE NOT WORK ME! EVERYTHING THINK THAT SOLVES YOU!?"
An awkward silence came about for thirty seconds. Varrick then broke the silence with an all-knowing tone of voice and a smile.
"Something from me hiding you are?"
I've learned a lot about the small ticks and mannerisms Zhu Li has in the year we've been married. For example, when she's lying, "Words not from her mouth flow not good."
When she's hungry…"she angry like bull." and I'll just leave it at that. I have the scars and the multiple broken tea-cups to prove it.
"What are you hiding from me Tiger-Seal," Varrick asked with his signature grin, while also sporting a tone of voice that showed he was very interested in what was going on.
"I'm not hiding honey, I'm right here," Zhu Li, with her nervous tone of voice, nonchalantly replied.
"…What?" Varrick asked confused, hands now on his hips.
"WHAT?" Zhu Li shouted while turning her head, as if she was answering someone off in the distance. Then, with barley a pause, she answered her own fake question that was never heard. "OK, I'M COMING!" Then she walked away from Varrick, completely ignoring and deflecting the head of Varrick Industries line of inquiry.
"…What!?" Varrick asked again, this time more befuddled than before.
"I'M RIGHT HERE!" Zhu Li answered the imaginary voice while entering the office that Varrick and Wu were held up in moments ago.
As Varrick's brain started melting into swiss cheese, someone emerged into the plant from behind him. An all too familiar voice laughed out loud at the sight of the new Satomobile that Varrick was designing. Part of it was because it was so dirty. But when the words were finally spoken, Varrick got a feeling that it wasn't just the degrading design that made the Avatar laugh.
"So you took perfection by my girlfriend's design," Korra exclaimed with a smirk, "and tried making it longer, faster, and stronger just to toot your own horn. Compensating much Varrick?"
Varrick turned to see Korra with the biggest shit-eating grin on her face. He sighed. Korra was an awesome ally to have, but he was starting to get annoyed with her budging into Varrick Industry business. It wasn't like he was going to go back to war-profiteering anytime soon. However, ever since Future Industry started bailing out Varrick industries when the shipping company was going under, and ever since he and Asami began to collaborate and joint-venture projects, Korra was always around pulling his chains. She loved to mess with him. And now that she was married to Asami, she got more chances to do so.
"Not now Korra," Varrick politely commanded as he went around the Fugly mobile to speak with her.
Korra then noticed Prince Wu underneath the machine.
"I've must've left my mind back in the spirit realm," Korra proclaimed, "Cause I never would've guessed in a million years that Wu would ever get his hands dirty."
"Varrick promised me partnership in his new interprise if I helped with the design a little bit," Wu replied. "Plus, it's not as bad as I've always thought it would be. Once you get past the icky grease, it's kind of peaceful: like meditation."
"Interprise?" Korra said with quirked brow, folding her arms over each other. "Does Asami know about this?"
"She's not involved in this project," Varrick answered.
"You're using a Satomobile as the main design, I'm pretty sure my girlfriend has to be aware of what you're doing," Korra told Varrick.
"If I were a carpenter," Varrick answered, "and I built a chair, do I have to inform the first guy that ever built a chair 'hey buddy, I'm using your design?'"
Korra hummed. "Good point there," Korra stated. "No harm no fowl. Anyways," Korra then began to walk towards the office that Zhu Li had entered in just before Korra arrived. "I'm here to pick up some papers that Asami accidentally left-"
When Korra reached the door, Zhu Li opened it; and then two immediately were face to face.
The room turned cold.
"-the…last time….she…was," Korra slowly mumbled; eyes wide. Zhu Li's expression matched Korra's perfectly. They were both full of fear and both on the same wave-length.
Varrick didn't even have to wait when both immediately turned away from each other - cheeks red with embarrassment - to know that something was up.
"Korra," Zhu Li stated quickly like Varrick's earlier 'hi's.'
"Zhu Li," Korra mimicked exactly the same way unintentionally.
Varrick raised his brow with both his arms crossed. Disappointment was one of the emotions he was feeling, but bewilderment and confusion accurately described his facial expression. Silence filled the room again (there was more dead space in the air than that one scene in "Bolin, hero of the world," where the earth bender fought martians).
Then, quickly and out of nowhere…
"OK I GOTTA GO!" Zhu Li shouted.
"ME TOO, BYE!" Korra shouted as well.
Both of the girls were about to high-tail it in opposite directions; Korra getting ready to ride an air-sphere, whereas Zhu Li was going to run back into the office.
But before any step could be taken -
"WAIT A MINUTE! STOP RIGHT THERE!"
Varrick interjected.
Although there was no outer forces at play, both of the girls stopped dead in their tracks. A psychologist would chalk to up to the intense feelings of shame and embarrassment that Korra and Zhu Li possessed at the moment. Varrick walked in-between the two girls, still holding the index fingers on both his hands up.
Varrick then eyed down his wife, and walked towards her.
"I'm going to take you to work, and on the way there, maybe you'll tell me what's going on," Varrick commanded.
Zhu Li's eyes went wide. "No no," she responded rapidly. "You can't take me to work." Then her eyes darted to Korra for a way out. "Korra, he cannot take me to work."
Korra caught on and came to Zhu Li's aid. "Absolutely. You can't take her to work Varrick," Korra forcefully proclaimed. "There's a lot of psycho's out there. She should walk."
Varrick smiled and shook his head at Korra's fast suggestion.
"Korra, you know what Zhu Li is hiding," Varrick said. "She's the love of my life and-" then he turned his head back to his wife, "-you know me, I'm not the type to pry." Then he turned his head back to Korra, "But something odd is going on I feel that I have a right to know what's going on. I want to help in any way I can."
Then he turned his head back to Zhu Li, "I love you Tiger Seal," Varrick softly spoke as he looked her in the eyes.
Zhu Li stared back into his eyes for quite some time. She could see the trusting and caring nature that lied beyond his gracious gaze. But she also knew that what she had to say could mean disaster. She felt that she had no strength to tell him what really had been happening the past 3 months she took up her private job.
But it had to be said, and Korra knew it to, so looking at the Avatar, Zhu Li said, "Korra," as her plea.
Korra looked at the ground, sighed, and then told Varrick what was up.
"Remember when I was talking about how I would celebrate my bachelorette party with Mako, Bolin, Opal and Ginger?" Korra asked Varrick.
"Of course," Varrick replied. "You stayed in the Southern Watertribe for three days and participated in a hunt with your dad, got hammered, raised hell and came back for the wedding "
"Well…" Korra tepidly began. "The fun didn't stop once we got back to Republic City" Korra sighed once more, and then let it all loose.
"It was on the last day," Korra told Varrick, "and we had just docked in Republic City, when Mako - obviously wasted by this point - said that we had to do something else. The night was still young, and I was equally wasted as well, so we started brainstorming ideas. I think it was Ginger and Opal who suggested a co-ed strip club."
* "The Flash in the Pan," strip club. Republic City. 2 months ago*
Korra wasn't in the right state of mind to explain why she wanted to hit on the waitress in front of her so bad. All she knew was that the combination of males and females stripping, with alcohol in her system had became a dangerous combination, and she felt all tingly inside.
Besides, she was the motherf**kin Avatar as she told Bolin and Mako all night. She could get away with anything. She knew the waitresses in strip clubs never took off their clothes, but with a little cash and her signature Korra charm, perhaps she could sneak a peak.
She approached the sexy waitress from behind. The waitress was dressed in a sexy maid getup. Her hair was done up in a bun. The dress was also strapless, so Korra got a good view of her milky white shoulders. Plus the mini-skirt left nothing to the imagination.
Drunk and Stupid, Korra walked over, spilling her drunk, and rubbed her cash across the shoulders of the waitress.
"Hey girl, wanna hear about the time I made a spirit portal?" Korra slurred out.
The waitress turned around a gasped.
Korra's mind was really fuzzy, but she could've sworn that she recognized the waitress. Her facial structure wasn't particular, but the glasses she sported were very peculiar. But when the waitress spoke, Korra was brought back to reality quickly with a crash.
"KORRA!?" Zhu Li shouted in the maid outfit.
Korra's gasped as well. "OH SWEET SPIRITS, ZHU LI?!"
Within three seconds of the stark realization and horror overcoming them, they both were on the same page. Pointing at each other, they shouted the same thing.
"DON'T TELL VARRICK!"
Continues in Chapter two. Dun, Dun, DUHHHAHAHAHAHAHA!