It was dawn. By the docks of Republic City, in the silence of the early morning, a tall, sinewy figure dragged his feet down an empty shipping dock. He was tired after another sleepless night and ached for rest of the mind, if it refused him in the body. Over the past few months, this had been his ritual: walking out to the waterfront at sunrise, dangling his feet over the waves, feeling their rhythm and pulse. It was the closest he could come to waterbending, or peace of mind for that matter. The young man sat down at the end of the pier, let his legs hang over and back lay flat against the weathered wood, and closed his eyes. The sensation was beautiful.
Sea air brushing against his face, weaving crisply through the hair of his arms. Water undulating just feet below him, beating against the shore like a heartbeat, his heartbeat. He allowed his mind to drift with the water and carry him to a certain lake, so many years ago. He remembered floating on the surface, bending a bubble of water that encased him, preserved him from the world. Paradise.
"Tahno! What are you doing here?"
That voice. It was familiar, but he couldn't place it.
The man's muscled tightened, jaw clenched. He snapped to his feet and briefly considered throwing up the hood of his cape and making a run for it. Since the incident, Tahno had made every effort to become invisible, to give the world as few reminders as possible of his failure. No one needed to see him like this. But there was no escaping now. And though the last few months had put his pride through a meat grinder, his anger was firmly intact.
"Get. Out," he snarled under his breath. That would be the first warning to the visitor who dared to destroy his morning. But when Tahno's eyes rose to shoot a poisonous glare, he froze.
Standing by the entrance of the docks was the Avatar, that Korra girl, wrapped in water tribe furs and an irritated expression. His temper escaped him and in an instant Tahno was just another lonely man on the docks. Not boiling, not raring for a fight, but cold and tired and aggressively antisocial.
No Korra wasn't half bad, no, he had no reason to greet her like he did, but Tahno wasn't in the mood for small talk. Or apologies. The morning was already embarrassing enough. He made his way past the girl, gave her a half-hearted wave, and started a long walk home. Never mind that he'd left Korra clueless behind him, with a dumbstruck expression that demanded answers. She would have the live with that. After all, Korra was the Avatar, the celebrity, with a blossoming romance (so the tabloids said) and adoring fans. The poor, tortured girl would just have to cope with the confusion.
"It's nice to see you too," she quipped from behind. Ugh. The pest was following him.
He swiveled to face Korra, to say something that would shoo her away. But the minute he saw, her, really saw her face instead of just sneering at it, Tahno realized that would be easier said than done. The girl's hair was soaked and lay flat on her shoulders, lacking its usual spunk. Soaked? That's right. It had been raining, hadn't it? As if to convince himself, Tahno rubbed the leg of his damp pants and remembered what hours of brooding had made him forget: last night's terrible storm. Had she been up all night too? Korra's face suggested it. The girl's skin was paler than usual, a bit too pasty for a waterbender, but he was no one talk. And her clothes, they looked ridiculous even in the early morning. Thick and white, her furs were ready for the artic poles, not a stroll through Republic City. It was all too bizarre to dismiss.
And those eyes. They were the only thing that hadn't changed. Aqua and clear, every bit as bright with hope as they'd been the last time he saw her, before the police inquiry. So she wasn't suffering inside. Whatever circumstances left her looking the way she did that morning, they hadn't reached her soul. Not like his.
"Listen uhh-vatar," Tahno said, trying to ignore the girl's cocked eyebrow and confident stare. It reminded him too much of himself. Well, his old self at least. "Listen. I don't have anything against you. But do I look like I'm in the mood for small talk?"
"No," she countered, irritation quickly returning to her pretty features. "You look like you almost drowned. What happened?"
Drowned. The words sunk in cold and fast. As a waterbender, the waves could never consume him. But now...
It was the ultimate insult.
"You look like you've been drinking cactus juice all night," Tahno fired back, his eyes scanning her to prove the point. "Who's the one worse for wear, hmm uh-avatar?" His taunting sneer morphed into a glare of pure resentment. There was nothing more to say to her.
But Korra knew something had to be said. When the glint of malice dimmed from his eyes, the shame, the self-hatred...they were obvious. She instantly regretted her words and, the second Tahno turned to leave her, Korra slapped her face in frustration. Without thinking, the avatar called a palmful of water from the bay and swirled it nervously in her hands, wishing for something, anything that would heal the wound. Water couldn't fix her problems this time. She let it fall to splash at her feet and ran for him.
"Tahno, hold up!" He said nothing, walking on as if she didn't exist. At the end of the street, the man waved for a cab.
"Tahno, listen to me!"
He was doing anything but. By the time Korra reached him, a taxi was already rumbling up the street.
"TAHNO!" She was beside him now, as close as she dared to stand and doing everything she could to keep from bending. That would only add insult to injury and clearly, there were already plenty of both.
Even with Korra screaming in his ear, Tahno held his temper, refusing to give her the satisfaction of a sneer. At last the taxi slowed to a stop.
He stepped into the street.
"I got him for you!"
Tahno froze, signaled the driver the wait with a haughty flick of the hand, and turned to her. "What did you say?"
"I got him for you."