Couples Therapy
Below is my earnest attempt to write a follow-up to Couples Therapy. I will do more editing, but at this point I'm going cross-eyed re-reading it so this is it for now.
The Dinner Party is a prequel to Couples Therapy. Enjoy!
Chapter 2. The Dinner Party
Three weeks Earlier
His eyes were glued to the remote dimple on the side of her cheek. It was his way of containing the boyish grin that illuminated his face when she spoke. He stared adoringly, until Jinora's hand found the top of his. Kai stepped forward and he took a fortifying breath.
"Ladies and Gentlemen, thanks for being here this evening. As you know, this year on my eighteenth birthday, I will be receiving my Air Master tattoos. What you don't know is that I've asked Jinora to marry me... And she, said Yes! Friends, Family, Brothers and Sisters of the Air Nation. We would be honored if you helped us celebrate, the first formal engagement of our reformed nation. With Tenzin's blessing, he has declared today a National Holiday, so let's party!"
Jinora pulled him into a kiss that stained his skin with a faint blush. The room erupted in congratulatory cheers. Kai felt a specific set of eyes on him, and found his mentor in the crowd. He tipped his head to acknowledge Tenzin, who in turn, returned the gesture.
In recent years, Kai had taken it upon himself to work with Tenzin, to incorporate an element of fine arts into their traditions. He organized a cultural committee to explore the artistry of air. As a result Meelo formed a Wind Quartet that explored the relationship between air and sound. Pema taught a vegetarian cooking course, that expanded their culinary options. Uncle Bumi used ancient scrolls to recreate beverages such as authentic Air-Wine and Bison-milk Vodka. These efforts made the engagement more than a party, it was an open house event.
Kai watched the room transform as long accommodating tables set up, and Uncle Bumi's first barrel of wine was tapped open. He sighed, his contentment. There was love in the Air, on Air Temple Island.
Asami found herself seated at a table with Bolin, Opal, Mako, Prince Wu, and Korra. Having not set foot on the island in years, she was impressed by the fruition of post war changes. Life for the CEO, picked up when the city contracted with Future Industries to reconstitute the roads. Council meetings enabled communication between Tenzin and herself, however, over time they agreed to less. After, Prince Wu joined the council, he tipped the balance of power by siding with her on all issues. Asami's relationship with Tenzin dwindled into stiff courtesies, which made being at the party nostalgically uncomfortable.
The heiress took a sip of wine, and cringed. With just an ancient text to go off, the air acolytes zigged, where they should have zagged, with their inaugural batch of Sweet Lychee-Plum wine. To her right, Korra was entertaining a group of young air-benders with Avatarian stories. It took a few seconds for her to recognize, Korra was telling the tale of their escape from the Earth kingdom desert. Except, her rendition was senseless, as she omitted the part where Asami built a sand glider. By Hand. From scratch. With no tools.
Korra's hands animated the action as she spoke. "So then I blew Asami, and the earth kingdom guards to safety using my awesome and completely mastered air-bending skills."
She took a swig of wine not bothered by the taste.
"And that's why you always pack fish jerky Togo. Cuz in the desert you just can't get any." The avatar finished her story, and nodded to the air acolytes for questions.
Asami decided it was time for a bathroom break. She weaved quietly around the outskirts of the room, and slipped out a side door. It led into an arched terrace that wrapped around the perimeter of the stone temple. She strolled until the sounds of the party were eclipsed by the waves clashing against the bluffs below. There were misshapen boulders sectioning off what appeared to be a very steep drop into the ocean. She maneuvered away from them, unsettled by the lack of building code safety being implemented. The rough architecture made her hesitate for just a second, before placing her hand-beaded Mother of Pearl clutch atop a loose boulder.
There was a great deal of water tribe rituals she refused to partake in such as: naked ice sliding, penguin nesting, and polar poop whittling. However, the ancient art of Seaweed Smoking, was one Asami fully embraced. She embraced it: In the seclusion of her office. Shaving her legs in the bathtub. After council meetings with President Raiko. And sometimes (when it happened), after sex. It was odd, how when having sex she wanted to smoke, and when smoking she wanted sex. If she could popularize it in Republic City, she'd make a killing.
The tin metal container slid apart revealing her thinly rolled smokes. The heiress had modified the traditional style of smoking by wrapping it in parchment made of rice straw. Her mouth watered for the taste of ocean herbs, and the northern opiate known as, Semah. She plucked a smoke from her case and brought it to her mouth. Then skimmed her fingers along the bottom of her handbag for her purse-friendly, Future Industry blow torch.
He held out an inflamed finger. "Would you like a light?"
Asami dipped the point of her smoke over his flame, inhaling until a ring of ash began to spread.
"Thanks Mako." She could sense the stress leaving her shoulders with her first puff.
"You could thank me by sharing." He said smugly.
Of all the people in the party, he was the one to find her? She contemplated the coincidence, there wasn't one.
"I could..." Her lips curled, as she exhaled smoke into his face. "But isn't it enough that you slept with my girlfriend?"
He coughed. Waving off the cloud in front of him."You know what I mean."
She took another puff, and handed him the smoke.
The fire-bender pinched the parchment to his lips. "Yuan for your thoughts?"
"Can you afford them?"
He reached into his money clip for a newly minted Earth Kingdom bill.
Asami held up the crisp greenback to get a better look.
"Is that Prince Wu?"
"Yep."
She passed the money back. "You can keep it."
"You don't want to buy Korra something special?" He teased.
Asami's thoughts turned to the Cabbage Thunderbolt motorcycle sitting in her garage.
"I don't think you can buy someone common sense."
Mako snickered. "Careful Asami, your bitch is showing."
She took another long drag, finishing off the last of her smoke.
"My bitchiness didn't stop you from dating me."
"That's because you were very rich, and I was very poor."
Asami flicked the stub of her smoke at Mako's feet, causing him to jump.
"Right, now you have Wu." She said shortly. Then stuffed her clutch into his chest, "Hold this."
The clasped "clicked" apart giving him a glimpse inside her purse. She slapped his hands away from her vial of, KiKi Channel Spirit No5.
"Do you want some?" Her voice dropped. "It's like "woman" in a bottle."
The air filled with droplets of perfume as she spritzed him down.
"Will women find me more attractive because I'm wearing your perfume?"
Asami dabbed a petite amount of perfume on her neck and wrist.
"Korra might be attracted to you." She grinned evilly. "But then, you don't have boobs or look like me. So, I doubt it."
Mako pouted.
"Asami, sometimes I think you're a nice person, but then you talk."
She flipped her hair dramatically like a mover star posing for the camera.
"Do I smell like smoke?" She asked in a breathy voice.
He shifted to sniff the exposed part of her neck.
"You smell like burnt Spirit No5."
Korra watched Asami laugh easily, as Mako said something just beyond her hearing. Since when was Mako funny? She crept up on them, air-bending to avoid detection, and witnessed Mako sticking his face in Asami's neck. Why were they smelling each other? Her eyes fell on the discarded ashes on the floor. With a "whoosh," She air-bent the bits of paper, into a palm-sized tornado.
Asami felt a breeze, and scanned past Mako to catch sight of Korra approaching.
She plastered on an unassuming smile. "Hi Honey."
The avatar dipped her head cordially to Mako, and fixed her gaze on Asami.
"Did you have a good smoke, Honey?"
The heiress cowered. "I did, thank you. Sweetie."
Korra nodded calmly. "It looked fun from afar."
Asami took a deep breath, and willed herself to stay calm.
Not one for passive heresy, she asked. "Korra what's this about?"
The avatar snorted her annoyance. "Where I'm from smoking out of a whale-fin pipe is something couples do in the privacy of their bedroom. Now my father, "The Chief" gave you 'Semah' as a gift. And you've wrapped it in this hideous paper, and used it... With Mako." She grimaced at the fire-bender, and recovered her thoughts. "At home, I'm considered a princess, and although we're not married, dating me makes you my consort. If anyone with water-tribe blood, and half decent breeding saw you smoking with another man, it would look like you were being..."
"... Whorish?" Mako offered.
A thin smile spread across her face.
"He said it." Korra said coldly.
The heiress found it ridiculous that she had to assure her.
"Honey, you know there's absolutely nothing like that happening."
Korra arched her brow. "You said, you were going to the bathroom, but here you are." She poked her thumb at Mako. "With him."
"I don't need you to keep tabs on me."
"I wasn't keeping tabs on you. Dinner is starting, and I thought to myself. Man, I bet Asami's hungry. I WAS BEING THOUGHTFUL. Geez, give me credit for that."
Asami huffed. "Korra, I'm not a bank. I don't give out credit. Why do you always say that?"
The avatar inhaled her frustration, and tried her best to explain it. "It's so later when you are mad at me. I can remind you I have credit!"
"You mean like 'less-mad' credit?" Mako interjected.
"Exactly." Korra snapped her exuberance.
"This is stupid." Asami insisted. "I shouldn't have to hold off on my anger because you have credit."
Korra looked at her like she was crazy. "I'm not giving up my credit. That said, I'd like to use it now to tell you. This stuff you've been smoking, isn't good for you" She counted her reasoning off on her fingers. "One. It makes you cranky, which is like terrible for me. Two. It makes you stink."
The heiress started to object, but was cut off.
"You stink Asami. Don't tell me you don't, cuz you do." She nodded to Mako who concurred.
"You're a very stinky woman, Asami." He stated.
Korra continued with her reasons. "Three. It puts you in an altered state of mind, that's-that's- never good. And lastly, this is just my hypothesis, it's highly addicting."
Asami scoffed indignantly. "Spirits Korra. Your father, "The Chief" said that smoking would relieve my STRESS." She rubbed the tension from her eyes. "And currently, you're not helping it."
The avatar had heard the "Stress" argument before and was ready for it.
"That's just what married tribesmen say, so they can have an excuse to pass the Whale pipe after dinner."
Asami didn't know how to be more clear. "As long as I'm dating the most stressful person in the entire world, the semah isn't going anywhere. So if Tonraq says they're good, they're good."
Mako took a tentative step back from both women. "I think it's great that you have each other... I'm just glad you both are..." He scissored his fingers together. "In love."
Korra and Asami stared at him dumbfounded. Then both said. "Shut up Mako."
Having no desire to end up on either women's bad side the fire-bender retreated back to the party.
Korra attempted to collect Asami's arm.
"Let's go, dear."
"Right," Asami stopped. "I need to attend to my consort duties."
She pleasantly yanked the untied strings around Korra's collar. Then twisted them together, manically cutting off her girlfriend's airways. She yanked both ties again to make a perfect bow, and adjusted Korra's water tribe necklace on the outside of her blouse.
"There all better, dear."
Dinner was a vegetarian buffet, set up toward the back of the ceremonial hall. Meelo's quartet played airy covers at half tempo, effectively turning lively tunes like, "Bender under the Lotus Flower" and an "An Equal-ish Party" into lullabies. Asami was too miffed to dance with Korra, and Korra too pissed to ask her. They sat next to Jinora who was driving them crazy with wedding talk.
Jinora gave the Asami's hand a reassuring squeeze.
"Between you and me, when I throw the traditional flowers from the air-bison. I will be definitely aiming at you. I'm sure Korra's got some water heirloom hidden away for you. Don't worry, it will happen."
Asami swished the liquid in her glass. "Actually, I'm more of a consort. Which is what really? A glorified mistress?"
The air-bender, had no idea what she was talking about.
"Kai and I want to have five or six kids, back-to-back. I want to be a young mom."
The heiress hugged her womb. She would choose repairing Republic city roads, over the burden of repopulating a nation any day.
"Seriously, when you think of the word consort. Do you think whore?
Jinora gave it some thought. "Why can't you just both be princesses?"
"That's what I want to know." Asami reflectively sipped her wine. "Do you think it's cuz I gave it up before marriage?"
The younger girls entire face flushed. "I'm, I'm, sure the Avatar has noble intentions."
Asami sighed into her drink. "I'd be an awesome snow princess."
Jinora had to agree. "You would be the best."
"Hey, you want to be best friends?" The younger girl asked.
Asami shrugged. "Sure."
"Will you help me make fashionable choices about the wedding?"
"Absolutely."
"Can I borrow an extended Satomobile for the wedding?"
"If you name a kid after me, I'll give you one free."
"Cool." Jinora giggled. They clinked glasses.
Korra was partly wasted, partly angry, mostly tired. Her girlfriend was talking about boring, unpleasant things that annoyed her. The voices around her were so silky smooth. If she could tilt her head "just so," nobody would be able to tell she was sleeping. Should anyone ask, she'd claim to be communing with Aang. She closed her eyes for an indiscernible amount of time.
"Clink"
"Clink"
"Clink"
Tenzin stood in the middle of the room, tapping the side of his glass with a knife to gain everyone's attention. The Master Air Bender expressed his thanks to all in attendance that evening. Then, with stoic grace toasted the couple's union.
"In marriage there are no manners to keep up, and beneath the wildest accusations no real criticism. Each is familiar with that ancient child in the other who may erupt again. We are not ridiculous to ourselves. We are ageless. That is the luxury of the wedding ring." He finished with a bow, and was met with thunderous applause.
Tenzin called on Korra, to say a few words to the couple. The guest clamored excited for the Avatar to speak. Asami could tell by the trajectory of her head, and the way her breaths fell. Korra was asleep.
She nudged her girlfriend's supporting elbow out from under her.
Korra face planted into the palm of her hand. "Yes, dear. What's happening?"
The heiress could not bring herself to bail out her girlfriend. She was reeling from their earlier spat; if she was miserable, Korra should be miserable with her. She whispered the one thing that would wipe the lopsided grin off the avatar's face.
"Honey, Tenzin wants to know your thoughts on the spirit vines."
The avatar's change in demeanor was instantaneous. Korra muttered a string of curses under breath. Then held up her wine glass prepared to mother-tongue the issue.
"So what if the vines are a hassle? You know what is a real hassle? Everyone is dead because a uterus-shaped spirit named, Vaatu, DECIDED TO TEAR SHIT UP." Her fist pounded the table causing the utensils to jump.
She gazed around the room, quickly discerning the tension. Nobody was angry about the spirit vines, except for her. Based off the horrified expression on Tenzin's face, Korra determined she had been duped.
Mako calmly leaned across the table, and brought it to her attention that she was supposed to toasting Jinora and Kai's engagement.
She mouthed "Oh," and slowly rose from her seat smoothing out the creases in her Water Tribe pants.
She didn't bother to look at Asami, the woman had an iron-clad poker-face. Instead, Korra casually placed the tips of her fingers on the cedar-wood table, and used her earth-bending abilities to pick up the vibrational frequency of Asami's wine glass. She knocked on the table, sending a subatomic jolt to the glass itself. The glass tremble like it was possessed, then shattered, or rather decombusted over her girlfriend's dinner plate. Effectively, leaving the heiress, dumbstruck as a stream of wine trickle off the table and dripped onto her heels.
Bolin attempted to laugh through the tension, and was smacked silent by Opal. Tenzin carefully offered to forgo the speeches, but Korra halted him.
She gave her audience a playful half-grin. "So, how about that toast?"
Then plucked up her glass wine, and turned to face Jinora.
"As I was saying about, Vaatu. The world was on the verge of ending. Personally, I was getting my butt handed to me because Vaatu, was a selfish, manipulative, jerk. Things were terrible until Jinora showed up and saved the day. You know why she's amazing? Because she knows how to compromise and listen to other people. She's not a habitual line-crosser, and she's respects other people's culture. And then there's her love for Kai..."
Korra could feel her oratory juices flowing.
"Vaatu and Raava. They are the cycle of life itself, but every ten thousand years they destroy each other. It's like the great Avatar Wan once said. The karmic relationship between Vaatu and Raava, wherein nurtured is the vessel life force of both spirits, they create the future of mankind in body and thought. Thus marriage is the Karmic cycle; when you fall out of love, or your partner falls out with you, it keeps you together until you fall back in love again. Congratulations Kai and Jinora, I hope your union is karmically lasting." She finished with a glare at Kai. "And if you break her heart Kai, I'll use the avatar state on your ass."
Tenzin held up his glass. "I'll drink to that." There was a sprinkle of cheers as the guest toasted.
After the toast, Asami immediately headed toward the designated kitchen area to clean herself up. She bumped into Pema before reaching the kitchen.
Her voice softened. "Thank you for dinner Pema, everything was completely delicious."
Pema handed her a rag dipped in a concoction of salt and vinegar to lift the stains.
The older woman patted her shoulder emphatically. "Going through a rough patch?"
Asami laughed. "It's more of a thistle bush." She excused herself, and entered the kitchen closing the door behind her.
Korra checked the time, it was already passed eight o'clock, in a couple of hours they would go home. If she had to rate her girlfriend's rage, she would give it an eight. Which was not bad, she'd seen worse. She approached the kitchen, knowing there was a mountain between sleeping in her bed and on the couch tonight.
She found Asami hunched over a counter, with her shoe in one hand, and a rag in the other.
"I don't want to see your face right now." The heiress was adamant.
Korra closed the door behind her, tentatively making her way through the threshold.
"Now Honey, I understand your madness..." She started to say.
Asami swiveled around, and flung her heel at the her.
Korra was unable to determine the particle make-up of her 'heel,' and opted to dodge, rather than bend it out of the way
"I-don't-want-to-see-you-face!"
"Asami, I just wanted to apologize for-"
The heiress's other heel hit her thigh.
Korra backed off. "Honey, I'm trying to apologize..."
Asami was not having it. "How about just not being such a jerk in the first place."
She picked up a serving spoon from an empty rice tray and threw it.
The avatar bent the spoon away, but did no catch not the inbound water pitcher that followed.
"Aww, come on, dear. Stop throwing things. It hurts."
"Good." She picked up another serving tray.
In an effort to call a cease-fire, Korra air-bent the her girlfriend against a cabinet.
The back of the her head bounced off the wooden door, disturbing the china within the cabinet.
Korra winced. "Honey. Are you okay?"
Asami reached into the cabinet for the first thing she could find. It was a tea-cup.
She smashed it over the avatar's head.
For a second, everything for Korra was very light and warm. Then a jab, connected with her chin, sending her stumbling backward.
"What the hell!" She clasped her face.
"That's for calling me a consort-whore in front of Mako." Asami yelled.
Korra frowned. "I meant it as a compliment... "Crack!" Her head swung back as she was slapped.
"Ouch!" Korra stumbled. "I meant the consort part, not the whore part. Asami, you're my princess..."
"Crack." She was slapped again.
It took Korra a moment to get orientated. Once she did, it was all business. She bent all the knives and forks leftover over from dinner, and sent them flying across the room. The cutlery outlined her girlfriend's frame, pinning Asami in place like a practiced circus trick.
Korra stabbed a fork above her girlfriend's head. "Hit me again and I'll leave you here."
The heiress glared. "You don't get to leave me. Because I'm leaving you!"
Korra made a sweeping gesture toward the door. "Fine, leave first."
She tugged helplessly against the utensils. "You're such an asshole." Asami sneered.
"You bring out my best side..." She laughed.
Korra heard the sounds of seams splitting, and watched horrified as Asami tore through her evening dress to free herself. Sensing the situation had now escalated to a full ten, she quickly metal-bent the kitchenware off her girlfriend. Whose dress now had a deep slit that started at the top of her thigh and ran to the ground. There were white accents where the inner lining was exposed, and dangling stray buttons.
"You're buying me a new dress." She insisted.
Korra grinned. "Honestly, dear, I think it looks better this way."
"You only think so because you have absolutely no taste."
"In clothing or women?" Korra snarled.
Asami picked up a fork, and threw it.
The avatar had no time to bend it into a dull spoon. She twisted as it caught in her lower abdominal. They stopped, stunned by the protruding metal handle leading out of Korra's stomach.
"Honey, you stabbed me!" Korra yelled incredulously.
Asami wilted to her knees. "Baby, I'm so sorry. I wasn't really trying to aim for you."
Pema didn't know what to think when she heard screaming coming from the kitchen. She excused herself from the party, and went to check on the commotion. What she found was absolutely strange. Asami was on her knees while Korra was rejecting her ministrations.
Korra spun around. "She stabbed me Pema." She winced, as the fork shook every time she breathed.
"You poor baby. Let me pull it out." The heiress tried to touch the fork.
"Wait, Honey!" Korra batted away her advances. "The proper procedure is to put pressure around the wound until you can get to a hospital."
Asami was sure Korra was incorrect. "Baby, you have a fork in your stomach."
"Fork or Knife, it's the same procedure. Pressure around the wound."
"Why don't you just bend that shit out."
The thought made Korra squeamish. "Ahhh, it's going to bleed."
They both gawked at the fork plunged into her internal oblique.
"I've got a napkin." Asami offered.
Pema cleared her throat. "May I make a suggestion..." She waited until she had both their attention. "Sometimes when couples have been together a long time they need a place where they can vent. I know of someone who can help. Dr. Lynn is very good. She keeps a tight schedule. I can make you an appointment if you would like?"
Asami threw her arms around Korra's legs.
Korra cradled her head.
"We love each other." They insisted.
"I can see that." Pema said tactfully. She picked up a broom and dust pan, and laid it on the floor in front of them. "But as the Avatar you know when a situation is out of balance."
Korra deferred to her girlfriend. "I don't know, babe. What do you... AHHH..." She yelped, as Asami yanked the fork out.
A squirt of blood shot Asami in the cheek. The heiress gapped, as more blood squirted her. We'll damn. Flesh wounds did require pressure.
"Make the appointment."
Follow up:
In this chapter there are Quotes by: Judith Viorst, L Ron. Hubbard, and Enid Bagold. Used by Korra and Tenzin.
"Semah" is the Native term for tobacco.