Korra struggled to unlock her door when she got home. She drank more than she intended—thankfully Mako called her a cab so she wouldn't drive. She was already a bad driver to begin with; it'd be a nightmare to see her drive with alcohol in her system. The night had been the most fun she had in a while. Bolin eventually gained his composure and hit it off with Opal. They shared stories of their long-time friendship and they learned quickly that Opal could keep up with their drinking. Korra could see her becoming a really good friend. The tiny girl seemed down-to-earth and genuine. To Korra's surprise, Opal had heard of her work at the tattoo shop through the grapevine.

Deep blue eyes stared down at her phone—2:32 am. She groaned and tossed her phone onto the bed. Damn, out later than I wanted. I'm going to be dead tomorrow. She thought as she kicked off her shoes and wrestled out of her clothes. She decided to retire in a sports bra and spandex. Her brown hand ran over her defined stomach and scratched it momentarily realizing how much the alcohol was affecting her. She turned towards Naga gesturing for her to climb into bed. Obediently, the gigantic mass of white fur jumped onto her mattress, waiting patiently for Korra to crawl in. She plopped onto the bed unceremoniously, shoving her over until she was comfortable. She draped a hand over the white fluff until she drifted into sleep.

A shrill alarm awoke her from her slumber. She slapped around to shut the demon device off while Naga began licking her face. "All right, all right, I'm up." Naga leaped off the bed and Korra groaned loudly while rubbing her temples.

Why did I drink so much? She opened clenched eyes cautiously, preparing for blinding light to hit her sapphire orbs. She rolled out of bed reluctantly and petted Naga affectionately.

"You're lucky I love you so much, otherwise I'd murder you in the mornings." Naga nudged her hand and licked her bronze skin lovingly. Korra trudged to the bathroom catching her reflection in the mirror. Her short hair stuck out in opposing directions and she tried brushing it down to no avail. She realized that the only way to tame her crazy hair was by showering. Within fifteen minutes, she finished showering and got dressed. She was a simple girl and didn't care for overly girly routines like make-up. Not that she despised it by any means, on the contrary, she enjoyed dolling up on occasion, but she valued her sleep rather than mess with her hair and makeup in the morning. Her schedule was filled with classes in the morning, practice in the early afternoon, and a long night at the tattoo parlor. She let Naga run around in the nearby courtyard for an hour as she prepped for her long day ahead. Before leaving for class, she popped some headache medication and chugged water to rid herself of her hangover. She set out the door and started her morning.

Classes went unexpectedly smooth and her headache cleared before her judo training. Today her coach focused specifically on conditioning exercises and ended with sparring. Coach Makoto was right about practices being tough; Korra was dripping with sweat within the first twenty minutes. She glanced over at Ayla who was breathing heavily from exertion. At least I'm not the only one dying. Korra and Ayla trained together because they were the best females at RCU on the judo team. Ayla is a head taller than Korra and possessed incredible strength. She was slow and more predictable, but when she landed a hit, it was devastating. Korra was nicely defined, but she was more agile and quick. She had a deft punch that made her deadly when combined with her swiftness. After a brutal practice Korra rinsed off in the locker room. She felt a stare as she dressed, but the room was seemingly empty and devoid of life. She shrugged and left to the tattoo parlor.

She pulled up to her shop and extended her arm to open the door. She shifted her eyes upward and read the sign: Incognito. She always liked the name of the shop. It wasn't necessarily hidden, but nothing other than the sign made the place stick out. It was conveniently located near a teashop that also provided hookahs and her apartment. She stepped in, immediately greeted by the storeowner. A broad-shouldered, bearded man covered in tattoos greeted Korra in a baritone voice.

"You're early, Korra. Ready for the night?" the low voice rumbled as he leaned against the counter.

"Hey, Kenji. Yeah, I figured I'd eat the grub I prepared this morning." She rubbed her stomach subconsciously, "I'm starving."

A deep chuckle emitted from the tattooed man, "All right, do what you gotta do. You're on the floor tonight. We have a couple of appointments—mostly sketches. A lot of people have been requesting you." She smiled warmly, making her way to the table in the back. She pushed a plate of food into the microwave and walked over to her station to look at the sketches. She nearly finished a piece a client requested the week before. She was excited to show him the completed piece. Annoying beeping forced her to set the work down as she made her way to the microwave. She devoured the food quickly as the first customer walked in. The gentleman was of a small frame and possessed a mousy face. Korra sat back taking in his features—she enjoyed guessing which type of tattoo a customer requested by appearance. Looking at him closely, she could tell he'd never had a tattoo. First time customers almost always fidgeted and looked lost in the store unless they were with friends. She suspected he'd want a sentimental piece that reminded him of his family or friends.

"Hey, welcome to Incognito. My name is Korra. Anything I can help you with?" She asked from across the room. He turned around and faced Korra with an anxious face.

"Hi—yeah. Um, I was wondering if you could help me with a tattoo." He stuttered nervously.

"Well, you definitely came to the right place." Korra said confidently with a lopsided grin. "Do you have something in mind or would you like sketch drawn out?"

"Oh, I have a piece in mind." He handed her a picture seemingly drawn by a child. She glanced down at the paper. It was a crayon sketch of a son and father on construction paper. The drawing had the child on the shoulders of the father with a sun and home in the background.

"My son drew that for me not long ago." His breath caught in his throat, struggling to get much else out, "I'd like to get this on my chest above my heart." Korra met eyes fighting tears and her heart dropped as realization hit. She smiled sadly and placed a warm hand on his shoulder.

"I would be more than happy to do this for you." She gazed down at the crayon picture asking, "Is there something you'd like to add to this piece?" A moment passed as he inhaled deeply to gain composure.

"I'd like if you could add these dates."

"Sure. That should be no problem. Go ahead and write it down on this paper and I'll add it on there."

Wet eyes met her own. "Thank you, Korra." He sniffled and scribed: Elijah 07/13/2009—11/24/14.

"Please have a seat and fill this out while I trace this out and print it out onto a stencil." Korra handed him a clipboard and pen to fill out the consent form and walked the thin-framed man to a chair, gesturing for him to take a seat. She walked back to her desk, grabbing the pen that was wedged behind her ear.

"Would you like to keep it this size or do you want to resize it? She asked the gentleman from across the room.

"I'd like to keep it the same size if I can."

"Yeah, that shouldn't be any trouble at all. I just wanted to ask before creating the stencil. If not, I would have to scan it and resize it on the computer to fit your needs." Korra explained as she began working on the outline. She concentrated intently to perfectly retrace every line, smudge, and imperfection to recreate the child's masterpiece. She lifted the stencil and original drawing, squinting at it critically to compare and ensure she retraced every detail of the original to the stencil. Once satisfied, she placed the pen back behind her ear and strode over to the mousy-faced man in the chair.

"The stencil is ready, so come with me into my room and we can get situated from there." She informed him. She waited for him to stand and he fell in step quietly behind her. As they entered the designated room, Korra motioned for the man to stand in front of the mirror.

"Please remove your shirt and point to where you'd like the stencil to be placed. If you don't like where it's placed, we can wipe it and try again." Giving the man some privacy, she turned around as he discarded his shirt. He made a soft noise, signaling an okay for Korra to turn around.

"Go ahead and stand up straight and point to where you'd like this to be placed." She directed. He pointed directly to his left pectoral muscle. "Try not to move, if possible." He straightened up and held his breath.

Korra let out a light laugh. "Go ahead and breathe normally, just don't take any major deep breaths or start jumping around for any reason." Korra joked to put him at ease. She gingerly placed the stencil on his chest. After a few moments of pressing, she peeled it back slowly.

"Is that all right or would you like to move it?" She peered upward and saw silent tears fighting to stream down his face. She caught his eyes causing him to smile at her reflection.

"It's perfect." She smiled kindly and directed him to his chair.

"Give it a couple minutes to dry and we'll get started. Would you like to have the colors Elijah used or keep it strictly black ink?"

"The colors would be marvelous."

"Great, I'll be right back so hang tight." She left the room to give him a few minutes. Korra closed the door behind her and set off to find Kenji. She found him at his desk working on a sketch of a grim reaper in a boat leading souls to a large iron gate.

"Hey, I have a question." Korra said into silence. Kenji placed his pencil down, meeting her intense gaze. He crossed his arms calmly, giving Korra his full attention.

"Would you mind if I cut this guy a deal? It's a decent sized tattoo with color, but considering the circumstances, I just want to do something nice." She didn't elaborate on the details since it really wasn't her business to spread. She didn't know why she felt so compelled to help this man. He wasn't asking for any discounts or aid, but it felt right to her.

Kenji met Korra's penetrating gaze. It was difficult to read the burly, tattooed man at any given moment, but he was always considerate when it came to Korra. It was very untypical for her to ask for discounts. He studied her firm stance and piercing blue eyes that searched desperately for answers; it was clear she was going to help this man despite what Kenji's response was. He admired her for that.

"Do what you feel is right. I know you wouldn't ask unless it meant something to you." He stated objectively. Kenji was a perceptive individual and it was one of many reasons that made him a brilliant tattoo artist.

A sigh of relief left Korra's mouth. "Thanks, Kenji. I appreciate that." He nodded, watching the bold girl make her way back to her room to find the man sitting facing the mirror.

"Ready to go or would you like some more time?"

"I'm ready whenever you are…oh wait—" His brow furrowed, "We haven't discussed the price…it's lovely but it's pretty big…oh, and it will have color. I didn't even think how much extra—"

Korra cut him off lightly, "We can talk about that after. Don't worry—let's just make sure you like it first." Gratitude swept over his features, but was quickly overtaken with anxiousness as Korra prepared her machine. Feeling his nervousness, she tentatively asked if this was his first tattoo. He sighed, nodding his head in assent.

"I'm afraid of needles. It is going to hurt?" He asked apprehensively.

"Truthfully, it depends on the individual. My experience has been that chest pieces aren't as painful as other areas." She said, attempting to reassure the man. He took in a deep breath.

"If my son could handle his pain, I surely can do this for him." Korra gave him a gentle squeeze along with an encouraging smile.

"I'm sure your son will be with you every step of the way." After the words left her mouth, her surroundings instantly transformed and merged with her dream world. A young boy with delicate features reached for the man sitting in front of her. The small figure hugged him momentarily and caught Korra's bewildered expression. The boy flashed her a chaste smile and the world disappeared as quickly as it came. Korra made her way towards the sink, washing her bronze hands thoroughly trying to sort out what just happened. It occurred within a blink of an eye and she was unsure of what she even saw. It was like waking from a dream—knowing something took place but couldn't recall any of the details.

She shook her head and shut the water off. She placed gloves on her hands as she worked her way to her station. Rearranging her stand with inks, petroleum jelly, cleaner, and paper towels, she switched on her machine. She placed her foot on the pedal to ensure the needle was working. It pulsated hypnotically.

"Go ahead and lift your arm up. Stay calm and try not to move if you can. If it becomes unbearable for any reason, let me know and we can stop" He nods, gulping nervously.

"Are you comfortable?" He nodded again. "Let's start."

Korra dipped the needle into a blue mixture and pressed her hand into his chest.

"First line." The needle worked into his flesh and his face contorted with pain. Korra wiped the area.

"Are you okay?" She asked worriedly.

"I'm okay; it's not as horrible as I thought."

Korra worked carefully, following the stencil masterfully. After a break and a total hour on her client, she directed the man to the mirror. She threw her gloves off and disposed of the used equipment. The brunette looked at the man, his face stricken with tears. Blinking furiously, she handed him a box of tissues. The mousy man smiled gratefully, wiping his face.

"This is more than I could have ever imagined. Thank you so much, Korra. I don't think you can understand what it means to me."

"I'm just glad I could do it justice. I didn't want to mess this up." She confessed.

"My son would be so happy." He wiped his eyes fervently.

"Let's leave it uncovered for a few minutes, then I'll clean you up and wrap it. I'll come back with care instruction as I ring you up." Korra told the man.

"How much do I owe you?"

"Let's just call it $75 and we're square." The chestnut haired girl stated.

Shock crossed his mousy features, "Only $75? For a piece this big…oh, and the color—people told me I'd spend over $150" he said earnestly. "That's too little."

Korra put her hand up gently "Stop, please. I want to do this for you. I want you to be happy carrying your son with you. This is for Elijah." With a smile on her face, she let him be. She gathered the necessary paperwork for him to take home with complementary cream for care. Her heart went out for this man. Nobody should ever have to lose and child; she felt wrong for even charging him at all. Unfortunately, it wasn't her business and Kenji needed to make money to keep it afloat. Korra stepped into the room once more to recite the care instructions and to come back if he needed any lines fixed.

"It'll be itchy so try not to scratch it because it will ruin the tattoo. If you have any questions, don't hesitate to call." She finished bandaging him and he pulled her into a swift hug.

"Thank you again. It means the world to me." He shook her hand, placing money into her palm.

"Please, the pleasure is all mine. I never caught your name…"

"It's Hoenhiem." With a small smile, he walked out. Korra leaned up against the wall and the world around her altered within a flash. The room suddenly dissolved and she stared at fields of purple and gold wildflowers. Snow-capped mountains acted as a barrier surrounding her in every direction. Hoenhiem trekked forward, his back facing Korra. A gust of wind caught her attention causing her to look beside her. She watched a little boy with the same light brown hair as Hoenhiem giggle as he chased the mousy man. Hoenhiem gripped the drawing in one hand as the other dangled beside him. She looked around bewildered—she wasn't in her tattoo shop, but suddenly in her dream world. She returned her gaze to the child and Hoenhiem. It occurred to her that he wasn't aware of the boy now holding his hand. The child turned to face Korra, giving her a smile that stretched ear to ear and waved.

As suddenly as it came, the world vanished. With each passing second, the memory faded, but she could swear she saw a little boy walking hand in hand with his father a moment ago.

Was that Elijah?

She couldn't remember any details or even what the boy had looked like. She was losing her grip on the hallucination. Korra shook her head trying to regain the memory, but a hand on her shoulder interrupted her thoughts.

"You did the right thing, kid. I'm glad I have someone like you on my staff." She shot him an appreciative smile as he made his way back to his desk. The rest of the night went uneventfully. By the time they closed Incognito it was 12:30 am. She stepped out into the brisk air and shuffled across to the teashop. It stayed open late because it served as hookah bar and many students at RCU studied or completed homework while smoking. Hoenhiem and his son, Elijah, weighed on her mind, but she shifted her thoughts onto the mountain of homework she needed to complete.