The press conference was set to be at lunch time. The CEO had shuddered at how wrong everything was. The most important thing was of course: You should never give in to the media's urge to make your personal life public - but now they did. The lunch hour was a very bad time for holding press conferences - for obvious reasons. And finally invitations to an event like this were normally send out at least a week in advance - and not just mere hours. But she guessed when it came to the boss of Future Industries and the Avatar, the rented hall would be full anyways.
Tenzin had agreed to lead the conference, easing the minds by telling the press about Avatar Kyoshi. It even surprised Korra what she learnt about the earth Avatar and one of her female warriors. Evidently, Kyoshi's daughter Koko had been adopted as well, even though history was not clear if she was the biological child of her life partner Kyoko. The Air Nomad told the press that even though this lifestyle still was unusual, it was certainly nothing new.
The air in the crowded room was tense, there was no way knowing what the people were thinking.
That was the moment Korra went to the rostrum. She took a big breath and started a direct approach: "Let's be professionals for once. I'm speaking to you as the Avatar, not as Korra of the Water Tribes." A murmur went to the crowd. "There's no denying I'm in love with Miss Sato." She gesticulated in the general direction of her girlfriend. "But as long as it's not interfering with my Avatar duties, you just have to deal with it, since it's none of your business."
The voices in the crowd got louder and more aggressive. Korra showed them today's newspaper, then opened the page with the article. "Nonetheless, I take your concerns seriously. Is someone of the Elemental Times present?" Two or three people raised their hands, and Korra looked at them with hardly contained anger. "I'll give you a transcript after the conference, since research seems to be none of your strong suits." While Asami fought the urge to hit her forehead with her hand, some of the listeners actually chuckled at that.
Korra smoothed the newspaper on the desk. "So your main concern seems to be my personal presence all over the world since I've started dating Asami 'two years ago'." The Avatar raised her eyebrows at the reporters of the Elemental Times. "Where do you get the two years from? I checked, we have at least a dozen articles of your very own newspaper where you report that we moved in together three years ago. Did it not occur to you that we might have been a couple back then? So: no, I travel less and less because the world gets safer and safer, not because I want to stay home so badly. In fact, I'd rather travel than sit through the boring city meetings." Again, some of her listeners laughed at that.
"Another problem is that I might favor Future Industries over it's competitors." She had read the last part and had now a fake baffled expression on her face. "The constitution is actually pretty clear on that: I have no authority whatsoever to make contracts with any company in the name of the city." The next sentence was somewhat mumbled: "Since the people who wrote it know I am very bad with money." Louder, she added: "In fact, I have no real power in city meetings. I can deploy all my Avatar skills, but in the end I'm nothing more than a mere consultant."
"Next problem: I'm a bad role model because children could imitate my behavior." That sentence had costed her a bit of willpower, since it hurt that people thought like that. "I think we'll talk about that when children start bending four elements because they saw me do it."
"Last one." Korra addressed the reporters of the Elemental Times directly yet again. "You seem to think our relationship is illegal, don't you?" The poor reporters looked everywhere but at the Avatar. Probably this was Korra's way of ensuring the next reports about her person where going to be a bit closer to the truth. "Let me tell you: I couldn't give a elephant rat's butt about if it's legal or not, but Asami had it checked: There are no laws against what we're doing."
She took a deep breath and gave her listeners a moment to vent their anger. "I'm open for questions concerning my Avatar duties, but first Miss Sato is going to talk to you about Future Industries." The Avatar stepped away and let her girlfriend move to the speaker's desk.
"Good afternoon!" Asami greeted the crowd a lot more professional, and the manuscript she was holding displayed that she had held press conferences more than once - and this one was going to be perfect, like everything she did. "When I saw the newspaper today I was devastated. There are people out there who dropped all professionalism to throw dirt at something that is nobody's business." She, unlike the Avatar, did not talk to the reporters of the Elemental Times directly nor did she even look at them.
"I'd love to tell you we've made mistakes in how we handled our relationship, but the press coverage showed we had every right to keep quiet." She looked at nobody in particular while she took a deep breath. "Nonetheless, I will not allow for Future Industries and its many employees to suffer from actions of my family yet again. So today I am announcing my resignation from the position of chief executive officer. I will be succeeded by my second-in-command, Mister Tuaq."
From the moment she had used the word "resignation", the crowd had started whispering, and the people had not yet stopped. Asami bore it with fortitude. "I will always be connected with Future Industries, be it as the business owner or as engineer, but I will not be able to make decisions with or without the influence of the Avatar."
The sound level in the room had increased, forcing Asami to say nothing for a while. "My resignation will become effective immediately, but I will still be the chief engineer working on the city's vine problem. I hope that way my customers can invest in Future Industries without remorse, we can keep all our staff, and most importantly my family and I can live in peace."
She looked at the press and gave them an encouraging smile. "With that we are happy to answer any questions or expand on anything that you would like to further, as long as it's not about our personal life."
She took one of the microphones and went over next to Korra. Tenzin took the place on the rostrum, since his task was to be a moderator for any kind of inappropriate question.
The reporters in the room fell silent for a moment, then, one by one, the hands started to rise. Tenzin gave one of the friendlier looking reporters a nod.
"I've a question for Avatar Korra", the reporter said after standing up, "you said your relationship didn't interfere with your work. So for the sake of proving your argument, how long have you two been intimate?"
Korra looked at Asami to see how she stood on answering that question. Since she saw no objection, she said: "We've been dating for about seven years." The surprised whispers drowned out everything she might have said afterwards, but she found the need to expand on that: "Somewhere between opening the spirit portals and my sick leave of three years."
Astonishment made the reporters as a group forget what they wanted to ask. Even the most optimistic of them did not think this relationship had spanned for that long. So when after a long silence one of the reporters put his hand up, Tenzin had no choice but to give him the word.
"Xun of the Elemental Times. Both of you said something about professionalism. Do you call taking a toddler to an official city meeting 'professional'?"
"You can call that whatever you like", Asami answered, "but as far as I know Future Industries is the only company that has a place to care for children when their parents are working. So most parents face the decision of leaving their kids alone at home or taking them to their work. And I'd rather have Katara stay in a city meeting than next to a forge." While the reporters scribbled, Korra shot her girlfriend a grateful smile - she appreciated that Asami took a stance for something she had initially objected to.
The next reporter stood up. "Avatar Korra, are you concerned with your reputation in the world."
"No." Korra had answered quickly and would probably not have said anything more to the issue if Asami had not nudged her on. "I think as far as world leaders go, I've pretty good connections. The unofficial head of the Air Nomads Tenzin is present today to support us, the Northern Water Tribe's chiefs are my cousins, the Southern Water Tribe chief is my dad and I'm friends with the Fire Nation's royal family." She grinned toothily at the reporters. "But I AM afraid of Republic City's reputation if the press were to follow the Elemental Times' example."
"Miss Sato, did your relationship affect your work at Future Industries?"
Asami looked confused, but answered truthfully: "No, it didn't."
"So why do you feel the need to resign? Wouldn't that imply that Avatar Korra WAS affecting your work?" That made her actually laugh, because she registered that this was a very good question: "No, I..." She looked at Korra. "...actually we, considered resigning for weeks. Now seemed a good time for the sake of Future Industries."
"Could you clarify your family status", another reporter asked, "are you engaged, as Miss Sato's necklace implies? Is Katara daughter to both of you?"
After a silent conversation where Korra mouthed "took them long enough", Asami tackled the question, because the other woman seemed pretty aggressive today: "Yes, Katara sees both of us as her parents. Yes, this is a betrothal necklace." Asami pointed to her neck and took a moment before she continued: "But no, we are not engaged, since this would mean we could get married."
The murmur started again, until someone spoke without standing up: "So do you want to fight for your right to get married?" This question took the women by surprise. Of course they had decided long ago they would not fight for something like that - on the other hand they had thought they could keep their relationship secret as well. They registered they should really should have talked about this issue when Tenzin brought it up over at Air Temple Island.
"I think, time will tell", Tenzin butted in, interpreting his friends' facial expressions quite right, "I think it's now time for the last question."
He looked around and found a harmless looking man, which stood up and respectfully bowed before he questioned: "Avatar Korra, with you and Miss Sato being only childs, how do you cope with both of your bloodlines dying out because of your... relation?"
The surprise from the previous question never quite left, it was another thing neither of them had really paid any mind to. So Tenzin cut this question as well: "I think that's a private question and has nothing to do with the Avatar or Future Industries."
The reporter looked not convinced, but sat back down. Finally the airbending master thanked the crowd for their attendance and their professional behavior, then dismissed them. It was not long until the reporters left.
Asami and Korra sat on the platform, their feet dangling. Tenzin stood in front of them, watching the last of the crowd leave. "That went well", he commented, "they did not seem as hostile as I thought."
"Might just be the Elemental Times", Korra commented and Asami nudged her.
"You could have handled them a lot more professional."
"Yeah, but that's not my style", the Avatar quipped and kissed her girlfriend's cheek.
"That's kinda nice", she said smiling, "kissing you in public I mean."
Asami was about to comment on that newfound exhibitionism when Lin Beifong entered the room with big steps. A second after Senna and Tonraq appeared, both extremely shaken up.
"Korra, your daughter has been abducted."