Well, it has been a few days since my last update, but I finally managed to write a chapter I hope everyone will love. I even broke my record of longest chapter yet!
Hopefully, this will also begin to draw in other readers as well, especially since the second half of this chapter gets a little steamy. Ha Ha!
Chapter 25: Dinner with the Parents: Part 2
It was only about 6 in the afternoon. The sun was still just above the horizon over the nearby mountains. The crowd there shouldn't have been that packed. It was actually never really packed. That was one of Kuang's best qualities, there were never that many people there, the wait for a table was nonexistent and there was always enough privacy. Tal suspected that most of the people were there to be seen mingling with the two Avatars. So naturally, if all these people are in one place at one time, the press would gather like sharks.
The press might be a tough opponent for most people, but they were still no match for Chief Mako. He warned the reporters that the evening was for him and his wife having dinner alongside Tal and Katara. The press were to stay outside and not bother them, any employees, or any other of the restaurant's guest this evening. And breach of that or any eavesdropping on them this evening would be dealt with severely. The next few minutes played out just like the previous evening. The women had not worn overcoats this time, so the four of them went straight to the same table, sat in the same spots and ate the same meals.
They were greeted by people from the nearby tables, all of whom seemed to have been celebs, famous probenders, or just rich. Tal could swear that he had to have shaken the hands of at least a few dozen people as he sat there waiting for his meal. Mako wasn't so pleased with all their visitors but Korra told to keep calm, but be ready to fry anyone who might try to influence Tal for a certain reason. Katara, the only person at the table who could not firebender to any degree, just kept her cool, she was however pleased that her date was handling all the attention and not becoming too nervous.
Now Tal was beginning to feel less nervous now, after all the people around him had greeted him and told him how they looked forward to seeing him succeed as an Avatar. However, just before their meals arrived, A fellow patron walked over to them and introduce himself. Mako and Korra recognized him as Dao Wang, the nonbender owner and editor of the city's main newspaper. He asked the chief and the older Avatar if it would be okay if after dinner was finished, if he could possibly personally interview Tal. He told them that if the paper published a interview with Tal, who would have the other three of them next to him so he wouldn't be alone during the interview, the public could have a more accurate view of the new Avatar. He also told him that Tal had the freedom to not answer certain questions he didn't like, and Mako and Korra would be given a draft of the story to check first before the paper published the story.
Korra told the man that she had no problem with it as long as Tal was up to doing it. Mako approved only after getting a guarantee that he would see a draft before it was printed. Tal agreed to do it, but asked that the interview be held in a more private setting, not there in the packed restaurant. Tal and the man shook hands to seal the deal and the man shook Mako's hand as well, apologizing for interrupting their evening before he returned to his own table to eat.
Dinner played out much like it had the night before. During the course of their meals, they managed to do some small talk. Mostly it was about Tal's progress in his Avatar training, how both he and Katara felt about the other teams in the league, and how Tal's sisters were liking being with Hiroshi and Ru. Katara even told Tal about some of her ideas about what they should do the next time they go out on a date in the city. Visit the park, see the museums, visit the Sato mansion, watch other probending matches to gather info on the other teams.
With dinner now over, Tal and Katara were allowed to go out into a outdoor porch to get some fresh air as Mako and Korra sat at a nearby table out on the porch. The man who owned the newspaper would be doing the interview, he had to excuse himself to go back to his Satomobile to get a pad of paper to take notes and a tape recorder to record the interview. He arrived minutes later and took a seat at the table the four of them had sat at. Before he started the recorder, he told his guests that he was going to do a quick introduction so it could be possibly played on the radio's news station after the story was published.
"This is Dao Wang," he spoke loud enough into the air after pressing the record button on his recorder. "I am at the renowned Kuang's Restaurant her in Republic City and with me this evening are Avatar Korra, her husband Chief of Police Mako. Alongside them are their lovely daughter Katara, the waterbenders and captain of the Future Industries Fire Ferrets. And last but not least, the talk of the town, quite possibly the world now, a teenage boy who has been blessed by the spirits as a second Avatar for the world, Avatar Tal." Tal said hello in his usual tone as if he was indeed greeting the audience that might be hearing this interview one day.
Dao's questions covered all the bases. Tal's age, his birthday, if he had a surname or not. Dao asked him questions about Tree Line, and also mentioned that the paper, the radio network, and the motion picture studio, were each going to be giving donations to the fund that was set up to raise enough money to build a memorial near the town. Mr. Wang then asked the teen about his family, mainly his parents, previous articles had already covered the Avatar's sisters, but never got much their parents.
Tal got right to the point. His dad's name was Nikolai, his mom was Anya. He never had any other known family but his parents and sisters. He described his parents to all of them, and told them their ages. Confirmed that they were once in league with the Equalists but became double agents after he was born and discovered he could earthbend. Tal described his own personal childhood, he did not tell much about his sisters' lives, mentioning that he respected their privacy. His own childhood was different that most people in the world. He had to fake being a nonbender. He could never show even his closest friends, if he even had any friends, his bending powers. He enjoyed spending time away from schoolwork and housework by practicing earthbending in secret in the freezing basement of his family's house.
After taking down a good three pages of notes, Mr. Wang began to ask Tal about the day that he was introduced to the world as the next Avatar. He asked Tal about his impression of the press, at which he was indeed annoyed with at certain times. Dao asked about the dinner that he had with Korra's family and the council. Dao let it slip that it was in fact a council member that had told the paper about Tal's and Katara's little bet on their match against each other. Wang told them that most of his employees, had put their money on Tal and his sisters winning the match because Tal was an Avatar. Most of the paper's employees wanted to see what exactly Tal meant by a dinner in a blizzard without a parka. The teen answered that it meant that he and Katara would have dinner in his family's old cabin so the two of them would not need to wear parkas, even though there would most likely be a blizzard outside. This got a few chuckles out of Wang as he then changed the subject to Tal's remark to a council member about him never having the time for pursuing a relationship.
When Mr. Wang had asked this, Tal who was holding one of Katara's hands under the table, felt her tighten her grip of his hand nearly to the point of pain. He gave the man his same answer. He never had the time because he and his sisters were always practicing their bending or Equalist training secretly. There really were not that many girls around his age back in school, a nearly absurd 5 to 1 guy to girl ratio. Almost all girls were taken or had been already put in some stupid arranged marriage. And because Tal was supposedly a nonbender, he was considered not as useful to the town as a water or firebender. He told Wang about the need to keep the above ground oil, water, and sewer pipelines thawed or risk a blow and a big smelly mess. That joke got everyone laughing, Wang loved it, he said he was certainly going to have to add it one into the paper's comedy section.
A few more questions about Tal's progress in his Avatar training, Korra answered for Tal. Then came the really embarrassing part for the 17 year old boy, questions about relationship with Katara. Not only did Dao Wang ask, Katara's parents were well within arm reach of Tal if did go say something that they did not like. The owner of the newspaper knew better than to ask very personal questions about the teen couple, especially with the girl's parents there and definitely not a chief of police and an Avatar for parents. Dao Wang asked them because he wanted his readers to know the truth about the couple. He had heard all the rumors from the city's independent tabloid.
Seeing that it would improve the image of their relationship to the public, and with a nod of approval from Katara, Tal answered the questions. They started dating a few weeks back. They never did anything stupid. There was no arranged marriage, and Katara was not pregnant. With the truth now out, Dao Wang thanked them all for allowing him to interview Tal. He told the chief to expect a draft of the story on his desk by tomorrow afternoon. If Mako okayed it by evening, the paper could have it published in the next day's morning edition. It was only 8 in the evening when they had finished. Dao Wang, bid everyone a pleasant evening and then left to go home. He was very eager to begin writing his article and wanted to finish well before the deadline so the chief could okay it for printing.
The two couples managed to leave the restaurant without much fuss, only a few members of other papers had managed to stay. Most of them had left after finding out that Dao Wang was interviewing the new Avatar. Some more people approached Tal to shake his free hand. Katara was holding onto his left so his right arm was free to greet people. The four of them were then finally able to begin their walk back to the pier. Only a few people they passed by as they walked even pay any amount of attention to the two couples.
The ferry was ready to leave at Korra's or Mako's word, but Katara told them that she and Tal were going to go walk around Republic City Park for a while because the evening was still young. Mako didn't like the idea of having the two of them alone walking through the city's biggest park during the evening. Hell, he didn't like the it even it was the middle of the day. We wanted to say no but Korra came up from behind him and wrapped her arms around his neck. Korra whispered into his ear what Katara thought to be the words, "It will be just the two of us at the house tonight." Katara them remembered that Aang was out on patrol for the night. She was with Tal, and Zuko and Sokka were at the Sato mansion being watched over by their aunt and uncle for the night.
Mako, not being one to spoil a nice quiet night alone with his beautiful wife, allowed Tal up to midnight to have Katara back on their front porch. He wouldn't be waiting for them, because of Korra, but he was sure going to have an Air Acolyte stay up to make sure the teens arrived on time. Katara hugged her parents quick. Korra warned her by whispering into her daughter's ear that although the two of them probably knew what the adults were going to be doing, the teens were not to even think of doing it. All while the two women talked, Tal and Mako had a stare down, the chief gave one of his I'm watching you gestures with his eyes and hand. Tal just smiled at the man.
When the women were done, Katara walked back over to Tal who gave her his left arm and she went back to wrapping her arms around it like before. They wad goodnight to Mako and Korra who then boarded the ferry and began to sail back to Air Temple Island. Tal began to lead Katara to the park when she stopped him, she began to lead him back to his apartment. "I thought you wanted to take a stroll through the park?" He asked her as he tried to stop her.
"I only told them that so they would leave." She said. "We're going back to your place. Your sisters won't be back for hours still and like my parents, we will have the whole place to ourselves." She was beginning to flirt again. "Besides, it's been like days since the last time we made out like crazy. You know why made mom choose tonight for that dinner?" He could only shrug his shoulders, he really didn't know.
"Look up," she told him as she pointed at the moon as it began to make its way across the evening sky. "It's a full moon tonight. Waterbenders all over the world are going to be restless and full of energy all night. Especially teen girls who haven't made out with their boyfriends in days."
"And what if I was to refuse?" He asked jokingly.
"Well, since it's a full moon," she told him playfully. "You don't exactly have a choice in the matter do you?" She made a gesture with her hand which Tal knew all too well. He yelped in shock but she didn't really bloodbend his privates this time. She was really playing with him now.
But he had been working on how to get back at her for this. "We since it's a full moon, two can play that game." He then took his right arm and began to make gestures in the arm as well. Katara yelped now as she felt as if something was touching the inside of her thigh.
"How on earth did you do that?" She asked as she began to like the feeling of someone moving their hands along the inside of her thigh. "Not that I'm really complaining." She had to concentrate harder on walking as he continued to lead her now back to his place and bloodbend her now.
"I've been reading a few pages about blood bending here and there every now and then." He said as he made a new gesture with his hand. "I might be new to bloodbending and you might be one of those special few people who can bloodbending without a full moon. But tonight I have enough power to play your little game." They reached the front door of the old apartment building and she hopping on his back and he carried her like he did on their first date. When they had gotten inside the apartment itself, no one else was alone.
Tal laid Katara down on the couch as he went to the windows that looked out over the bay. She took off her pair of heels, which were killing her feet, and he took off his boots and sock because he felt more comfortable with his bare feet touching the wood floor. He then took off his sash, coat, vest and tie. Leaving him in only his trousers and tie shirt. He shut the blinds and then metalbended the light switch to turn off the electric lights. Katara then saw him firebend to simultaneously light the over 3 dozen candles that were placed in the main room.
He then went into the kitchen and came back out with a bottle containing some leechi juice, Katara's favorite. He poured the two of them each a glass and then sat on the couch as she snuggled up him. "Well aren't you a romantic one?" She said as she wiped off the lipstick of her lips began to kiss him. She didn't want to leave behind any evidence of her plan on him. He quick a nearby alarm clock on the end table to go off before 10:45 to make sure the two of them had plenty of time to get back to the island. He had about two hours with her before they would have to leave to get her back home.
Soon Katara was really showing just how much extra power she was getting from the full moon. She was beginning to kiss him with much more passion and for longer too. She pushed him over so that he was now lying on his back on the couch and she sprawled out on top of him. It was a good five minutes of them just kissing before they finally changed things up. Tal decided to play with her a bit and resorted back doing his new bloodbending trick on her legs. She began to really enjoy that and kept kissing him.
There arms were pretty much all over each other and soon were beginning to get very close to certain area. Her little aggression was driving him insane. Katara felt as if she was lying over a hot bed of coals, she was now seating profusely and it had nothing to do with the warm evening air. Then her body got in control of her mind and told her to go even farther but not too much more.
She went right for Tal's belt and nearly ripped his trousers off and his beater so he now just laid there in only a pair of black boxer briefs. "Seeing as I helped you get undressed." She told him playfully. "How about you be a gentlemen and help a lady get out of her dress." She watch his eyebrows raise on his face as he tried to contemplate what she just said to him.
Did she just tell me to help her take off her dress?
"For spirit's sake Tal!" She begged him as she grabbed his hand and put them up to the zipper on the back of her dress. "My parents warned us specifically, no sex. They didn't say anything about going all the way to second base! I'm wearing underwear under this damn dress!" This more modest dress she was wearing was much harder to get in and out of when compared to the one she had wore the previous night. All she needed to do with that other dress was grab the hem of the dress's very short skirt and pull down. But the dress she was wearing now needed another person to help her with that cursed zipper.
"That full moon must have a really good effect on you, Princess," he said to her sweetly as his hands found the zipper and pulled it down from her shoulders to just about her butt. "But just so that I know for the future. What is the legal age of consent in Republic City?" He asked Katara as he pulled her dress off of her. Now it was just the two of them in a empty candle lit apartment. He was down to just his underwear and she was still on top on him kissing him frantically in just a bra and a thong.
"I think I get your hint there, Mr. Hormones," she told him breathlessly as she had to end one of their long kisses to get air. "We each have to be at least 18 to get married. But that doesn't mean you can't go and get me a pretty and expensive Water Tribe Betrothal Necklace for my 17th birthday in a few months." He told her that he could probably make one before then, or somehow manage to talk to her mother into letting him give Katara her necklace she had gotten from Mako. She gave him a really long kiss after hearing that idea. "Let the world, and my parents accept the truth, we really were made for each other." More kissing and groping ensued.
For the next hour, the two of them just laid there on the couch in each other's arms in only their undergarments. They would keep kissing, telling each other how much they loved each other. An occasional bloodbending trick. Katara was really loving her boyfriend's new found talent, making her feel like she was going to go crazy from being felt down below her waist. But their time ended too soon as the alarm clock rang. They helped each other get dressed and made sure there were no evidence that could be seen by her parents about the two teens' little romantic evening.
He carried her down the stairs again, but this time bridal style. They made it to the ferry and had crossed the bay to Air Temple Island with plenty of time to spare. Time that was spent by the two of them figuring out their alibi for what they had done this evening. They went to the park, walk in it for a while, sat by the main fountain for a bit, then took a walk around the exterior of the arena and then took the ferry back.
He carried her up the stairs too, but back to his old way of her on his back. His arms were still sore from carrying her down the stairs back at his apartment bridal style. They walked together hand in hand across the courtyard and approached her house. She looked over to the window of her parents' bedroom to see that the window was shut, the lights were off and the blinds were down. Tal kissed Katara goodnight and told her that he and his sister should be back there before noon the next day.
The two of them knew that neither probending team would want to practice the morning after such a late night.
Okay, after writing a chapter with that much romance in it , I need to take a long cold show after that!
As I said in the beginning of this chapter, now that there is a bit more romance in this story, maybe it will draw a lot more people to read this.
I would like to thank those who are still faving/following/reviewing this story. I just wished I knew how to write more realistic dialogue, then I would write a lot more and maybe begin work on that Sci-fi novel I always dreamed of writing!
I would also like to say now that at the end of next week, I will be unfortunately have to be away from my laptop for three weeks due to a military training thing I must do and I'm then vacationing up in Canada for a week right after that. So I will try to post a few more chapters, but then I cannot update for three weeks straight.