A/N: Feedback of any kind is welcomed and appreciated! Enjoy!
—-
There was no doubt in his mind that he was completely enthralled with her. So much so that he disregarded their surroundings and foolishly let his guard down, for once. He couldn't help it then. The moon, the water.
Her.
Spirits, he was a dullard.
The scene replayed in his mind, over and over again until he realized he must've been so enraptured by the feel of liquid heat squeezing around him like a vice that the ever-so-subtle pulse of another person's heart just outside the room had only been detectable at the end of their coupling. Just as he was gathering some of his wits, truthfully. He couldn't help but wonder, dear Koh, were they just standing there in the corridor? Were they merely listening to them for who knows how long? Tarrlok racked his brain for who it could be.
At first thought, his mind centered over the few that could've returned. Perhaps Tenzin? It was plausible, considering he had just as much work as he had in these recent weeks, yet that didn't sound just. The bearded man must've already been off to bed by nine, and if it really were him, he wouldn't have simply walked away.
No.
The older man would've pummelled his way into the women's locker room and more than likely killed him with a gust of wind. Or maybe even suffocate him if he was tempted enough. He could already envision it. The color draining from his already pale face with a body grown immensely taut that icicles might've crumbled from a caress instead of sliced through him.
But if it wasn't Tenzin, surely it was those twins that hung around longer than they should've, right?
He considered the two. They were both brash and boisterous, just as Korra, though he doubted they'd merely linger. He imagined they'd be cackling or leaving the area with nothing but innuendos and teasings escaping them, instead of utter solitude. Besides, he sensed the pulsing of one heart for a second before it disappeared into thin air rather than the two he expected.
Tarrlok mulled over this for the better part of the week. Subtly lacing in a few vague questions to everyone he suspected in conversation. It couldn't have been Tseng since he'd been on leave and only a few days after that incident, he had returned, speaking with him on such matters. His best guess was that it was either someone from the Task Force too bashful to speak up - or perhaps too deceitful to do so and could use this as blackmail - or any one of his colleagues idly walking past him as he entered City Hall.
It couldn't have been the guard lingering at the front entrance, since she'd gone home by the time the Task Force came back from the raid.
Since then, no one has come forward. From what he gathered, no one had been lying to him when they answered in mild bewilderment or utter lack of interest to continue that line of conversation. Both the members of the Task Force and his fellow colleagues. Strange was it that a lie that he expected to be hidden would've been blatant enough for him to detect by the change of a person's heartbeat, yet everyone he questioned seemed to be telling the truth.
That they had no idea what he was talking about.
He was at his wits end. His nerves were frayed from the flagrant tension that could be passed off as nothing more than exhaustion from his career. His temples ached and produced a dull throb, though he was sure that was due to the amalgamation of stressors in his life at the moment. His wallet was heavy, ready to offer a hefty sum to keep whomever's lips sealed, yet there was nothing.
It was almost eerie in a way due to the fact that it felt as though he imagined the whole thing entirely. Yet he knew it was real when Korra heard the sound of footsteps in the corridor just as he did.
Tarrlok readjusted his grasp on his cup of coffee. The longer he dwelled on the subject, the more he concluded the footsteps sounded more like boots falling on stone. But what..? Who..?
Perhaps it was a blessing that no one decided to come forward. Perhaps whomever heard them in the midst of passion decided it was best to keep their mouth shut, or pushed the incident to the furthest recesses of their brain and forgot about the whole ordeal in the first place.
Tarrlok could only hope that was the case.
With that in mind, he had to allow himself to indulge in what he had with the young Avatar. Their relationship as it stood seemed to be rapidly volatile. Bemusing and entertaining, but volatile nonetheless.
He easily yielded to her silent requests in the middle of the afternoon - during his lunch breaks more like - and relished the sight of her bouncing tits as she ground her hips against his loins. He considered himself lucky that she was sharing her affections, her attention, with him this frequently. That he was the source of her lascivious reactions. Cerulean beamed with sin and he marveled at her awareness with the few times she managed to sneak away from Tenzin's nurturing wing and into the rhino-lion's den, so to speak.
A mischievous smile would curve his lips as she'd saunter her way into his office, acting as though she owned the room rather than the one sitting behind the desk with his half-eaten lunch splayed on the surface.
Although, he wasn't complaining. The complete opposite, really.
The air of dominance, of authority, looked good on her. More than he'd like to admit, in all honesty, though he relished the sight of hardened eyes and a cruel sneer. After months of remaining by her side throughout these lessons, he could confidently conclude that if she was willing, or rather, if there was something she put her mind to, she took the role she assumed in strides.
After their first impromptu arrangement in his office, he convinced her to join him for dinner later that night. It didn't take much to persuade her when the mere mention of arctic hen had her eyes glimmering in interest and the callous facade easily slipping away. He didn't know where they stood with one another in regards to their relationship, though he tried his best to keep it relatively innocent for the night.
Warmth and content filled his blood as they acted just as any normal couple would. He never imagined he'd have the opportunity to, but teaching her how to cook, teasing her for her lack of knowledge on the subject and that endearing pout, let alone eating together at a candle-lit table was enough that he sensed genuine sheepishness exuding from her. As much as he relished the intimacy of sex and the harshness of fucking, he reveled in this almost ordinary routine of sharing a meal with someone he had come to care about.
Spirits, it's been a while since the last this had happened. At least a few months before she had arrived in Republic City, in any case.
Then, of course, the night prior.
He couldn't deny their emotions ran rampant as they did. The constant warmth lingering, stirring low in his abdomen was enough of a hindrance that he quickly slipped his way into the Island without detection.
The guards - as much as they had their title - weren't much help in regards to keeping an eye out for suspicious activity. He had to wonder how much they were paid if they were this lax with their duties.
But he'd digress.
At first, he assumed he'd have to resort to using some form of his bloodbending to sneak past them, though the few he did duck past were already too absorbed in the radio shows an announcer was reading to realize his presence. Regardless, he focused on the numerous hearts beating within his range, until he centered in on the one most familiar to him.
Following that intangible path, it led him to a closed window. The look on her face was undeniably adorable. She must've thought it was someone much more terrifying than him, because she clutched at her chest as he duly noted her racing heart and smacked him at his bicep when she allowed him into her bedroom.
They shared whispered stories and small kisses over a bottle of soju he brought along, and while everything in him attempted to keep his emotions at bay, the way the moonlight filtered through her window and gleamed in her depths had him pulled into a trance of sorts. Korra took advantage of it. From what he could sense, she relished the way he was so acquiescing to her.
One thing led to another, and soon enough, offending clothes were peeled away into heaps on the floor and he was grasping the malleable swell of her hips, applying impassioned pressure to her clit as she fervently ground her seeping cunt against his lips. It was the expression of pure ecstasy on her pretty face from his vantage point beneath her. It was the way one hand held the headboard in a white-knuckled grip that it threatened to splinter under her strength and the other carded through his mussed hair almost painfully. It was the way she chewed desperately upon her plump lower lip to stifle the many sounds he wanted to hear unabashedly.
However, he doubted that'd do them any favors when children were within their vicinity down the hallway. With the little he knew of the three kids, he could already imagine them barging into the bedroom in nothing but curiosity, faces burning in mortification, and squealing away in search of their parents.
Fortunately, they managed to keep their voices down.
Just before she tensed against him, her cunt swiping and wetting his face deliciously, she pulled away from him and guided him into her breathlessly. A gasp escaped them both as she pinned his wrists to the mattress in an unrelenting grip.
As they neared their climax together, their senses acutely heightened, Korra wove their fingers with one another and nuzzled the crook of his neck, the only sound coming from the young Avatar, a sharp inhale. Feminine muscles contracted against him so delectably, and he was helpless to follow their gratification with a restrained, guttural grunt.
Soon after, sleep came easily, though the hour before he sensed the airbending family would awaken, he slipped his clothes on, pressed a soft kiss to her forehead and snuck out of her window once more, as much as he regretted doing so.
Tarrlok sighed with furrowed brows as he unlocked his office door with a slight click. He brought the steaming cup of coffee to his lips, relishing the warmth and desperately hoping the caffeine in the rather sizable cup was enough to keep him awake after their night together… much less the alcohol still muddling his brain.
He'd been hoping the dark circles underneath his eyes didn't give him away, yet he was sure if someone were to look hard enough, they'd offer their concerns and ask if he needed to take sick leave. He closed the door behind him and made his way to his desk, the mundane routine once again restarting with a new day.
Although with one glance, his coffee pausing in his throat and nearly choking him in the process, Tarrlok's eyes caught sight of a note perched so delicately at the center of aged wood. Slowly, he placed his belongings at his feet and picked up the flimsy paper between his pinched grip, reading the strangely ordinary penmanship.
One with the moon and one with each other. Baited and caught. - N
Tarrlok's lips pressed into a firm line and placed the note back down. N? Who in Koh's name was N? Pale blue searched his desk, his office, for any indication that whomever this stranger was, took anything of value. Important documents, the few personal items he managed to weasel into his drawers, the files wedged between books on his shelves.
But nothing was out of place. The only thing marring his office was the note.
Jazz music greeted her ears as she entered the small boutique. Cerulean glanced around her and nothing had changed since she last visited with Tarrlok - she seriously doubted it would have unless they had a new up and coming product that was completely outrageous, yet utterly reasonable if it resulted in that heightened peak. But that wasn't the point.
The point being she had an itch and she was out to scratch it. As if doing so with Tarrlok didn't help such matters, she thought sardonically.
Korra shook her head and took a deep breath in. If she really wanted to do something surprising, surely this was the place to find that something, right?
Right.
With a resolute nod to herself, she smoothed her disgustingly sweaty palms down the soft material of her button-down in nervousness. After Tarrlok made it a point to go in disguise with their one lesson to the Bad Badgermole, she guessed that was the best way to go with really any outing together. Although, she didn't think Asami would appreciate her clothes being returned to her completely wrinkled and smelling of a few wears and the outdoors.
With that in mind, Korra took it upon herself to purchase an outfit purely for these rendezvous. A simple button-down, trousers and boots, the color on them completely divergent of her usual blues that made her background and identity evident. In all honesty, it made her look a little ambiguous, and she relished the sight of her reflection as she tried the clothes on those few short days ago.
Besides, it wouldn't do seeing the Avatar enter a toy shop in search of something to use for one of the city's Councilmen. Well, unless she really wanted to bait the tabloids and reporters, though she didn't think that was beneficial to them when they were supposed to be hiding this from practically everyone.
As Korra made her way to the furthest wall of the shop, her eyes caught sight of the few customers strewn about. One standing and conversing at the cashier's counter, another debating over the handful of maid dresses made of latex, while another lingered coyly around the rope and gags with pursed lips.
A flush began crawling up her neck that she even wanted to indulge in doing stuff like this with Tarrlok. She never thought she'd be this taken by sex. It just seemed like something clinical from her studies at the compound; nothing more than to reproduce, or show affection for someone. It didn't occur to her until her crush on Mako, more so when she arrived in Republic City, that sex was something completely normal and fun to do with someone she trusted.
It wasn't that she trusted Tarrlok wholly - she still had her reservations with that blabbering mouth of his - but he was certainly growing on her rather quickly if she had to admit. More than Mako, truthfully.
However, the longer these trysts occurred, the more she understood why shops like these even existed in the first place. Also, she couldn't deny it'd been fun since their first night together.
After the incident in the showers - something of which Tarrlok repeatedly tried to quell her anxiety over with, 'I'll take care of it' and 'I can figure it out' - she attempted to keep her thoughts on other matters. She didn't doubt he could take care of it on his own, but knowing there was someone out there, someone they potentially knew had information on them was unnerving to say the least.
She didn't question anyone outright, more so kept an eye on a few particular people she had come to know, but there wasn't anything awkward or out of the ordinary from them.
One thing was for sure, the twins were the first on her short list of suspects.
During their night out at Narook's, Korra kept a wary eye on them, duly noting their mannerisms and their speech, but they were being their usual selves with gossip and raunchy humor that matched her own. The night blurred together as they stayed at their booth in the corner of the restaurant, easily downing sake and slurping greasy noodles. They spoke of rumors with Tseng and his lover, speaking of their own lack of love life, and wanting to vicariously live through her and Tarrlok's relationship.
It was all a joke - at least from what she could tell - but she firmly insisted nothing was going on. If only to quell their suspicions, though after the words escaped her, she regretted even saying anything in the first place. It only made her sound guilty of doing something so scandalous with the man.
However, it didn't matter. The twins were long past inebriated, more than her tipsy brain, to remember what they were talking about… hopefully.
She racked her brain for any other suspects and there was only one other person that came to mind.
The other person being Tseng.
He'd already interrupted them once, and even though he'd been gone with his beau for little more than a week, she didn't doubt he'd do it again if he could. But that didn't sound right. As much as she knew he'd barge into the room, the person that heard them fucking didn't seem to want to do so.
She and Tarrlok agreed with that, at least.
Whoever it was, wanted to keep their identity hidden and be as elusive as possible, considering they haven't come forward with this information, and Tseng was anything but that. He relished the attention, maybe just as much as Tarrlok, but if it were their fellow Task Force member, how would he know it was she and Tarrlok in the showers? Why hadn't he broke into the locker room as he did with Tarrlok's office?
Korra hated thinking too much on the subject because in one way or another, it was both her and the Councilman's fault for being so careless, so reckless with their desires.
Even throughout the week, she couldn't stop herself from wanting to indulge in that nagging thought at the back of her mind. She was thinking on impulse rather than rationality, and it was entertaining, to say the least. Although, it was one thing to think about it, but it was another actually acting upon that constant ache.
Spirits, she even felt almost excited in a way to drudge along with Tenzin from the Air Temple to City Hall for their meetings. The actual meeting was annoyingly boring, it always was, yet once it came to their lunch break, she'd excuse herself to 'find some street food' and instead, meander her way into Tarrlok's office.
Tenzin didn't seem to question her motives, which she was grateful for, since she didn't think she'd be able to scramble up a believable lie as to why she was wandering her way to his colleague's office.
The first time it happened, bewilderment crossed his handsome features as he placed a cherry into his mouth, his partially eaten lunch forgotten as confusion morphed into his usual smugness when she pulled his chair away from his desk, and made just enough room for her to settle on his lap.
Now, whenever she entered, sauntering her way in and flicking the lock of his door, that smirk lining his lips was nothing but enticing. It was as if he was waiting for her to barge into the room. They hadn't been exceedingly loud since that incident - they were in many ways careful since there were other people walking down the halls of the large building. However, the few times she indulged in these lunch-time trysts, the more she realized they were unintentionally renacting her dreams of fucking in broad daylight, bent over his desk as he rutted into her, when anyone could see through his windows if they were so inclined.
Korra had to admit, they were terrible at this. At hiding their lust.
But she wasn't necessarily complaining… well, until they really were discovered, that is. No. She reveled in being almost blatant in displaying their ardor for one another, even if it was superficial or not.
The first time in his office, he mentioned coming over for that arctic hen he purchased as he tucked himself in his trousers and she pulled her hair into the accustomed wolf tail. As much as she didn't want to admit it, the look on his face was endearing. A flush - a combination of the exertion, lust, and the tiniest sliver of sheepishness - dusted his cheeks and quelled longing laced in his husky baritone.
There was no doubt she wouldn't pass up the opportunity to eat that with him - she'd been secretly craving it since the market. Easily, Korra agreed, and later in the night, she couldn't stop herself from feeling warmth welling up in her veins. It wasn't of arousal, this time. For once, she relished the simplicity of learning the basics of cooking and having dinner with the man, of talking candidly without the need to act like the seductress she wanted to learn how to become. It was refreshing in a way as it was inelegant for having conversation flow so naturally between them.
It was against all her expectations that she'd be driven to the docks at a relatively normal time of night, with only a kiss to her lips as a parting gift. A part of her was taken aback by the night in its entirety. She assumed after their arctic hen they'd relocate to his bedroom, but there wasn't anything of the sort. In many ways, it felt as though their relationship had shifted. As if she was actually being courted by him.
It felt genuine.
Intrigued, she'd silently thought back to her time with him. As much as she knew being caught in the showers had exhausted him, his muscles were loose, slackened. The contrast was striking with what had occurred earlier in that day. Of a spontaneous tryst to endearing talk of their past. He never went too deep with his family. It seemed to be a sore spot and she didn't push him, as much as she was fascinated. But from what she recalled, he was much more willing to speak on such matters compared to their first so-called date at that cafe.
The longer she dwelled on it, the more she chalked it up to that moon peach wine they shared together. Maybe it was just the alcohol loosening his lips. Surely, she must've been looking too deep into things… right?
Korra shoved the blossoming idea at the back of her mind and focused on his hands, on his lips and that irritatingly delicious expression etched on his face from the night prior. It was nearly midnight when she heard the soft sifting of dirt and sand underneath a person's weight just outside her window. Her body had grown tense, muscles pulled taut as she waited for that masked man to show his indifferent face in the darkness, her heart thumping wildly in her throat as if she could sense the electricity, yet it was just the Councilman being a creep.
She rolled her eyes and let him in, punching him on the bicep that resulted in a glower from the man, with their voices nothing more than a whisper. In his grasp, he had yet another bottle of liquor - soju, this time - though time seemed to slip past their fingers. Maybe it was purely the alcohol, or maybe it was due to the fact that she could see he was utterly enraptured by her - the twins' words ringing in her ears - but the sensation of her blood thrumming with arousal was intoxicating.
She'd never done that before, the thought alone was foreign to her, yet once he whispered his idea, the more it warmed her insides.
Initially, she had her reluctance. Sitting on his face? That sounded terrible. Yet, once she caged him in with her thighs, and the first graze of his tongue against her core, reluctance was anything but present. She chased that wet need within her, and judging by the look in his eyes, he was more than willing to offer his assistance.
It was difficult to stifle the moans she wanted to release, especially when she took him in in a torturously long stroke, the only exception being the sharp inhale as she reached her climax, though the slapping of their skin seemed to be enough to set their nerves in mild unease. When they were done, trembling from the aftermath, he warmed the spot beside her as she nuzzled his bare chest, his long fingers carding through her hair tenderly until she was lulled to sleep by the sensation.
Tarrlok managed to slip out of her room and leave the Island undetected before most of the guards were even awake, that she had to question if it happened at all. However, when she glanced down at her naked body, let alone the bite mark he left at the crook of her neck, Korra couldn't help but smile as she caught her reflection and almost reluctantly healed the dark blotches of blood.
A shrill laugh was heard and immediately pulled Korra out of her reverie. What was she doing? Oh, right. Toys.
She didn't even realize she'd been staring unabashedly at a hot pink strap on for - probably - the better part of ten minutes. Spirits, if someone saw her and didn't make mention of it, at least she could wallow in her embarrassment on her own.
It wasn't anything more than a suggestion from the employee last time - the same one was actually joking around with one of the few customers in the shop - but she was a little intrigued by the toy, regardless. She tilted her head, eyes roving over the object as she shifted her weight from one foot to the other. There was no doubt she would indulge in this eventually, but that time wasn't now.
However, wondering about the possibilities wasn't off the table, right? A cackle threatened to escape her lips as she could almost see Tarrlok flushing an endearing crimson if she pulled that toy out.
No, no, no. Not now, at least.
Slowly meandering the perimeter of the shop, Korra stopped at the wall that she caught a customer gazing at in thought as she walked in. Fascinated, cerulean strayed on a coil of rope and a gag of various designs. One had a pink or red ball at its center, while another seemed a bit more cruel with metal curling around the corners of someone's mouth. Did she want to try this? Was she actually going to do this? The answer seemed to be obvious with how much the man talked during foreplay, let alone had some kink with power dynamics.
But then again, so did she, given the past week.
As much as she relished being the disobedient, submissive lover from the few times she got to dabble into it with Tarrlok, she couldn't deny that she wanted nothing more than to best him. Her blood sang at the thought; to have him completely at her mercy. He didn't seem adverse to it. In fact, it was the opposite. With what they've done in the past, before their trysts, it was obvious he relished it no matter if it was unspoken or not.
Even in his office, much less the sight of him beneath her the night before, his tongue lapping generously against her cunt, it was obvious he loved being obedient to her requests.
Spirits, she could already see the yearning glinting in pale fire, the subtle tremors shaking through him as she bound him. Whether from elation or from frustration, or probably both, she didn't know. The smug bastard probably itched to be whipped if she was that tempted to purchase a whole ensemble. Who actually thought their illustrious Councilman was into this?
Cocking her head to the side, her eyes flickered to the wall adjacent to her in thought. Should she? Mulling over it for a second, Korra ultimately shook her head. No, no, no. Maybe some other time. Instead, grasped onto the rope and leather gag with a pink ball at its middle. How fitting for the man in question.
Taking it to the cashier, Korra placed the items on the counter and rifled in her pocket for the crinkled bills she managed to persuade Tarrlok into giving her. In all honesty, it wasn't that much of a struggle when he seemed to be wrapped around her finger. After her talk and gossip with the twins at Narook's, what they said seemed pretty accurate, as much as she didn't want to admit it.
Golden eyes flickered to her as the woman punched the numbers into a calculator. It was the same employee that helped her and Tarrlok last time they visited, but something about this was measured in a way. Did she know she was the Avatar? Did she know something about her and Tarrlok? Attempting to ignore her gaze, Korra chewed at her lower lip and focused on counting the yuans in her grasp, recalling the price when she snagged the toys.
Clearing her throat, the woman asked, "Would you like to buy these edible panties for half off with your entire purchase? We're having an end-of-the-month sale for all things edible." She wiggled a small wrapped package that had something similar to the fire gummies texture, except thinner in a way… and this was shaped into a typical underwear, or maybe a thong. Her eyes honed in on the stamp at the side that said, 'berry flavored!'.
Cerulean glanced into golden orbs filled with enticement. Korra felt herself flush. "Um," she settled awkwardly, considering the package. It was obviously a novelty item, nothing more than a prank gift, or maybe something to keep a partner preoccupied. Then she considered Tarrlok. "Yeah, sure." She nodded.
Another few taps into the calculator, and the woman glanced at Korra with a glimmer in her eyes. "So, the first gift seemed to have sparked some interest with you and your beau, huh?" She questioned teasingly, before muttering the total.
Korra nervously chuckled and slid the yuans on the counter. "Yeah, just spicing things up a bit." She said, conjuring that confidence and mild modestness even though it seemed fruitless in a boutique filled with toys meant to stimulate a man's cock and a woman's quim.
Regardless, it helped attempting to think of herself as someone committed to the man rather than these clandestine rendezvous every other day.
The woman bagged her items and placed the spare change into Korra's hands. "Well, you look like you're still young so enjoy the energy you have!" She didn't know how to respond to that other than awkwardly laughing with the cashier. But now that she thought about it, she didn't seem that much older than herself. Maybe mid twenties at the most, but it wasn't her place to prod. "Have a good day!" She called out as Korra made her way to the door.
"You, too!" She said with a smile, however, all forms of coherent words were stuck at the back of her throat and that smile was immediately replaced with a panicked scowl.
Dear spirits, did they have to be here?
Through the window of the door, she caught sight of Mako and Asami making their way to the shop. An arm was looped around Mako's and Asami seemed to be whispering something into his ear that caused him to flush. She didn't want to know, but she was certain it was something she'd whisper to Tarrlok if they could go out and about without a care in the world.
Audibly swallowing, she felt her nerves prickling with panic.
Fortunately, the couple was too enthralled in their own conversation to recognize a flustered Korra, because all she could do was bristle, frozen in her spot. Once the door swung open, she plastered herself to the nearest wall and made an undignified sound at the back of her throat as she hoped to hide herself at the very corner and what little shadows were filtering through the windows.
A few seconds passed and she could hear them still immersed in their own conversation. Braving a sidelong glance over her shoulder, they were too deep into their own world to see that she was even there… well, and maybe the change in outfit helped, but she doubted that. Clenching her jaw, she stood straight and kept her eyes on the couple nearing one of the corners with the vibrators.
Okay, gross.
But she couldn't deny that the spirits were looking out for her today since they didn't even notice her presence.
Releasing a shaky breath she didn't realize she'd been holding, Korra hastily slinked out the door and strolled out of Little Ba Sing Se.
—-
Landing at the docks, Korra fumbled with the bag of her purchases. She thought it would've been easy attempting to return to the Island, yet from what she could see, there were much more guards littering the area than when she left.
Has something happened? Did Amon threaten them or something?
Korra furrowed her brows as her gaze swept the entrance to the Air Temple. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary except for the numerous guards.
Licking her lips, she made her way down the familiar path to the women's dormitory and to her bedroom. That was odd, they weren't even greeting her, let alone questioning either where she's been or why in Koh's name she was dressed so similarly to Asami given the deep reds and blacks.
Absentmindedly, Korra almost bumped into the kid. Meelo rode a ball of whirling air underneath him and rapidly traveled the pathway, a mixture of sand and dust swirling beneath the ball and a giddy laugh escaping him.
"Woah, hey, Meelo." She said, watching as he stopped at her front and her hair swished around in a flurry from the gusts of wind. Meelo greeted her in response, though her eyes caught the fact that he was utterly alone. Usually he was with either one of his siblings, yet they didn't seem to be anywhere around. Curious, she glanced around her and asked, "Where's your sisters?"
"They're over there talking about you." He answered plainly, pointing with his index finger towards the garden that was just outside of her bedroom window. Mildly bristling, she squinted and discovered the two bent over and surveying something on the ground.
"I… what? Why're they talking about me?" She questioned in slight panic.
"They said they're trying to figure something out because they found footprints in the sand this morning and Ikki said she heard noises coming from your room late last night." Dear Koh. Korra's muscles were pulled taut at those words, but then Meelo shrugged lamely. "I don't know, I got bored at looking at the waves of sand, so I left and now you're here!" He said with a toothy grin.
Korra couldn't even bring herself to reciprocate the smile, because her blood had gone frozen in her veins. Spirits, of course, Tarrlok left them something to discover. Did he not know what type of family the airbenders were? Did he seriously not think about the fact that they could easily be discovered with one slip up, considering the amount of people - the amount of White Lotus guards - littering the Island?
Wait a minute, was that the reason why there were so many out guarding the perimeter?
Releasing a nervous chuckle, Korra shifted her weight from one foot to the other. "Yeah… you didn't happen to hear what they figured out, did you?" She asked, scratching her nape stiffly.
Meelo shook his head. "Nope!" That quelled a little bit of her nerves… for now… but she didn't doubt they'd figure something out sooner than later when Jinora - especially the eldest - seemed to easily piece together what's been going on between her and Tarrlok. A levelled sigh escaped her, though oxygen all but choked her when Meelo leaned forward and hooked a finger into the bag. "What's in there? Food?" He questioned all too innocently and snuck a peek inside.
"I-uh, Meelo!" Korra panicked and tried to back away, but it was too late.
Tilting his head to the side with confusion written everywhere on his face, he furrowed his brows. "Why do you have a rope and… that thingy?" He pointed towards the gag.
Korra flushed, the sensation of heat burning her cheeks fiercely as her eyes widened and hastily scanned her surroundings. The few guards that managed to hear the conversation seemed to glance at each other in a knowing way that left nothing to the imagination. Her brain was frazzled and she scrambled to rationalize why in all that was unholy, she'd have rope and a gag… and the obvious connection that these were in fact part of the reason why Ikki and Jinora were looking as though they were solving a murder.
Sputtering, she forced a smile. "N-nothing! It's just for interrogating Equalists! Asami recommended it!" She blurted, before hurriedly escaping Meelo's dainty clutch and nearly sprinting towards her bedroom, past the two sisters who made a sound at the back of their throats to catch her attention.
Korra wasn't having it and ignored them. She ran down the hallway and slammed the door shut with a rattle.
Spirits, she couldn't have any peace of mind when quite literally anyone she came across could discover what was going on between her and Tarrlok. Korra sighed and allowed her head to tilt back against the wooden panels of her door as she dropped her bag of purchases and nudged them underneath her bed.
Although, that didn't last when she saw Ikki and Jinora peek through her window across from her, and the eldest of the two said, "Korra? We have a few questions."
She groaned and rubbed her burning face with her hands. Well, she supposed she'd have to come up with some other outrageous lie that Jinora probably wouldn't believe.