Model Behavior
Summary: Modern/AU. Korra thought it was an ordinary day of art class at Republic School for the Gifted. But then, the art model Asami Sato walked into the room... Korrasami
Chapter 28: Isolation
Opal glanced down at the food in front of her, poking at it with her fork. Her twin brothers, Wing and Wei, weren't touching their food either. However, they were too busy arguing over the fact that Wing had received an extra piece of kiwi their favorite. Huan was seated next to them, glaring and muttering incoherently underneath his breath.
Kuvira and Baatar Jr. were seated at the other end of the table, talking quietly. Baatar Jr. had an open architecture book on the table. He pointed to a passage in the book, speaking rapidly, his eyes shining in excitement. Kuvira watched him with intensity, Opal rolled her eyes, scoffing quietly under her breath. Her mother placed her glass back down on the table after taking a sip of her juice, before turning in her chair to face her daughter. "Opal, honey, you aren't eating," she pointed out. "Are you sick?"
"No, mom, I'm fine," she said, a slight edge added to her tone. Kuvira briefly glanced over in their direction before returning her attention to Baatar Jr.
"Then what's the matter?" her mother questioned.
Opal inhaled slowly, her thoughts churning around in her head. Wing and Wei continued over the piece of kiwi, both forks stabbed into the food, trying to claim dominance. She exhaled through her nose, before turning to her face her mother with a look of annoyance. "You know what the problem is."
Baatar Sr., sitting beside his wife, coughed into his hand, suddenly taking heavy interest in the food placed in front of him. Her mother sighed before reaching up to rub her temples. "Honey, we've been over this. I just don't think it's safe for you in Republic City
"Well, I can't keep telling Bolin that I'll be back soon if I'm not going to be," Opal snapped. "If that were the case, if I had known before coming back to Zaofu, then I would have…ended things…"
"As parents, we're only interested in the safety and well-being of our children," her mother answered. She reached over to brush Opal's bangs out of her face, but her daughter scowled and recoiled from her touch. "I think it'd be best if you continued your schooling and air bending training here."
"With who?" Opal asked. "Tenzin and his family are all in Republic City." She ripped her napkin from her lap before placing it onto her full plate. "It's not Bolin I'm mad about, it's just this whole situation. Why don't you trust me?" she cried. "When I was accepted to Republic School for the Gifted, my whole family had to move with me just so I could attend. I'm not a child anymore."
"We'll figure something out," her mother said with a shrug. "In the team time, you need to get something into your stomach."
Opal angrily picked up the bread roll from her plate and took a massive bite out of it. After chewing and swallowing, she pushed her chair back from the table and stormed out of the room. She continued on towards her bedroom, the sound of her heavy footfalls bouncing around the hallways.
Upon entering her bedroom, she threw herself onto her bed, instantly burying herself among the sheets and pillows. Opal ignored the nagging at the back of her head, pointing out that she was wrinkling her dress robes. A few moments later, a loud knock rapped on her door. "What?" she snapped.
"May I come in?" Kuvira called from the other side of the door. Opal rolled her eyes before sitting up, scooting herself backward until she felt resistant by her bed's headboard. Crossing her arms over her chest, she huffed loudly.
"I can't really stop you," she answered.
"Yes, you can." Kuvira opened the bedroom door but continued to stand out in the hallway. She lazily leaned against the doorframe[1] , crossing one leg behind the other. "You easily have the ability to say no." Kuvira titled her head to the side, raising an eyebrow. "Or have you lost your voice?"
Opal bit the inside of her cheek. "I mean, I wouldn't be able to stop you if you wanted to come in anyway," she clarified. "You have feet."
"But that would be invading on your privacy and your rights."
"Finally, someone understands." Opal threw her hands up into the air. Kuvira cleared her throat as Opal's cell phone rang loudly. She plucked it off of her nightstand, and pressed a few buttons before bringing up her message inbox.
Bolin: -8:47 am- Hi Opal, it's me…again. Although, I'm sure you know who I am. I just wanted to let you know that I miss you! A lot! A lot a lot! I hope you're having a great Winter Vacation.
Asami: -9:22 am- Hey, I just wanted to check in and see how you were doing. I'm sure you've heard the news by now, but Korra is missing. People are out looking for her, so I'm sure she'll be found soon. I just wanted to keep you in the loop.
Asami: -9:23 am- PS, Bolin wanted me to tell you that he misses you and can't wait for you to return to Republic City. Apparently, he's worried about blowing up your phone. Talk to you soon.
Opal frantically waved for Kuvira to enter her room. As soon as the metalbender was close enough, she shoved her cellphone into her face. "Have you heard that Korra is missing?" she asked.
Kuvira slowly nodded, handing the airbender back her cellphone. "Su had informed of the news last night." She glanced around the room, frowning at the clothes strewn on the floor and the books in a giant pile on her desk. Kuvira rolled her head around on her neck, joints popped and cracked, before she began to tidy up the room.
"So, I'm the last person to know?" she demanded. "Why am I always the last person to know about these kind of things?"
"Su didn't want to worry you," Kuvira answered. She collected the books off of the desk and placed them on a nearby shelf. She then began to put them in order by subject, author, and title. "She only cares-"
"About my safety, I know." Opal snapped. "I've heard it all before. " She glanced down at her phone, her thumbs hovering over the keyboard, trying to decide what to type in response. After staring at the blinking cursor for a few more moments, she deleted Bolin's text before pulling up Asami's. Opal quickly sent back a short response before hitting send.
Opal glanced out of her bedroom window at the Beifong Estate. Nestled near the outskirts of Zaofu, the giant plot of land was surrounded by a metal ring. Opal watched, mesmerized, as the metal glittered underneath the sunlight. A few members of the Metal Clan were walking along the edge of the metal ring, carefully surveying the area. "Kuvira, do you like it here in Zaofu?"
Kuvira looked up from the historical text in her hands. She snapped it closed before placing it onto the shelf. "It's the first place that's ever felt like home to me," she answered quietly. Waiting for a response, Kuvira then began to pick up the clothing off of Opal's floor. "Why?" she finally asked.
Shrugging, Opal began to run her finger along the seams of the comforter on her bed. "Sometimes, I feel…trapped," she admitted. "I feel suffocated. It's one thing for my mother to say that I can be and do whatever I want, but then she goes around and has me stuck here, under her watch." Pulling her knees to her chest, she wrapped her arms around her legs.
Kuvira placed the clothing that was in her arms into the laundry basket by the bathroom door, she walked over to the bed. Opal watched with a raised eyebrow as Kuvira moved to sit next to her. The metalbender paused, before slowly lowering herself to the floor, resting her back against the bed frame. "She let you travel to Republic City for school," Kuvira reminded her.
"And yet the whole family came with me," Opal bitterly answered. "Even after the whole dorm incident, you had to follow me around. I'm sure it was just as unpleasant for you as it was for me."
"With the fact that I had to spend a lot of my time with Korra, that's a safe bet," Kuvira answered, rolling her eyes.
"She's not that bad."
"Whatever you say."
Opal moved to sit cross-legged. She rested her elbows on the side of her knees, hunching over. Cupping her cheeks with her hands, Opal peered over at Kuvira, who was shifting her metal armor into a more comfortable position. "Why do you care?"
"Excuse me?" Kuvira asked.
"If there's someone you don't like, then why give them the satisfaction of responding?" Opal asked. "They shouldn't be worth of your time or your thoughts. So, why do you hate Korra so much?"
"I never said I hated her," she corrected. "I just don't like her."
"I think you two would be good friends if you weren't so stubborn."
Kuvira scoffed gently. "Have you met your mother? Keeping you here when you clearly would rather be somewhere else," she pointed out. "I guess it's a Beifong thing?"
"She just doesn't understand." Opal exhaled slowly out of her nose. Kuvira hummed in response. She tapped a finger against her chin, before snapping.
"So, why not make her understand?" Kuvira suggested. She got to her feet and walked over to Opal's closet. Leaning inside, she pulled out a sports bag and tossed it into the middle of the floor. Kuvira stalked over to the dressers in the room, pulled out the drawers, and grabbed a handful of clothing.
"What are you talking about?" Opal demanded, her eyes following Kuvira as she made repeated trips from the dresser, to the sports bag, and back.
"You say that you're responsible and can do things on your own. The only way to show her is to prove it." Kuvira placed the last handful of clothing into the suitcase. She stuck her hand out, jerking it up by the wrist. The zipper of the bag quickly fastened itself.
"…That's not a bad idea." Opal slowly slid off of her bed. Kuvira turned to face her, her arms crossed over her chest. A slight smirk nestled on her face. Opal picked up the bag and slung it over her shoulder.
"You said it yourself; you won't be able to learn about airbending here without a proper teacher," Kuvira pointed out. "And this way, they will just think that you're going to the gym," she added. Opal walked back to her bed and picked up her cell phone, placing it into her pocket.
"But, what will happen when she finds out?" Opal questioned, her voice hushed as she exited her bedroom. Kuvira gently shut the door behind them before leading her down the hall. With her chin tilted upwards, and her hands clasped behind her back, anyone that would pass the two of them would do so without a second glance.
"You'll be long gone by then, so it won't be much of an issue," Kuvira answered out of the corner of her mouth. "Although, that could easily change once she brings Aiwei in, or the Metal Clan." Opal frowned. Before she could say anything, Kuvira nonchalantly waved the thought away. "I'll deal with it when we get to it."
The two walked in silence as their made their way down to the ground floor of the Beifong Estate. On the way, they had to pass by the dining room. Opal took a quick glance inside. Her mother was chatting happily with her husband about one of his projects, Baatar Jr. was immersed in his book, Huan was drawing in a sketch pad, and Wing and Wei were pretend sparring, the piece of kiwi split in half.
"Maybe I should take some food with me
"No, it'd make your leave noticeable," Kuvira called over her shoulder. "Just use your name and whatever small tricks you can come up with to get some free food." Opal looked at her in shock and amazement. "I lived on the streets myself, remember?" She slowed to a stop as they approached the Beifong Estate doors.
"Weren't you lonely?" Opal questioned.
Kuvira reached up and tucked her bangs behind her ear. Her olive green eyes turned a slight shade darker as she sighed. "Of course I was. I was eight with no set plans on where to go or what to do," she quietly admitted. "I got lucky that your mother found me."
"What if I'm not that lucky?" Opal walked up and put her hand on the doorknob. Twisting it slowly, she heard the gears and springs wind, before pulling the door open. She winced as she sun shined brightly into the foyer. "What if no one wants to help?"
"You're smart," Kuvira answered with a shrug. "You'll be able to figure things like this out. You were able to sneak Bolin and his brother and your friends into and out of your dorm, right?"
Opal smiled gently at the memory. "It was more Korra's plan…" Kuvira straightened up, clasping her hands behind her back, standing with her legs together, and her chest slightly puffed out. When Opal looked in her direction, she gave a small nod before saluting. "I can't," Opal muttered, dropping her bag to the floor. She tightened her grip on the door handle before pushing the door closed. "It'd hurt her too much."
Kuvira nodded once in understanding. "Then I will help you with your items," she said, bending down to pick up her bag. Kuvira tilted her head to the side, passing the shoulder strap by her left ear, allowing it to rest on her left shoulder. Once she straightened, she looked over at Opal, frowning at the half-smirk on the young girl's face.
"You were never going to let me leave were you?" Opal questioned.
"That depends." Kuvira answered. She raised a shoulder before clasping her hands behind her back.
"On?"
"On how far you would have gone. And now, we will never know." Kuvira stepped to the side, allowing Opal to walk by her as they headed back up the stairs of the Beifong Estate. "However, if you do want to go back to Republic City, I meant it, you have to prove to your mother that you're as responsible as you say you are." Kuvira then bit back a groan. "And if that means I have to go with you, then it won't kill me."
"You can stop pretending," Opal said with a smile. "Even though Korra is currently missing, something tells me that once she's found, you'll be looking forward to another matchup against her."
"You're very in tune with things around you," Kuvira commented. "Are you use you're not an earth bender?"
"…Thank you…for listening to me." Opal then frowned. "You didn't have to do it just because I'm Suyin Beifong's daughter or Jr.'s sister."
"That's not the reason why I did it." Kuvira shook her head. "I did it because you're Opal and you needed someone to talk to. Your last name doesn't mean anything in these circumstances. You're a person that needed to vent just like everyone else." She brushed her bangs away from her face. "Plus, you're the closest thing I have to an actual sister, and growing up, I would have loved having someone older to turn to."
"Thanks."
Kuvira shrugged. "You're welcome."
AN: Many, many thanks to my beta, Rubiks.
This chapter was a bit of a filler, but it's needed. In case you haven't noticed from the past chapter and this one, I'm exploring Asami's friendships and relationships with people around her. I liked how they brought up Bosami in the show and I felt like the show needed more moments like that. Even though these could be considered fillers, it also helps with the "season 2" arc I have coming up (and am essentially in the middle of).
I'm still working on the gap filler oneshot (maybe two shot) that takes place in between chapters 25 and 26. It is tentatively called 'Summer Solstice Festival'. So be on the lookout for that.
Once again, thank you for being patient for this chapter, and I'll see you next time. If you would like to get updates or ask me questions, then please follow me on tumblr (knocking-down-hesitation).
~Angel
