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 42: To (Earth)Kingdom Come – Kai and Jinora

Kai laughed as Bumi's jacket lifted and flopped back down onto his head. He bent over, grabbing at his stomach with one hand, wiping a stray tear from the other. He tried to calm himself down, but erupted in another fit of laughter as Bumi tried to remove his jacket. Soon, Bumi began thrashing around upon realizing some of the decorative buttons on the back got lodged into his hair.

"Hang on, I'll fix it for you," Kai said, reaching a hand out.

"No way! You might do some airbending trick and cut all my hair off," Bumi shouted. He began to inch away, using his feet to check around him to make sure he wouldn't run into anything. "I'll go find Tenzin."

Kai chuckled once more before turning his attention over to Mako. He was speaking quietly with Jinora over in a corner of the airship. Before he could move, he heard a loud sound coming from outside the window. He looked up, didn't see anything, before looking down at the sand. He spotted a shadow on top of the massive shadow of the airship.

"It's just Asami," Jinora said, joining his side. "She mentioned something about damage to the flank of the ship."

Kai sighed happily. He turned away from the window, opened his arms wide and began to spin in circles. "All of this is just…amazing," he said. "Better than the life I had before."

Jinora made a sound of discontent, while crossing her arms over her chest. She raised an eyebrow and looked pointedly at him. "You were looked after before, and then you stole from the family," she pointed out.

Kai stopped spinning and turned to face Jinora. He let out a small laugh, an uncomfortable one, before reaching up and rubbing the back of his head. "…Old habits, you know." Jinora continued to stare at him. "That was the old me," he added.

"You don't bite the hand that feeds you." Jinora raised a shoulder. "You should have been happy with what you had. Others can and probably do have it much worse." She took a seat on the windowsill, stretching her legs out. "I saw what you did to Bumi."

"That was a joke," Kai insisted.

"Bending shouldn't be used as a joke," she answered sharply. "There's already enough tension back home against benders and non-benders."

"I didn't do any of that stuff!" he shouted.

"So?" Jinora's voice was calm. It instantly caused Kai to relax. He took a seat next to her, waiting for her to continue. "It's not like non-benders can't be prejudice against us. You need to start taking things seriously."

Kai sighed hard, slumping in his seat. He clasped his hands over his abdomen, a soft pout pulled the corners of his lips down. He watched as Mako began placing assorted items into a leather shoulder bag. "What were you talking to Mako about?"

"The airbenders in this city," Jinora said after a moment, watching Mako pack. "It's weird how every other state we've visited in the Earth Kingdom has benders but this place doesn't." Her eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "The others just didn't want to leave their homes and families. I wholeheartedly understand that, but none being found here?"

"So, what do you want to do?" Kai asked.

"We should go out into Ba Sing Se and find more benders."

"But the Earth Queen-"

Jinora interrupted him with a wave of her hand. "The Earth Queen has asked to speak to Korra. Dad and Tonraq just told me." Her eyes lit up in excitement. "We can use that as a distraction to look around."

"You mean snoop?" Kai half-smiled. "I'm in."

"Great; Bolin already knows the plan so we just need to grab him. Then we'll be good to go." Jinora got up from her seat and held out her hand. Kai quickly grabbed it and was pulled to his feet. He smiled and whispered a quiet 'thank you'. Jinora's cheeks flushed lightly as she nodded.

The two joined Mako and walked toward the rear of the airship, heading to the hangar it was connected to. On the way, they entered a spare room where Tenzin, Lin, and Tonraq were congregated. Their conversation quickly stopped upon the small group passing the threshold.

"We're heading into Ba Sing Se to look for more airbenders," Kai announced. Tenzin's eyebrows raised in surprise as he looked at the small group. He then nodded before turning his attention to his daughter.

"Are you sure?" he asked.

"It is the only way to possibly continue your legacy, Dad," Jinora answered, raising a shoulder. "We have to try."

Tenzin sighed before nodding once more. Watching Jinora grow up, he knew that once her mind was settled on something, it would be hard to change it. "I'll go with you," he declared, getting to his feet.

"No, you should stay here." Mako place a hand on Tenzin's shoulder, firmly pushing him back into his seat. "No disrespect to you, of course. It'd be less obvious if you were to go. They may be expecting a world leader like Tenzin or Tonraq," he said, glancing over at Lin, "and people of your stature, chief," he added.

"But that's just it," Tonraq said, "if anything were to go wrong, they won't take it easy on some kids."

"Then we'll have to go back to Zaofu and get Su," Lin commented, "and maybe her second in command, Aiwei. He'll be able to tell if the queen, or anyone in this city, is lying."

"Then we have a plan." Tenzin got up out of his seat and wrapped Jinora in a tight hug. "Please, be careful," he whispered into her hair.

"Tell Korra to take it easy as well," Tonraq added, "she's still recovering."

Kai's eyes widened in shock. "How-"

"It's Korra," Tenzin sighed as he released Jinora. "You tell her to go left, and she'll go right, up, and down."

Kai, Mako, and Jinora said their goodbyes before heading out into the hangar. Bolin was standing by the entryway of the hangar, glancing up into the sky. His lips were moving, as if he were talking to someone, but no one else was around. It wasn't until they got closer they were able to hear what he was saying.

"Asami, you're always doing something for someone else," Bolin whispered. "When will you stop putting yourself aside and do what you really want?" He jumped when he felt a hand on his shoulder. Mako gave him a gentle smile before stepping away, Jinora and Kai walking up behind him. "Ready to go?"

"Yeah, let's do it." Bolin nodded.

"We should probably mention to Korra and Asami what we're doing," Kai pointed out.

Bolin sighed, looking back at the two women. "Do we have to interrupt them?" he quietly asked.

"This is kind of important," Jinora pressed. "We all came out to assist on this mission."

"I know." He half smiled. "It's just the one time I've really seen Asami relax."

"She knew the importance of the job," Mako pointed out. He then smiled warmly. "Besides, she'll be fine. She's Asami. She can do anything."

"You're right."

Bolin stepped out into the bright sun, shielded his eyes from the harsh sun. He gasped loudly when Asami suddenly slipped down the side of the airship. Bolin exhaled in relief as she came to a jerking stop.

"Hey Asami," Bolin called out. Asami gave him a wave as she walked around the base of the airship, inspecting more of the metal paneling. "Mako, Jinora, and I are going with Kai deeper into the Earth Kingdom. We're going to see if we can find more airbenders. Want to come?" he asked.

Kai stopped and held back, watching quietly as Bolin, Asami, and Korra were engaged in their conversation. Jinora stopped next to him, causing Mako to do the same. Kai couldn't help but smile at their easy banter. It was something he used to witness with the family that had taken him in off the streets. The house was filled with so much love and warmth, a wave of guilt rushed over him. He lowered his head, kicking at a clump of dirt near his feet.

Why did I have to go and mess things up? he thought. They were only nice to me. Why did I have to assume they were going to dump me like my parents.

Mako cleared his throat before glancing at the watch on his arm. He then began to walk towards Bolin, Korra, and Asami with large steps. Kai and Jinora had to speed up their pace to be able to keep up.

Hermes chirped happily as Mako, Jinora, and Kai all waked up. Hermes nuzzled Asami one more time before fading from site. Korra lifted her fingers to her mouth and blew hard, giving a shrill whistle. A loud bark emerged from the airship before Naga bounded down the ramp, sliding to a stop in front of everyone. Korra happily laughed when Naga gave her a large lick.

"Let's get going," Asami said. She walked to Naga's side and checked the pouch, nodding when she found a radio in one of the pockets. "Do you have a radio?" she asked over her shoulder.

"Right here," Kai said, patting the bag resting on his hip. Korra swung her arms around and produced a gust of wind. She pushed herself up onto Naga's back before leaning over and holding her hand out to help Asami up. Naga bent down and laid on her stomach.

"Good, so we'll all be in contact." Asami grabbed a hold of Korra's hand and cried out in shock as Korra gave a hard tug and pulled her up into Naga's seat. Korra scratched Naga behind her ears before using her knees to direct Naga towards the city.

"Have fun with the queen," Bolin said while taking a few steps out of the way.

"Let's go, girl. To the city." Korra grabbed Asami's hands and pulled them around her waist as Naga reared back on her hind legs before shooting forward. Asami grunted as she fell forward, slamming into Korra's back. She released one hand from Korra's tight grip and reached up to pull her goggles down over her eyes.

"Are you ready to go?" Mako asked. He clipped a radio onto his hip. "I want to get back before dusk." He turned towards Jinora and Kai. "We may have cell phones but the service could easily be terrible where we're all going. Plus, these radios don't have much juice left. Only use it when needed."

"We probably should have told Korra and Asami that," Bolin pointed out. He turned, hands cupping his mouth, ready to call out. He stopped upon noticing the small white figure racing off into the distance. "I forget how fast Naga is sometimes."

"It wouldn't have made much of a difference. You know how impulsive Korra is," Mako said with a smile. "We can radio them later." He bid his goodbyes to Jinora and Kai before heading into town towards the closest rail station.

"Let's do it!" Kai said enthusiastically, giving Jinora and thumbs up. She half-smiled before looking away.


Hou-Tang, the Earth Queen residing over Ba Sing Se and the rest of the Earth Kingdom, sighed heavily from her throne. She tapped her fingers along the arm of her chair, glaring down at the two Dai Li agents in front of her. The only sound in the room came from her nails clicking against the gold of her chair. "Do you know why I am displeased?" she quietly asked.

One of the Dai Li agents swallowed around a hard lump. The sound seemed to be amplified in the quiet room. The agent on the left looked to the one on the right, trying to catch her eyes, but she continued to look forward.

"Umm," he muttered, "…no?"

"Shhh!" the girl hissed.

"Are you asking me? Or telling me?" Hou-Tang demanded.

"Yes!" the male Dai Li agent nodded. The girl agent rolled her eyes and lowered her head more, trying to keep her eyes covered with the giant yellow round hat on her head. Though she tried to keep still, she shook in anticipation.

"It is because you have yet to add more to my collection of airbenders." Hou-Tang shifted in her seat. She began to tap them together, pursing her lips in discontent. "There must be more in this city."

"Some…whispers have been released to the public," the female Dai Li agent said, choosing her words very carefully. The male Dai Li agent took a small step to the side before reaching up and covering his ears with his hands.

"What?!" she exploded. The female Dai Li agent flinched at the loud echo bouncing around in the throne room. "Impossible!"

"No, we're sure of it," he said.

"Will you be quiet?" the female Dai Li agent hissed.

"Silence!" Hou-Tang roared. The female Dai Li agent looked over at her partner before pointing at the queen. "This unacceptable," Hou-Tang continued, "There must be others here in the city." She sighed heavily. "I don't care if they're not from here. If anyone uses airbending, take them!"

"Yes, your highness," the two nodded, bowing low.

"I am waiting for the Avatar. Please let me know when she arrives," she ordered. "Now get out of my sight!"


Jinora reached up and wiped the sweat off her forehead. She gripped the bottom of her shirt and pulled it away from her skin. She quickly reached a hand underneath and bent a small breeze, drying her skin.

The two had been searching around the city for hours, trying to hear any word of airbenders, and avoiding the Dai Li as much as possible. Whenever they were forced to cross paths, Kai and Jinora acted as polite as possible, to not bring any attention to themselves, even though they did stand out in their air nation clothing.

Kai walked next to her, his hands stuffed into his pockets. He watched in concern as Jinora placed a hand on her stomach, a grimace etched onto her face.

"Are you okay?" he asked, nudging her in the side.

"I'm just getting a bit hungry," Jinora answered with a smile. "I can keep going though. We have to keep looking."

"It is also okay to take a break from time to time." Kai placed a hand on her arm, gently pulling her to a stop. Jinora turned to face him. "You've been awesome and have been moving like a champ, but you need to eat something." Jinora reached up and brushed some loose strands of hair out of her face. She turned away so he wouldn't see her cheeks turning red. "Look, there are stalls all around. What are you hungry for?"

Jinora looked at a few of the food stalls closest to them before wrinkling her nose, shaking her head. "None of this food. At least most of it." She walked over to one, waving her hand in the air to shoo away some flies. "I don't eat meat or animal products, remember?"

Kai nodded before placing a hand on the small of her back, ushering her to another nearby stall. "Well, there are some vegetables."

"But they're serving them with the same spoon they serve the meat," Jinora pointed out. "I can't have any. Besides, these prices are steep," she added pointing at chalkboard sign on the table. "I wouldn't have enough money for some."

"Yeah, you're right." Kai nodded. He looked closely at the menu written in chalk. A middle-aged man just returned to the stall, placing a create of fresh vegetables onto the counter next to the menu. Kai straightened up, and looked at him with a half-smile. "These prices are a little ridiculous."

"Take it up with the Queen," the man grunted, wiping his hands onto an apron tied around his waist. "She puts taxes on all imports and exports, so we must raise our prices." He cleared his throat before resting an arm along the counter top. He picked up a pair of tongs and clicked them, ready to start serving his food."

"Why don't you say anything about it?" Kai pressed.

"Because I enjoy living here," the man answered, raising an eyebrow. "Thanks to the Dai Li it is safe for my wife and my kids."

"That's kind of stupid," he answered.

"No, not really," Jinora said. She sent the man an apologetic look as soon as she noticed a scowl forming on his face. She grabbed Kai by the crook of his elbow, trying to pull him away from the stall, but he shrugged off her grip. Kai walked around the stall and placed an arm around the man's shoulders. Or at least he tried to. The height difference was so big that Kai had to balance his weight on one foot.

"Yes, it is!" Kai insisted. He turned his attention back to the middle-aged man, ignoring the death glare he was receiving. "Barely making a living by being forced to raise prices, just to live somewhere safe? Move to Republic City, its much nicer," he suggested.

"Kai, they might not have the option to do so," Jinora said. She crossed her arms over her chest, impatiently tapping a foot. "Try to think of others and what they may be going through."

"You're right." Kai patted the man on the back before pulling away. He moved towards the front of the stall and glanced at the food options. "I'm sorry. How about, I ordered some steamed vegetables?" he asked. Kai reached into his pocket and pulled out a black wallet. Jinora glanced at it in confusion. "To help the cause."

The man's glare quickly faded. He nodded once as Kai slapped some money down on the countertop. "That would be great, thank you." He picked up two Styrofoam boxes before plunging a pair of tongs into the vegetables.

"And make sure you don't mix up utensils," Kai added.

Jinora took her container with a smile. She bit into the food, smiling happily as the seasoning coated her tongue, and the brother from the food coated her dry throat. "Have a wonderful day." She gave a deep bow. "Thank you."

"Yeah; thanks man," Kai said, giving a swift salute while receiving his own portion.

"Yeah, yeah," the man muttered. "Keep your boyfriend in line, will ya? I don't need the Dai Li sniffing around," he called after them.

"He's right, you know." Jinora made quick work of her food. She downed the rest of the broth from the vegetables and tossed the Styrofoam container into a nearby trash can. "We shouldn't be making any trouble."

"Trouble tends to find me," Kai said with a shrug. He popped a piece of broccoli into his mouth, chewing slowly, savoring every bite.

"You mean you go find it," she answered. "Where did you get that wallet?" she asked. "It didn't look like a Republic City wallet."

"That's because it's the gift that keeps on giving," Kai said with a smile. Jinora stopped, but Kai continued to eat his food and didn't notice for a few paces. He paused mid-chew, turning to look at the furious look on her face.

"You stole it from him?" Jinora demanded.

"Shhh!" Kai said, rushing over. Broth and spittle making its way down his chin. "We need money, and he needs money. We're square."

"Kai! You…you…jerk!" Jinora shouted. She reached both hands out and pushed at his chest. A large gale of wind picked Kai up and threw him into the air, the Styrofoam container and food fell to the ground. He yelled out in surprise. Jinora gasped, clasping her hands over her mouth in shock. As Kai fell back toward the ground, he bent air toward the ground to slow himself down.

Kai let out a sigh of relief as his feet touched the ground. He brushed his clothing free of dirt before running his fingers through his hair to clear any debris. He reached into his pocket and pulled out the wallet he had just snatched, tossing it to the side.

"Oh, Kai, I'm sorry," Jinora said, rushing up to him. "That was an accident."

"No problem," he answered.

"But it might be a problem," she insisted. "What if a Dai Li agent was watching?"

"Jinora, it is okay. There's no one here." Kai shrugged. He started to smile but a look of horror crossed his face. Rock erupted from the ground and locked his ankles in place. He cried out in pain as the sudden shift in his weight caused him to fall forward. Jinora caught him, and helped lower him to the ground. Her eyes widened in fear as she spotted four Dai Li agents running towards them.

Kai looked at her face before glancing over his shoulder. He then reached up and placed a hand near, her stomach. She grunted as a wave of air pushed against her, moving her back several feet. "Jinora, run!" he shouted.

Jinora's steps faltered as she moved backward. She quickly stopped, and rushed back towards Kai. He yelled in pain as rock handcuffs locked his hands and legs together. He cried out angrily as one of the Dai Li agents grabbed him by the back of his shirt, pulling him to his feet. Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted a Dai Li agent holding a sack, and another was spinning some type of netting over his head.

"No!" Kai shouted. Jinora skidded to a stop. "Just go. Get help!" She chewed on her bottom lip before nodding once. A Dai Li agent threw the netting at her. She quickly airbent it to shreds before forming an airscooter, rushing away.


AN: Many thanks to my beta, Rubiks! Remember to follow my twitter AngelofStarzFFN to get updates on all of my stories and my writing progress.

Next chapter title: Pillow Talk