The oil lamp on the table burned out just as daylight started to fill the small cabin. Asami blinked, glancing around only just realizing that she had stayed up all night. She rubbed at her face, setting the notebook down. The room was filled with a persistent chill, and she at one point had gotten up to don her robe before sliding back under the blankets. She shimmied the rest of the way under the blankets, now finished with her manic scribbling. It didn't take long for her to warm up, and sleep took her shortly after. She wasn't sure how long she slept, but it had only felt like minutes when someone shook her shoulder. She flinched awake, and felt someone snatch her arm and tug her,
"Whoa! Don't dive off the bed again!" Korra said. Asami's senses collected quickly and she curled tighter under the blankets.
"Cold." Asami replied. Korra made a humm of agreement, and Asami could feel the mattress shifting beneath her.
"I miss Naga, she usually half-suffocates me when it gets cold."
"Unfortunately, you're stuck with me." Asami teased, getting a chuckle from Korra who simply shook her head, and Asami wondered if she was imagining the faint blush on her cheeks. The morning passed in a groggy blur. Korra declined changing her clothes, seeing no point in getting out of her sleepwear. Too tired to argue with her, she figured her parents could talk her into changing if it was deemed important enough. The usual transfer into the chair, and pushing her out of the room. The dining area being adjacent to the cabins mercifully saved her the struggle of needing to carry Korra up the stairs to the upper deck, and they met with Senna and Tonraq for breakfast. A few crewmen were at a separate table, but everyone ate the same simple meal; fish and rice, and the mug of coffee served with was a spiritsend. It gave her just enough energy to prevent her from nodding off with her head on the breakfast table.
"Care to join us?" Tonraq's deep voice jarred her from whatever half-asleep daze she was in and she sat up straighter.
"Sorry?" She asked.
"Me and Korra are going fishing above deck." He clarified.
"Oh. I've never fished before… but I'd be happy to sit and keep you both company." Asami replied, thinking about being able to work out more of her portable furnace design. She just needed to work out the best way to insulate the components so they wouldn't catch on fire, and design a case that would help the hot air escape into the room but not be too hot to touch. Then… and then… and then… the familiar circles in her mind as she worked through coming up with every complication she could so she could work through them.
"Asami?" Tonraq jarred her again. "You okay?" He asked, the way his brow furrowed with concern looked so remarkably like Korra, who was making the same expression at her.
"Just tired, I stayed up later than I should have working on a design." She admitted. Korra opened her mouth and shut it again, dropping her gaze. Asami frowned but didn't press, thanking Senna for breakfast and helping to place everything in the sink. She nearly offered to help with dishes, but Tonraq was already heading to go above deck and she knew Korra likely wouldn't want her father carrying her up the stairs. They stopped at the cabin so Asami could grab her notebook and her thick coat. Korra wheeled herself to the doorway and blocked the way.
"Korra?" Asami asked.
"Am I wearing you out?" She asked, eyes downcast at her hands. Her face was tight and Asami was almost certain she could see her eyes glistening. Her hands were balled tight, her knuckles blanched white. "Am… am I why you're so tired?" She asked. Asami paused, setting her coat down on the bed and came up to her, kneeling down so she could meet her eye. Her hands reached for hers, fingers curling around fingers.
"I just didn't sleep well. It's colder than I'm used to, I'll get some warmer things when we arrive. And I have a bad habit of staying up all night when a new design gets stuck in my head," she chuckled and shrugged, "the number of times my secretary would come in and find me asleep at my desk clocking-in the next morning is a bit embarrassing." In truth, she was exhausted. But she would never admit it aloud. She felt ashamed even admitting it to herself. It's only been two weeks. She had chided herself more than once. Korra's eyes remained downcast and she nodded at Asami's answers, her hands loosening their grip. Asami gave her some time before she stood up, got her coat and notebook, and left the room.
Carrying Korra up the stairs proved a fair bit more difficult than coming down, Korra's dejected expression deepening after getting her settled in her wheelchair at the top of the stairs. The wind bit her exposed skin as soon as they left the doorway, and she tensed up with a shiver.
"Cold." She remarked.
"You can stay back down if you want." Korra offered, but something in her tone told Asami that the words were at least half-forced.
"Just need a few minutes to adjust." Asami replied, pulling her hood over her head. She had purchased a coat before leaving Republic City, but despite her best efforts she couldn't quite find something warm enough to face the weather in the south, and had to settle for a thick hooded jacket intended for Republic City winters. She had found thick gloves to go with it at least, and when zipped up covered her neck. "I've never fished before." she prompted, hoping to coax Korra into conversation. But her silence remained, and Asami pushed the chair across the deck. She followed the rail, unsure where to meet Tonraq, until she eventually spotted him near some chairs that appeared bolted or welded to the deck on the port side.
"There you are! Brisk morning huh?" He greeted, waving over to them. Asami gave a polite wave, and brought Korra over. "Ready to catch some fish? See who can snag the bigger one?" Tonraq asked. Asami saw Korra shift, straightening herself, hands on the arms of the chair to try and pull herself more upright.
"Me of course." Korra replied. Asami smiled, of course tapping into her competitive nature would bring a little life back in her.
"Wanna join? Maybe a bit of beginner's luck will beat us both." Tonraq suggested. Asami hesitated, she had never fished before and wasn't entirely sure how good at it she would be. But seeing how Korra at started to light up she nodded.
"I dunno Korra, I think I can beat you." She suggested. Korra turned and looked up at her, an actual smirk on her face,
"Bring it on Sato." Asami laughed,
"Oh I'll bring it." She helped Korra settle into one of the fishing chairs, far more secure than her wheelchair regardless of the brakes. But the ritual didn't destroy this elation in Korra's mood as she expected. She took the chair on one side of her, Tonraq the other. She had a fleeting thought that she might be taking up Senna's spot, but the woman was nowhere to be seen. The chairs were tall enough to see over the rail, and suddenly seeing the rail of the ship sway in comparison to the steady horizon brought a sudden wave of nausea.
"I.. may have miscalculated." Asami admitted. Korra held her hands up to show Asami the pressure point and she was quick to mirror the action. She closed her eyes, which proved to be a mistake. She slapped a hand over her mouth, the other pressed against her stomach as she tried to will the suden nausea.
"Need to develop your sea legs." Tonraq teased. "I'll get Senna. Korra, teach her the ropes for me?" He stood up, placing the rods and and a box between them. Korra gave him a thumbs-up, and he walked off likely to get tea and green-tinted rice. If it worked as well as the previous night, she would be happy to accept the remedy.
"We've been on ships before, I've never gotten sick like this." Asami complained.
"You were always on… fancier ships than this." Korra replied.
"Well why don't you show me how this works. My seasickness won't get any better with me sitting here mulling on it." She said. Korra nodded, reaching for one rod, and gestured for Asami to take the other. She taught her the basics, and after a couple tries got a successful cast out into the sea. She wasn't sure how a moving ship wouldn't scare off the fish, but stuck the rod into the slot in front of the chair, and clicked the clip on the chair to hold it in place.
"Now we wait until something bites." Korra said with a shrug. "Fishing is mostly waiting."
"Wouldn't have pegged you for someone who can like waiting." Asami teased. She nearly joked about how bad she was at mediatitating at first due to her inability to sit still, but held her tongue.
"Fishing is weird." Korra replied. She sat back, her hands folded in her lap and eyes staring off. The rod, the horizon, Asami wasn't sure. She stared off herself, trying to find what would steady her swimming head better. Without the distraction of Korra's fishing lesson the seasickness was back. But as it started to crest Tonraq rejoined them.
"So, any luck?" He handed a bowl and mug to Asami, who was happy to take them. She shook her head and he clucked his tongue, "They'll bite eventually. It's a waiting game." he cast his own line, set the rod, and sat in his chair. Asami sipped at her tea, listening to Korra and Tonraq talk. The seasickness beganto abate, and she smiled when she looked over. She would sit here in the cold as long as needed if it meant Korra was smiling again.
The tea and rice settled her stomach and she was able to settle her eyes on the horizon. Korra's rod was the first to bounce, with a decently sized fish dragged aboard and shoved into a bucket. Asami stared at the way they had to wriggle the hook out of its mouth, and shove the thrashing thing into the large bucket to be tended to later. Korra was bright, looking almost like her old self, bragging about the size of her fish, Tonraq taunting back that it was barely big enough to feed a single person. Asami's rod shook second some time later, and she nearly fell out of her chair as she reached out for it, trying to follow Korra's instructions to reel the line in. Tonraq pulled the fish aboard with a net, her fish larger than Korra's.
"I think Miss Sato has you beat." He teased. Korra pouted, crossing her arms.
"It's still early." She insisted. Asami chuckled,
"Jealous mine's bigger?"
"Oh you wish!" They laughed together, and Korra walked Asami through re-casting her line. Between the three they caught more than enough fish to feed everyone for dinner, and in the end Asami's first fish was the largest of the bunch.
"I'll beat you next time." Korra insisted, and then she squinted as she stared out at sea. "Huh, weird."
"What?" Asami asked.
"Someone else is fishing. Don't usually see a lot of ships on this route." Asami followed her eyeline and squinted, able to see a blob on the horizon but not able to make out any detail.
"It's cheeta-salmon season." Tonraq explained. "Not that odd." the girls nodded at this explanation. "Well let's start cleaning the fish so we can use them tonight." Tonraq suggested, and with Korra's agreement Asami felt the blood rush out of her face at the sight of the knife Tonraq pulled out of the tackle box.+