p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Tenzin was displeased with himself, to say the least. /p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"To begin with, it was his decision to spend the last eight years living like a nomad. Say what one might, but the airbender was a romantic. He didn't want to settle down with some acolyte and raise his children living in simpleton monotony and hypocrisy. He wanted to embrace his culture: travel the world and find his soulmate as his father did. Until the age of sixteen, Tenzin was the only airbender excepting Aang, the Avatar. Everything changed after this one phenomenon occurred: one his father called Harmonic Convergence. /p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Aang, Zuko, and old Uncle Iroh spent year after year maintaining peace and harmony within and beyond this world. Together, they came to the conclusion that their two worlds required a bridge- a physical one at that. So they set out on an adventure to open up the two spirit portals located at either pole. This, however, fruited in airbenders popping up front, right, and center out of nowhere. /p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Tenzin was no longer the last Airbender carrying the weight of his father's legacy. /p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"As happy as he was to witness the sheer joy in his father's eyes, it saddened him to learn that the course of his future was about to change. /p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"You see, Tenzin admitted that he was quite the romantic. He had a talk with his parents about it very early on in life. He told them that he didn't want to be the father of the air nation even though that would inadvertently be his responsibility. He wanted to give his children the same childhood he had: one where his parents loved him and his siblings the same: bending, warts and all. He wanted to marry for love: not to repopulate the world of it's airbenders. Aang had hugged his son tightly that night. At the ripe age of eleven, the boy understood what most of his older acolytes couldn't seem to follow. Yes, the world needed more airbenders. Yes, what happened to the airbenders was an atrocity. But it happened in the past. Neither can one dwell in the past, nor must they yearn for a future. What mattered was the present and what one can do with the gift of today. Aang always told his kids to do their best every day and if they did that, the universe had it's ways of rewarding them. That night, Aang promised his son that he'd be free to do as his heart desired. That the universe will settle the unbalance./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"And then there were airbenders. His own brother amongst them. /p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Tenzin's conundrum between choosing a man, woman, or bender he loved and his legacy was finally resolved. Even though his father and the Avatar had already given him the freedom, this was the universe's way of telling him he was indeed free to make his own choices. He liked to think that everything changed after harmonic convergence, but really nothing had. He still traveled the world and taught the principles of air nation alongside airbending wherever needed. He spent a total of two years at every temple, summoning more and more airbenders and introducing them to their element. Even though he was constantly surrounded by benders and acolytes alike, the experience was rather isolating. Aang and Katara would visit him from time to time, but his only loyal companion was his trusty sky bison, Oogie, who grew up with the young bender. /p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"No, but this was not about legacies or bending. /p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Tenzin was displeased- furious even, at whom, however, he didn't know. But why? Clear as day. Because while he was searching far and wide for the love of his life, his unknowing brother slid right past and won her over with his unequivocal charm. He couldn't even blame her- not that he knew her or her type- to fall in love with someone like Bumi. For the longest time, Tenzin would wonder how he was actually related to this cacophony of a man and to think that now his whole purpose- his soulmate- was the very point of commonality between them. /p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Tenzin couldn't stand it. He needed this woman- he knew the arch of her lips like the back of his hand; he knew they were meant for each other. At the mere sight of this woman, he felt something tugging at the strings of his dormant soul. Nudging him to pull her into his arms and tell her he's been searching for her all these years and that he finally found her. To make her believe that their souls are entwined, that he traveled the world looking for her without a name or face in mind, that he knew the second he laid his eyes on her that they were made for each other. /p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"His stomach tightened presently as his mind ran at the pace of a hungry eel hound. He was waiting patiently for Bumi to answer the door when- /p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""Tenzin!" She chirped softly as the door flung open./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""Uh- um-" /p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""Lin." She reintroduced herself, extending one hand out. He shook her hand again like it was made of blasting jelly, with a weak grip against her firm handshake. She must work with the council then, he finally concluded based solely off of the steadiness of her handshake. But she didn't have that superficial extremely-happy-to-see-you-even-though-I-hate-your-guts politician's smile. Hers was something in between a smirk and a stifled grin. Had it been on anyone else's face, it sure would've looked fake, but on her: it just complimented her softness. /p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""I remember," He cleared his throat nervously, "I was expecting Bumi so you caught me off guard." /p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""Sorry to disappoint," She deadpanned, moving away from the door, "Come on in. Bumi should be out of the shower any minute now." /p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""Oh I didn't mean to-" He tried overcorrecting before realizing that he might end up saying something weird along the lines of: 'I can't think of any being or spirit that would ever feel an emotion ever close to disappointment at the sight of you'. span style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: oblique; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"Yes, Tenzin, that's too much,/span he told himself. span style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: oblique; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"You cannot say that to a woman you just met. /span/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""I'm kidding." She rolled her eyes. /p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Spirits, he needed to tell her how he felt. The young airbender was smitten and how- she could sneeze and he'd have his heart in his hands as an offering of his love. /p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"As he slowly made his way in, he noted that this was not just Bumi's apartment, it was span style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: oblique; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"their/span apartment. span style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: oblique; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"They were living together. /spanHis belly ached momentarily, and his heart rate picked up frantically. He needed some grounding- he needed something to tether his heart- oh, but he was smart enough to look away from her lest he spilled all his secrets. His eyes first fell to the framed photograph of the two of them atop the cabinet in the entryway. It had Lin wearing some silver-gray metal-like armor with the most neutral expression and Bumi on her side, one arm around her shoulder, squeezing her cheek in the process, smiling happily into the camera. Tenzin began wondering about the pretext of the picture: was it planned? Did she not want to be in the picture? Was Bumi bothering her? Who took this picture? Why was she wearing an armor? Was she Bumi's bodyguard in the council? /p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Tenzin frowned at the thought. Had it been him, he'd be the one protecting her in a metal armor. /p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Lin probably caught him glaring at the picture baselessly so she tried clarifying, "That was the day I was promoted to Chief." /p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""Chief?" He repeated, befuddled. /p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""Chief of Police?" She tried again. /p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"span style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: oblique; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"OH./span Some of the wires in his head began connecting. /p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"When she saw realization dawn on him, she continued, "I was really nervous when it happened- all sorts of overthinking and whatnot." She seemed to shuffle through the memory in her mind, "But Bumi was my rock that day." Now she smiled affectionately. If only hearts could cry. "He's very proud of it," She added softly, "So he likes to keep that picture right at the threshold, even if it isn't the most flattering or-" /p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""No," Tenzin composed himself, "You look great." /p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Lin snorted, "You're sweet." /p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"As if on cue, Bumi made his way loudly over to the living room. He was clad in just his beige towel, covering- well, what needed to be covered- while stray drops of water were scattered by the side of his bare ribs and back, and his hair was soaking wet. It irked Tenzin the way in which his damp brother snaked his way into a warm, dry Lin's personal space to give her a quick peck on her cheek. But spirits, she didn't seem to hate that. In fact, she had that same affectionate smile for maybe a flash of a moment while his lips were on her. /p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Before Tenzin could rile himself up any further, Bumi drew his attention toward him, "What a great surprise, Tenny! What brings you to this side of Yue Bay?" /p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"And ever since leaving the temple, Tenzin remembered exactly what he was doing there in Lin and Bumi's apartment. He let out a soft exhale and lowered his voice, "I have to talk to you. It's about dad." /p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"To begin with, it was his decision to spend the last eight years living like a nomad. Say what one might, but the airbender was a romantic. He didn't want to settle down with some acolyte and raise his children living in simpleton monotony and hypocrisy. He wanted to embrace his culture: travel the world and find his soulmate as his father did. Until the age of sixteen, Tenzin was the only airbender excepting Aang, the Avatar. Everything changed after this one phenomenon occurred: one his father called Harmonic Convergence. /p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Aang, Zuko, and old Uncle Iroh spent year after year maintaining peace and harmony within and beyond this world. Together, they came to the conclusion that their two worlds required a bridge- a physical one at that. So they set out on an adventure to open up the two spirit portals located at either pole. This, however, fruited in airbenders popping up front, right, and center out of nowhere. /p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Tenzin was no longer the last Airbender carrying the weight of his father's legacy. /p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"As happy as he was to witness the sheer joy in his father's eyes, it saddened him to learn that the course of his future was about to change. /p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"You see, Tenzin admitted that he was quite the romantic. He had a talk with his parents about it very early on in life. He told them that he didn't want to be the father of the air nation even though that would inadvertently be his responsibility. He wanted to give his children the same childhood he had: one where his parents loved him and his siblings the same: bending, warts and all. He wanted to marry for love: not to repopulate the world of it's airbenders. Aang had hugged his son tightly that night. At the ripe age of eleven, the boy understood what most of his older acolytes couldn't seem to follow. Yes, the world needed more airbenders. Yes, what happened to the airbenders was an atrocity. But it happened in the past. Neither can one dwell in the past, nor must they yearn for a future. What mattered was the present and what one can do with the gift of today. Aang always told his kids to do their best every day and if they did that, the universe had it's ways of rewarding them. That night, Aang promised his son that he'd be free to do as his heart desired. That the universe will settle the unbalance./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"And then there were airbenders. His own brother amongst them. /p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Tenzin's conundrum between choosing a man, woman, or bender he loved and his legacy was finally resolved. Even though his father and the Avatar had already given him the freedom, this was the universe's way of telling him he was indeed free to make his own choices. He liked to think that everything changed after harmonic convergence, but really nothing had. He still traveled the world and taught the principles of air nation alongside airbending wherever needed. He spent a total of two years at every temple, summoning more and more airbenders and introducing them to their element. Even though he was constantly surrounded by benders and acolytes alike, the experience was rather isolating. Aang and Katara would visit him from time to time, but his only loyal companion was his trusty sky bison, Oogie, who grew up with the young bender. /p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"No, but this was not about legacies or bending. /p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Tenzin was displeased- furious even, at whom, however, he didn't know. But why? Clear as day. Because while he was searching far and wide for the love of his life, his unknowing brother slid right past and won her over with his unequivocal charm. He couldn't even blame her- not that he knew her or her type- to fall in love with someone like Bumi. For the longest time, Tenzin would wonder how he was actually related to this cacophony of a man and to think that now his whole purpose- his soulmate- was the very point of commonality between them. /p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Tenzin couldn't stand it. He needed this woman- he knew the arch of her lips like the back of his hand; he knew they were meant for each other. At the mere sight of this woman, he felt something tugging at the strings of his dormant soul. Nudging him to pull her into his arms and tell her he's been searching for her all these years and that he finally found her. To make her believe that their souls are entwined, that he traveled the world looking for her without a name or face in mind, that he knew the second he laid his eyes on her that they were made for each other. /p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"His stomach tightened presently as his mind ran at the pace of a hungry eel hound. He was waiting patiently for Bumi to answer the door when- /p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""Tenzin!" She chirped softly as the door flung open./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""Uh- um-" /p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""Lin." She reintroduced herself, extending one hand out. He shook her hand again like it was made of blasting jelly, with a weak grip against her firm handshake. She must work with the council then, he finally concluded based solely off of the steadiness of her handshake. But she didn't have that superficial extremely-happy-to-see-you-even-though-I-hate-your-guts politician's smile. Hers was something in between a smirk and a stifled grin. Had it been on anyone else's face, it sure would've looked fake, but on her: it just complimented her softness. /p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""I remember," He cleared his throat nervously, "I was expecting Bumi so you caught me off guard." /p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""Sorry to disappoint," She deadpanned, moving away from the door, "Come on in. Bumi should be out of the shower any minute now." /p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""Oh I didn't mean to-" He tried overcorrecting before realizing that he might end up saying something weird along the lines of: 'I can't think of any being or spirit that would ever feel an emotion ever close to disappointment at the sight of you'. span style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: oblique; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"Yes, Tenzin, that's too much,/span he told himself. span style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: oblique; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"You cannot say that to a woman you just met. /span/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""I'm kidding." She rolled her eyes. /p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Spirits, he needed to tell her how he felt. The young airbender was smitten and how- she could sneeze and he'd have his heart in his hands as an offering of his love. /p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"As he slowly made his way in, he noted that this was not just Bumi's apartment, it was span style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: oblique; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"their/span apartment. span style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: oblique; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"They were living together. /spanHis belly ached momentarily, and his heart rate picked up frantically. He needed some grounding- he needed something to tether his heart- oh, but he was smart enough to look away from her lest he spilled all his secrets. His eyes first fell to the framed photograph of the two of them atop the cabinet in the entryway. It had Lin wearing some silver-gray metal-like armor with the most neutral expression and Bumi on her side, one arm around her shoulder, squeezing her cheek in the process, smiling happily into the camera. Tenzin began wondering about the pretext of the picture: was it planned? Did she not want to be in the picture? Was Bumi bothering her? Who took this picture? Why was she wearing an armor? Was she Bumi's bodyguard in the council? /p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Tenzin frowned at the thought. Had it been him, he'd be the one protecting her in a metal armor. /p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Lin probably caught him glaring at the picture baselessly so she tried clarifying, "That was the day I was promoted to Chief." /p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""Chief?" He repeated, befuddled. /p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""Chief of Police?" She tried again. /p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"span style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: oblique; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"OH./span Some of the wires in his head began connecting. /p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"When she saw realization dawn on him, she continued, "I was really nervous when it happened- all sorts of overthinking and whatnot." She seemed to shuffle through the memory in her mind, "But Bumi was my rock that day." Now she smiled affectionately. If only hearts could cry. "He's very proud of it," She added softly, "So he likes to keep that picture right at the threshold, even if it isn't the most flattering or-" /p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""No," Tenzin composed himself, "You look great." /p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Lin snorted, "You're sweet." /p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"As if on cue, Bumi made his way loudly over to the living room. He was clad in just his beige towel, covering- well, what needed to be covered- while stray drops of water were scattered by the side of his bare ribs and back, and his hair was soaking wet. It irked Tenzin the way in which his damp brother snaked his way into a warm, dry Lin's personal space to give her a quick peck on her cheek. But spirits, she didn't seem to hate that. In fact, she had that same affectionate smile for maybe a flash of a moment while his lips were on her. /p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Before Tenzin could rile himself up any further, Bumi drew his attention toward him, "What a great surprise, Tenny! What brings you to this side of Yue Bay?" /p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"And ever since leaving the temple, Tenzin remembered exactly what he was doing there in Lin and Bumi's apartment. He let out a soft exhale and lowered his voice, "I have to talk to you. It's about dad." /p