AN: cheers folks, im joining a August writing challenge with my discord friends. The "Elemental Fever Challenge" ergo the "EFC" part in the title. If you wanna see the prompts, hit up my insta, ao3 acc, or tumblr! :3

Wish me luck DX

Stayin' Alive

Panting for breath, Korra's lungs were on fire as she inhaled the salty air. It wasn't the best taste, but at least there was a cool sensation of the morning dew brushing against her skin. The real testament was that her foot was sinking into the sand with every step. She opted to forgo her shoes for the full experience and challenge. The cramps forming on the arches of her feet were making her dread the run.

It wasn't her favorite exercise but it was the best cardio option.

She had come a long way from home for a training camp with her team. What better place to train swimmers than at a beach right? Albeit, most of the teammates were in the nicer and more modern facilities but Korra preferred the more natural route. She preferred running on the streets over running on a treadmill. She preferred doing weighted pull-ups in the park over using machines in a gym. There were just so many benefits that came from connecting with nature and being exposed to the environment versus being stuck in a stuffy gym with equally sweaty people.

The only complaint that Korra could think of was the fact that random pedestrians and nuances would get in her way. Just not too long ago, a kid popped out of nowhere and Korra had to jump to the right to avoid them. There was also that time the other day when someone threw a frisbee and almost hit her on the head. Sure, they weren't on purpose but sometimes, she just wanted a peaceful run. Needing to be on your toes was something that basic public awareness required. It reminded Korra that nature was fun, just… not hers alone.

With that said, not all of the encounters she made were bad. She has gotten friendly with the locals, noted certain families' routines, and even learned some fun facts about the city. All outside the boundaries of their hotel's fancy gym. If she had followed in her teammates' steps, she wouldn't have learned about the legendary taco truck that swung by every Thursday night; which was amazing and out of the world of course. She wouldn't have learned about the fun kids that loved coming out every Saturday morning doing silly things like acting like a dinosaur terrorizing their shabby sand castles. And, she would have absolutely missed out on the hot local babes coming to the beach.

"Oh, hey Korra!"

Korra makes eye contact with them. "Hey Amber!"

"Sweating so early in the morning I see?"

"Yup!" She panted briefly, "You know it."

Amber laughs before waving her off. "Alright, try not to burn out too much and stay hydrated!"

Korra throws her a wave. "Will do, thanks!"

She then glances down at the sand before dodging some bird poop. The one thing she didn't enjoy, to say the least, was nature's surprises. After dodging some rocks and imperfections, she finally comes to a stop. Sweat immediately dripped down her chin, to the crevice between her chest, before enjoying the nice view. The sun was poking just above the horizon and Korra could already tell, it was going to be a nice and productive day.

"Man I'm starving… time to head back."

She closed her eyes to get in a good stretch before turning back around. The hotel she was staying at could be seen ahead since it sat at the top of the hill and she was really looking forward to seeing what they were gonna serve for breakfast today.

"I hope they have hashbrowns again… this is the only time I get to cheat my diet."

She took a step forward.

"Maybe we'll get to explore the city today, coach did say we'll get some free time…"

Fortunately, it didn't take long for Korra to head back and after a happy helping of delicious helping of eggs, sausage, veggies, and some hashbrowns, of course, she carried on with her team's training regime. Today had been extra extensive but thanks to that, it ended earlier than usual, leaving them with more free time on their hands. Most of the teammates were either still taking a shower or were getting dressed.

"Hey, we're gonna hit the beach, you wanna join us Korra?"

Korra was in the middle of pulling her shirt over her shoulders when she turned to face them. "Nah, I'm good. I'm gonna head into the city."

They simply shrugged back, "Suit yourself."

"Have fun."

"Later!"

Letting out a sigh of bliss, Korra took in that pleasant soreness from her workout before tossing her dirty clothes into a bag. She made quick work and put away her belongings before starting her solo adventure. Sure, she enjoyed hanging out with her teammates but having some time to herself was a blessing in disguise. Luckily, no one really pushed to hang out after their busy schedule so Korra was a free woman. It was probably thanks to the fact that they were in a famous city, the outskirts of Republic City albeit, but still super touristy nonetheless. They all had their own agendas and if they matched, they would hang out. Otherwise, they would partway and do whatever.

Since Korra had been the only one running on the beach, she had enough of the sand. There was so much more to Republic City than the beach! It made her roll her eyes at her teammates when all they said they were going to the beach honestly. How many days were they planning to go there in the first place?

With that said, Korra walked down to the city in hopes of getting lost. Specifically, she took a bus to get into the city since it was about a forty-minute walk from the hotel. Now, what exactly was her plan to come here with little time to spend when the night was about to fall? Nothing. She had no plan at all and maybe that was poor planning on her behalf.

Oh well, having no plans can be a blessing in disguise.

When Korra made it into town, she went straight downtown. From there, she opted to explore the less rowdy parts of the area, talking to the sweet old aunties who have been around for decades and learning about ancient banter, before moving along to the more 'bustling' areas. Namely the most popular boba spot around time: the Rising Dragon.

And frankly, Korra felt like she was in some club.

There was a decent-sized line and unsurprisingly enough, it took about thrifty minutes for her to get some tea in her hand. By the time she was out the door, she took a sip of her drink before letting out a hum of surprise.

"Damn, that's actually pretty good."

Humming again, she took another sip. As she enjoyed her beverage walking along the rowdy streets, it didn't take long for some stranger to call out to her.

"Hey, you!"

Korra cocked an eyebrow before turning around and looking at the source of the voice. She makes eye contact with some guy before looking behind her and turning back around.

"Me?"

"Yeah, you! Were you coming down to the beach tonight?"

A second of silence passed before Korra blinked. "The beach? What's up?"

"The party of course! Lots of booze, fireworks, and snacks! Need a ride?"

"Uhhh…" Korra looked at the time, it was getting late. "Sure, why not?"

To most people's surprise, Korra wasn't actually a big fan of loud and grand parties. She preferred them more small and personal. That way she could connect with others on a more personal level and talk to them than just brief greetings in passing. The main reason she accepted the invitation in the first place was for the free ride back. The people who took here there were nice and extra friendly. It was an experience, to say the least.

After she managed to ditch them, she wandered off to the more quiet side of the beach, away from the campfires and ragging teens. Her feet sunk into the sand again but at least this time, she was in shoes. The only downside was sandy socks and shoes but other than that, it was nice. The waves splashing against the shores and rocks were soothing, therapeutic even. Closing her eyes, Korra took in the night breeze before her ears twitched. She could've sworn she heard something or rather someone.

"-uck… cram…"

"Hello?" Korra called out before turning around to look around. "Anyone there?"

She waited for a second but all she could hear were the waves and distant chatter from the teens down the beach line.

"Hello!"

She calls out again before looking ahead. There was no response once again of course and Korra took a step away before she heard a certain gurgling. She stopped in her tracks before snapping her head around. Her face scrunched and she looked at the water with a heavy squint. That's when she could've sworn she saw someone.

"Hello?"

Korra started jogging towards the water. If her assumption was correct, someone was in trouble.

"Is anyone there!"

She started running and that's when her eyes finally land upon a pair of hands, failing about at the surface of the water. Someone was drowning.

"HEY! HANG IN THERE!"

She could hear their gurgling words before silence.

"Shit," Korra muttered beneath her breath before running through the shallow parts of the beach.

Water splashed around and once she was in deep enough, she jumped forward, diving into the dark waves. Her hands immediately reached out, pulling the water past her side as she fluttered her legs against the fighting waves. She swam as fast as possible and when she finally spotted who was drowning, she realized something. That person was clutching onto their leg and after a moment, they grabbed her neck. Air bubbles left their lips and a chill when down Korra's neck.

A matter of seconds passed and when Korra finally wrapped her arm beneath theirs, she brought them up to the surface. Korra gasped for air and she made quick work swimming back to land. Once she was settled, Korra quickly swiped her hair away before checking up on the person.

"HEY!"

She slapped her cheek.

"HANG IN THERE!"

Korra swiftly brushed aside her wet locks and repositioned herself. Once situated, she checked her pulse. It wasn't beating. She gulped back her nerves before pinching her nose and tilting back her head. Sure enough, she took in a deep breath before pulling her chin down and leaning in. She gave her a breath before immediately pumping her chest.

"Come on! Stay with me!"

Huffing along a tone, Korra had a nervous smile.

"Fuck! I've never done CPR before… what's that one song…"

She gave her another breath and resumed her chest compressions before humming an upbeat tone.

"You're stayin' alive, stayin' alive!"

Water was dripping down her face.

"Hm hm hmm… What were the lyrics, what were the lyrics!"

She sang in panic as she panted in stress.

"Stayin' alive, stayin' alive! Ah, ah, ah, ah, stayin' alive, stayin' alive!"

She continued her chest compressions as she started feeling somewhat silly.

"Ah, ah, ah, ah, stayin' alive~ stayin' alive!"

A few more repeats in, she deadpanned to herself.

"Spirits, I can't sing for shit."

Thankfully not after long, the lady coughed up some water.

"Oh shit!" Korra fell back on her arse, "You're alive!" She blinked before grinning brightly. "Hah! You're alive!" She was quick to grab her shoulders and pulled her up for a hug.

The stranger coughed in pain before eventually batting her eyes in an attempt to regain her composure.

"W-Wha—" she covered her mouth to cough again, "What? Who?"

Korra finally pulls her back to look her in the eyes. "You're alive!"

"I—" her coughing lessened and she finally regained her breath. "W-What happened? Who are you…?"

"You almost drowned and I saved you," Korra explained. "You scared the shit out of me!"

She finally seemed to recognize her situation. "I… that's right, I was trying to get away from the crowd so I went in for a swim… I got a bad cramp and that's when I blacked out…"

"You're lucky I was passing by miss, it would've been bad if not cause then you'd…" her voice trailed off at the morbid thought. Korra quickly shook her head in denial. "Let's not think about it though, I'm Korra by the way." She then offers her hand as a friendly gesture.

The woman stares at her hand for a second before smiling sweetly. She then looks Korra in the eyes before accepting the handshake. "I'm Asami, thanks for saving me Korra. I owe one."

Korra gave her a sheepish grin, "Don't worry about it! You don't own me anything."

Asami held eye contact and silence lingered for a moment before she finally released Korra's hand. "Please I insist…" she then reached up to Korra's face, surprising the woman, before rubbing her thumb across Korra's lips. She chuckles when Korra blushes before expanding, "At least let me treat you to lunch or dinner. You saved my life after all."

With a heavy blush, Korra finally realized what Asami meant by her gesture. She noticed that Asami was wearing lipstick and that it was smudged.

"Oh— uh… y-yeah sure!"

"Where can I find you…? If you don't mind that is, I can pick you up."

Korra didn't know why but she shot upright for some reason. Maybe it was because she finally noticed that Asami was really pretty and her inner gay was finally panicking. She immediately pointed in the direction of the hotel. "I'm at the hotel! Training camp with my team!" She clarified without further prompt in a heartbeat.

"Ahhh…" Asami smiled in recognition, "So you're the team visiting from the south."

"What, how'd you know?"

Giving her a slightly flirtatious smile, Asami stood up before pulling her hair back into a loose ponytail. "You'll have to find out over dinner, tomorrow let's say… around six? I'll pick you up from the hotel, just meet me in the lobby."

"Uh… yeah sure, sounds good."

"Cool, I'll see you tomorrow then Korra."

"Yeah, see you then Asami." As Korra watched Asami limp away, she remembered something after a second before shouting out, "WAIT! REMEMBER TO GO TO THE HOSPITAL!"

Asami turned around at her voice and gave her a bashful smile and wave before walking away. Little did Korra know that that woman was going to have a huge impact on her life in the future.