Korra hated the fact that she was up before noon on a saturday and that she had to make a house call. Korra didn't make house calls. She didn't make exceptions for any student no matter how much they paid or were willing to pay for lessons. If you wanted to learn to Bend you needed to put in the work and have the constitution for it but then again given the declining rate of benders being born maybe Korra should be a little less harsh with her views on certain things. Korra watched as the city blurred past the window of the car sent to pick her up at the dock. She would have prefered to walk but the car was there waiting when she arrived at the docks along with a man who somehow known who she was which was unnerving.
The car turning into a parking lot brought Korra out of her stupor and she watched as they approached a very tall, very fancy apartment complex The car came to a stop and her chauffeur stepped out opening Korra's door for her. Korra stepped out looking up at the apartment complex, though even that didn't seem to do the building justice, in a mixture of awe and confusion. Awe because Korra hadn't seen a house this fancy since she had visited Ba Sing Se and snuck into the upper ring. Confusion because just how rich was this person who had won the bid on Korra to be able to live here. Luckily Korra didn't have to wonder for long. "Miss Sato is waiting for you on the top floor." The Chauffeur said gesturing to the building and Korra looked up at the building craning her neck to try and see the top before letting out a sigh and heading toward the building.
The inside of the building was just as fancy as the outside if not more so with large stone columns along center and paintings along walls. Korra took in the lobby which made her feel out of place. "Can I help you?" The unsure voice brought Korra back to reality and she turned to look at the young man who Korra guessed had recently turned 18.
"I'm, uh," Korra gestured vaguely to the end of the lobby, "Here to see Miss Sato." Recognition flashed across the kids features and Korra watched him switch gears.
"Oh. Miss Sato told me she was expecting someone today." He walked around the desk and picked up a phone dialing a number, "Miss Sato, your guest just arrived." There was a pause as the person on the other end spoke, "Understood." He hung up the phone smiling up at Korra, "She said she'll be down in a minute."
Korra grunted crossing her arms over her chest and leaning against the desk. This was turning out to be more of a hassle then she had first thought. Whoever this Sato person was better be a damn fast learner.
About five minutes had past when Korra decided she was done waiting and pushed herself up off the desk and was halfway to the door when the sound of heels clicking against the tile stopped her in her tracks. She turned around just in time to see someone rounding the corner. Korra watched as a woman walked toward her a smile on her face, "Korra! I'm so glad you came." The woman said as she stuck out her hand after coming to a full stop in front of Korra.
Korra opted to shove her hands in the pockets of her pants leaning back on her heels as she said, "You're a Waterbender?" Skepticism leaked into Korra's voice as she took in the woman who had come to a stop in front of her eyeing her up and down. She had wavy black hair that cascaded down her shoulders and framed her face. She had pale skin which was accentuated by her hair and her pale green eyes stood out against both. Her lips were painted red and her eyes shadowed with purple. She was beautiful and vaguely familiar.
The woman laughed letting her hand fall to her side, "No, I just wanted to get to know you better." Korra was now officially lost. Did she know this person? Did this person know her? Had they meet before? Korra was ready to run through every possible scenario when the woman called out, "Are you coming?" Korra noticed that the woman had started walking only to stop once she reached the corner. Korra leisurely walked after her following her as she turned the corner and came to a stop in front of a small yet ornate elevator.
She swiped a card across the wall and the doors opened revealing what was probably the world's fanciest elevator. The woman entered and Korra followed pressing herself against the wall opposite the woman who pressed the lit up arrow causing the lift to begin to move. Korra starred at the woman in front of her trying to place just why she recognised her because Korra was sure that she knew her from somewhere. "Is there a reason your staring at me like that?"
"Have we meet before?" Korra rubbed her chin leaning forward slightly.
"You mean you-" She stopped shaking her head before giving Korra an obviously forced smile, "Councilman Tenzin introduced us at the charity event I held last month." At the blank look Korra must have given her she went into more detail, "You, uh, offered me a cream puff." With that a light bulb went off in Korra's head as she finally placed the woman.
"Oh right. I did do that." Korra wasn't embarrassed or ashamed of what she had done after all she had practically wiped the encounter from her memory right after it had happened. Korra hadn't really thought she would ever see the woman again but here she was standing in front of her looking like she was in deep thought.
"You completely forgot you met me, didn't you?" The woman asked and Korra simply shrugged leaning against the wall. "Do you even remember my name?"
"Does it matter?" Korra crossed her arms over her chest watching from the corner of her eye as the woman's shoulders sagged. Korra let out a sigh and uncrossed her arms. "Your names Sato something or other." Korra gestured with her hand as spoke, "Right?"
This caused the woman to give a small laugh, "Its Asami Sato." Korra nodded, "I really didn't make much of an impression, did I?"
Thankfully before Korra was expected to answer the elevator came to a stop with a ding and the doors slid open. Asami stepped out Korra following her into the apartment taking in her surroundings. The apartment was simple yet cozy in it's design and layout with soft looking rugs, felt couches, and a fireplace making up the living area. Korra noticed a staircase off to the side and the beginning of a bar that was probably lead to the kitchen. "This way."
Korra followed the sound to see Asami standing in front of a glass door that lead out onto a balcony. Korra walked forward noting that she had been right about the kitchen which was spotless and stepped out onto the balcony. The balcony itself was rather large with a flat veranda over head providing shade. There was a table and chairs off to one side and a set of a couch and some chairs around a coffee table off to the other.
"So you just want to watch me bend?" Korra gestured lamley to the plastic container filled with water sitting near the center of the balcony. Asami had taken a seat in one of the chairs looking up at Korra with something like amusement in her eyes. "Won't that be a little boring?"
"Not at all." Korra waited for more of an explanation but when one didn't come she turned to the tub of water and let out a breath before carefully bending the water up into the air. She moved the water around her body in slow languid motions not really caring about form. A couple minutes had passed when Asami finally spoke, "What's bending like?" Korra was caught off guard by the question and nearly dropped the water.
She turned to look at Asami, a question on her face as she spoke, "What do you mean?"
Asami leaned against the arm of the chair a smile playing on her lips, "What's it like to be able to move water with your mind?" This time Korra did drop the water before catching it and moving it back into the tub in a single fluid motion. Korra stared at Asami trying to understand how someone who was, according to Tenzin, the CEO of a company and should be relatively smart believed something so stupid that it made Korra want to laugh. The misconception had come about in recent years and while Korra had been angry at first but after the first decade it had just become laughable that people thought bending was something of telekinesis. That being able to bend made you a psychic. "Um, Korra? Are you okay?" Korra guessed that she'd been quiet a little longer then she'd meant to but it was taking so time to process what had been said.
"Is that really what you think? That bending is some kind of telekinetic ability?" Korra ended her question with a finger to the side of her head.
She watched as Asami nodded ashamedly mumbling, "Yeah. Is that wrong?"
Korra let out a sigh as she turned back to the water, "Yeah. It is." Bending out of the tub and into a sphere she continued, "Bending is more like a martial art then anything else. You move your body a certain way and the movement facilitates the bending of the element."
"But how does that work?" Asami asked leaning forward eagerly, "I mean, I can't just move my arms a certain way and be able to bend water but you can? Why are you able to bend but I'm not?"
It was a good question one that Korra thankfully knew that answer to. "Chi." Korra said as she bent the water into a stream bending it around her body, "Chi flows through everyone like water flows through a river, splitting off into smaller streams creating branches all throughout the forest or in this case your body." Korra brought the water back into a sphere as she continued "Chi is what allows people to bend." Korra bent the large sphere into several smaller spheres with a wide circular gesture, "The movement simply facilitates the flow from one point to another." With a sweeping gesture she sent the orbs back into the tub.
"If everyone has chi then why can't some people bend?" Asami asked and this was a question that Korra didn't know the exact answer to but she did have some theories.
"I think it has to do with some people being able to access their Chi while others can't." Korra scratched the back of her head, "It's not something I've ever really thought about."
Asami stood up a smile on her face, "But aren't you curious why you can bend? I mean, you have a gift." This caused Korra to frown. Korra had come to accept that people saw bending as one of two things, a gift or a curse. To most people bending was something that only a select few were 'gifted' with and Korra found herself feeling something akin to loss with this change in the world. Korra was gifted not with the ability to bend but with the talent to do it well.
She knew there was a difference but most people know a days saw them as one and the same.
She let out a sigh, "I guess I do." The smile fell from Asami's face and watched as she sat back down.
"Do you know any tricks?" There was something in her words that made Korra glance towards her and she the unspoken apology in her eyes.
"Tricks? You want me to do tricks?" Korra quirked an eyebrow at the woman before her who smirked in a way that would probably have been endearing if not for what Korra expected was coming next.
"Yeah. You are a Waterbending Master, aren't you?" And there it was. The declaration of challenge that Korra had know was coming the moment the words left her mouth and she had seen the smirk on the other woman's face. Korra wanted to ignore the other woman's challenge, to scoff at her request but the childish, overly competitive part of Korra wouldn't let that happen.
Letting out a frustrated sigh Korra ran a hand over her face, "That I am." She rubbed her chin trying to give the air of deep thought, "Tricks. Tricks. Do I know any tricks?" Korra couldn't remember the last time she had used Waterbending for something like doing tricks. It just wasn't something that Korra had thought important to learn or practice. She wasn't a child. Hadn't been for a long time. Korra tapped her finger against her chin humming as she scoured her memories for something that could be called a waterbending trick find that nothing in recent centuries. Korra realized that she would have to think back further then she liked to. She was going to have to think back on her childhood. It wasn't that her childhood had been bad, she'd had loving parents who had been nothing but supportive of her, it was that thinking about everything that she had once had caused Korra to feel a deep sadness at everything she had also lost.
Korra decided to simply focus on the waterbending she had learned as a child, going through every technique she had learned until she came upon something that she knew would fill both requirements of this challenge. It was a trick while also being a way to demonstrate that, yes, Korra is a Waterbending Master.
Korra turned back to the tub of water carefully bending it up and beginning the preparations for the trick as she spoke, "This is something..." Korra bent the water into the shape of a small dragon that was both frozen and not. It was a difficult technique keeping the dragons body frozen in shape yet fluid enough to move. As Korra began to move the dragon around the the balcony her mind began to wander. Korra remembered teaching herself this years ago. She remembered the show she'd put on in her village to showcase her skills as a newly-minted Master. She remembered how proud her parents especially her father. She remembered how he had pulled her into the tightest embrace and had whispered, 'I'm so proud of you.' into her ear. She remembered the feast her parents had prepared for her to celebrate.
Korra was suddenly overwhelmed by the feeling of utter loss and quickly bent the dragon into the side of the wall turning it into mist as it collided with the wall. Korra was barely aware of the sound of clapping coming from her only audience member as she began the process of shoving those memories back behind the wall where she kept them locked away.
"That was Amazing, Korra!" Asami said standing. Korra didn't quite react as she struggled to bury the feel that had taken hold of her. Korra didn't often cry. She had learned to hide her emotions and bottle up her sadness in what was probably a very unhealthy coping mechanism. Though when she did she cried for hours and she was currently on the verge of tears. Korra didn't want to break down in front of complete stranger so she began moving toward the door even as Asami spoke, "Can you do it again?"
"No."
Korra opened the door taking a step through when Asami called out, "Wait! Don't go!" Korra stopped turning around to look at her and see that she had come to a stop a few feet away, "I was hoping that we could schedule another lesson." She steepled her fingers nervously. Korra just stared blankly at Asami unsure of what to say.
"Why?" Korra asked. Korra liked to think she was pretty good at telling when someone was lying. She had centuries of practice in telling when someone was telling a lie and it served her well.
Asami tilted her head to the side before letting out a laugh, "Would you believe me if I said I just wanted to get to know you better." Korra crossed her arms over her chest frowning at the woman in front of her.
"No I wouldn't."
Asami placed her hands on her hips frowning slightly, "Well it's true. I'd really like to try and be friends with you." Korra could tell she was telling the truth and really did want to be friends with Korra. "I don't have that many unaging friends. I think it'd be nice to have a friend close to my own age." Korra looked at Asami somewhat shocked. How old did she think she was? Korra didn't think she'd told anyone her real age in over half a century and there was no way Tenzin would have told her. Korra looked at the light in this woman's eyes. At the hope and couldn't bring herself to deny her request.
"Okay. You can have another lesson." The way her eyes lit up made everything worth it. "But I have some conditions. First," Korra held up her index finger and made sure she had Asami's attention before speaking again, "I will not, no matter the circumstances, wake up before the sun does. The mornings are evil." This made Asami to giggle only to quickly stifle the sound. Korra help up another finger before continuing, "Secondly, If you want another waterbending lesson you can come to my dojo like the rest of my students. I don't have the time nor patients for house calls." Asami nodded and Korra could see that she had a couple questions but was holding her tongue. "Lastly, No touching. I don't like to be touched and if you touch me I won't hesitate to water whip your ass." Again Asami chuckled only to quickly stifle the sound.
"Can I ask a couple questions?" Korra nodded and Asami quickly continued, "What if I just want to hang out with you? To get to know you better? Would the stated rules still apply?"
Korra thought for a moment rubbing her chin before saying, "Yeah they would." Asami physically dropped but Korra continued, "But I guess you could come by the Island instead if you just want to hang out."
"Island? As in Air Temple Island?" Asami asked disbelief coloring her words and Korra nodded.
"Yeah. I'm, uh, staying with Tenzin. You could come by sometime next week. Hows Saturday?"
"It's perfect." Asami said and then offered, "Want me to escort you down?"
Korra shook her head, "I think I can manage." Korra exited the balcony and walked through the apartment eventually coming to a stop at the elevator. She pressed the button, stepping in it and the doors closed behind her.
Korra slumped against the doors letting herself break now that she was alone. What was she thinking. Agreeing to another meeting with this woman. She wasn't lying but that didn't mean she wasn't going to start. Korra had dealt with her fair share of liars and she no longer trusted people. She no longer trusted humanity. This woman wouldn't be any different. So why did she wish that she would be. Korra pressed her hand against her eyes letting out a stuttering breath. "What am I doing."
Air Temple Island was just off the coast of Republic City and could easily be seen from the harbor but most people had never set foot the island. It was a private island that was home to the last known family of airbenders. Taking a ferry to the island had been the easy part finding her way around was harder. For such a small island it was rather hard to find her way around. There were many buildings all connected by covered walkways that lead from one building to another. Asami wondered the island unsure of where she was until she noticed a familiar flash of orange and yellow not to far in the distance. Asami quickened her pace until she came upon Tenzin who was hunched over a pai sho board stroking his beard as his eyes roamed over the pieces on the board before eventually moving one of the fire pieces a few spaces.
"Your still not very good at this, Tenzin" Asami's eyes snapped up at the sound of Korra's voice to see her sitting across from Tenzin. She had one arm draped over her knee with the other propped her leg using her hand to hold up her face. Asami watched Korra as she looked over the board her eyes jumping from one piece to another.
"You might want to take a seat. This will probably take a while." Tenzin spoke resignation in his voice. Asami walked around Korra stepping onto the walkway and taking a seat in between them. Tenzin had taken a meditative stance and while Korra kept looking over the board. Asami could see several good moves for Korra to take that could win the game but for some reason she didn't seem to want to use those.
"If you moved your air tile here you could-" Asami was cut off by a hand in here face.
"Shut up. I'm thinking." Asami was slightly offended but she was also curious. She wanted to see just where this game was going. She watched Korra before turning her attention to the board. She could see several good moves that could be used to advance the game in Korra's favor but Korra obviously saw something that Asami didn't.
It felt like nearly an hour had passed when Korra finally decided on a move. Asami watched as she took her White Lotus tile which was already rather far up board and moved it. She jumped over several of Tenzin's tiles: Two Fire, Two Water, Two Air, and his only While Lotus Tile. Asami stared at the board as Korra collected the tiles from the board. She had just ended the game in a single move and Asami hadn't seen it coming. Tenzing let out an incredibly childish huff and Korra laughed, "Wanna go again? Maybe I'll go easy on you this time."
He crossed his arms over his chest in a childish pout, "You never go easy on me." Korra laughed at this as she began to reset the board.
"How are you expected to get any better if I let you win all the time." Reached out patting him on the head, "I'm doing you a favor. Trust me."
Tenzin stood up causing the board to bounce as his knee hit it, "I'm done. I have..." He paused looking to the let before continuing, "Things I need to do." He stepped off the walkway landing lightly on his feet.
"Come on Tenny-Bear your just mad that I keep kicking your ass." Asami couldn't help the snort that escaped her at the nickname. Tenzin turned beat red at it.
"I've told to stop calling me that! I'm a grown man and am to old for childish nicknames." He practically yelled and Korra just chuckled. "I'm leaving. Maybe you can convince Miss Sato to play with you." Tenzin whipped his cloak as he turned and strode away leaving the two of them alone.
Korra turned to Asami and asked, "Wanna play Pai Sho?" Asami smiled moving to take Tenzin's spot. She set up her side of the board while Korra did the same. Once both of them had set up their sides Korra gestured to the board offering, "You can go first."
Asami smiled in thanks and proceeded to stare at the board for a good five minutes before finally moving her fire tile a up slightly. She grinned up at Korra who didn't noticed and instead stared at the board eventually moving a water tile to the up. It continued like this for a few moves until Asami began capturing Korra's tiles and suddenly the way Korra moved her tiles changed. She took longer deciding on moves and stopped making ones that were easily countered. Asami tried to keep up but it found it increasingly hard to follow the flow of the game and could tell the she was on the losing end. She moved her white lotus tile only for Korra to quickly claim it after a brief deliberation. "You're really good."
Korra began resetting the board, "So are you. You lasted longer then Tenzin. He usually gives up when we realizes he's losing." Korra finished resetting the board and looked up smiled, "Wanna play again?"
Asami would have loved to continue but the game had lasted longer the she had thought it would and she had a video call scheduled with investors at 4:30. She glanced at her watch to see that it was 2:40 which gave her just enough time to get home and prepare. "I'm sorry but I can't. I have work things to take care off." Korra leaned back on her hands as Asami got to her feet.
"Okay. Maybe we can play again sometime?" Asami smiled at that.
"I would love too. I'll make sure my schedule is clear next saturday." Korra nodded and smiled back. It was a beautiful sight.
"Sounds like a plan." Asami gave her a little wave and began to make her way back toward the dock. She had seen a different side of Korra today. A playful one who joked and smiled. But this new side only raised more questions than it answered. She stepped on the ferry and watched as Air Temple Island got further away.
Korra might be an enigma but she was also really good at Pai Sho and Asami looked forward to playing her again.