Four days. Four days of dealing with public embarrassment. Four days worth of Korra calling him Wako and teasing him in public relentlessly. 'Kill me,' he thought sourly, 'Kill me now. This embarrassment is humiliating.'
Thank the spirits they were only an hour away from arrival. This voyage was driving Tarlokk up the walls and testing his patience. He couldn't quite see her why her friends enjoyed this obnoxious side of her. When she was calm and civil he could admit she made could hold a good conversation, but there was those times when she broke into those pathetic jokes that only grandparents laughing at, failing miserable to get a rise out of him. Perhaps his fathers' genetics could be to blame, rarely ever laughing. His mother on the other hand found the clumsy effort of her husband rather cute, assuring him that even if no one else ever understood that side of him, surely she was the only one who needed to see it. As long as he made his wife laugh, what was he to care about what society thought about him?
Korra was not his wife though and she never would be. He would treat her how he saw fit. Treat her like a child when she acts like one and treat her with respect when she acted her proper age. Being the adult he expected himself to be the more mature one. Even after the time that has passed the Avatar hasn't changed. Not by much at least. Tarlokk got his hopes up for nothing it seems.
Walking up to the Mess Hall, Tarlokk found the esteemed Avatar playing a game of cribbage with a couple of male crewmates off duty.
"You've got to be kidding me," one fussed. "This chick is unbeatable! I didn't learn war tactics to be outsmarted by a teenager – A woman no less!"
Korra leaned forward in her seat and grinned. "What? You butt hurt over a couple of games, buddy? You're lucky we're playing for fun or I'd have wiped you clean of money."
The second man chuckled. "She's got a point. Besides, I'm just happy there's someone on this ship who plays better than you. I was getting tired of beating you so many times before."
"Ha ha ha, very funny." The first man groaned and crossed his arms.
Tarlokk approached, coughing into a fist to get Korra's attention.
"Oh, hey Tarlokk. Want to play a game with us?" She hoped he would accept. The guy really needed to loosen up for once. The politician side of him must have been the part to blame. Still, this entire trip he's been acting like a sour puss and it was a huge effort all on its own just to get some kind of smile out of him. She wondered if he'd ever even had a girlfriend.
'Nah, probably not. He's too much of mood killer. If the council members didn't like him that much I don't see how any single woman would. Unless their desperate…But I don't think he'd go for that. Ew, why am I even thinking about this. Gross, I don't want to know his freaking stupid love life.'
So in her mindset she kept an image of a forever alone Tarlokk and it suit him just fine in Korra's eyes.
"We're docking in an hour, so if you'd be so kind…" he responded with a stoic face, never wavering from that non-amused look that could freeze permanently. Tarlokk motioned at the game and she stood.
"Oh, yeah, sure." Korra turned to the two other men and waved cheerfully as she followed Tarlokk out the door. "I had fun! Nice meeting you two!"
The crew members smiled and waved back, bidding her a goodbye knowing they likely wouldn't meet again.
Back in Tarlokk's cabin, Tarlokk took a seat on the chair in the corner of the room, sliding it out from the small desk while Korra sat on the bed across from him. The man picked up the stack of papers and went through them in search of a particular one. Once finding what he was looking for, he handed the sheet over and pulled set the rest back down in the separate pile still sitting on the desk. The sheet contained lines that sketched out a diagram.
"That there is a rough sketch of what I remember of Noatak and mines house when we were kids. I cannot be for certain if that's where he's hiding but it's the best lead we have right now. His envelopes don't give any type of address, just that they're labeled from whatever nation he's in when he sends them out." Tarlokk stood, walking over to her and pointing to the upper left of the sheet. "This right here is the second floor. There are three bedrooms total. I'm not sure which room Noatak would have taken, either his old room or our parents since it's more spacious." Distantly Tarlokk's gaze seemed to grow silent as he drifted into memories then shook back into reality as he pointed to the two square like drawings on the poorly drawn out map. "Here is his room and there is the master bedroom."
Korra crossed her legs with a hand on her hip, brows furrowed with indecisive decision. "So what tactic are we going with? You try to play the good guy and be accepted while I attack him while he's sleeping and capture him if he won't listen to reason? We threw out a few ideas but we never fully decided on one."
"I think that would be the wisest option. I don't think he'd take too kindly to the sight of the Avatar herself."
Tarlokk had a point but it still bothered her how she had to be patient about this. Patience was not her forte. Still, she was quick to retort otherwise.
"What about his bloodbending? Wouldn't he sense me? Maybe it would be best if I just tried approaching him and showing that I mean no harm. I just want to talk."
"Ha," Tarlokk scoffed. "Good luck with that one. My brother is not easily persuaded. And your social tactics aren't necessarily the top of the class, might I add."
"Whatever, let's just get on with it. My way or your way?"
Rubbing his chin, the water tribe man sighed and rubbed the back of his head in defeat, knowing her point was probably more valid than hers. Perhaps she couldn't persuade him with words but with him there, she may have a chance. There was also the reasoning behind what their excuse. Better to not dwell on it. When the time came, he'd know what to do. That was the benefits of being a politician. Coming up with bullshit on the spot.
Korra wasn't very happy she had to leave Naga behind but if they were playing subtle it had to be done. The only downside to this was they had to walk through the thick snow by feet instead of being carried by an animal that was three times as fast as them. The bags weren't very heavy thankfully. It only took a couple miles worth of strolling to find the small bustling town that Tarlokk once had called home. It had been years since he had been here. Seven years to be exact. The last time he came to visit was to honor his mothers' grave and bring by some of her favorite flowers, extra just in case of the expected possibility he may not show up again for a long time. It was two months away from the death of her anniversary. Unfortunately he knew he was in no means planning to stay here long enough for that day to arrive. He cherished the North, yes, but it was just a distance memory of too many overbearing treks. The city life was what he was accustomed to and he'd like to keep it that way. A place where the society was larger and the people were much more civilized.
Just being here was giving Tarlokk a bad feeling. It churned his stomach inside out and made him wish for just a brief moment how bad of an idea this was to stir up the past like it was no big deal. He preferred honoring his home in his own way – by being distanced from it and admiring it from afar. Being here, in this town, near his birth place, it was not something he physically prepared for. Mentally, yes, but now his stomach was protesting against him. Even with all his uncertainty of what was to arrive soon, he trudged forward assuring himself that this was for the best.
The house stood more on the outskirts of town, about a mile and a half out. Yakone preferred to live farthest from civilization as possible but knew they needed preserves to keep them occupied, caving in to his wife's request. This was the closest he would allow which was still too close if you asked him him. The solitude was much more rewarding and his wife and two sons were all he needed in terms of company in the years he lived out here up until his death. When he first arrived to the North, their home was nothing more than a tipi practically. Until later on as the boys grew older Yakone realized they needed more space, thus building a house of their own.
Korra couldn't help but admire the structure. While the house seemed old, it was well built and had a beautiful tone to it that fit nicely, complimented by the pure white snow beneath them. Adjusting her bag over her shoulder, she glanced over to Tarlokk expecting him to make the first step.
Stepping forward, he gulped nervously out of eyeshot from Korra so she wouldn't see his indecisiveness plastered all over. Now changing his face from the lie of confidence, he forced it upon himself for real. Taking a step forward, he rapped on the door with the back of his hand, hoping for an answer of some kind. If there wasn't one, it may have been expected. Either Noatak wasn't actually here, or he wouldn't open the door to strangers of any kind.
Foot steps could be heard feet away just inside. Not far, in fact. Perhaps they were sitting down somewhere in the kitchen or living area given that much distance from the door. Tarlokk's confidence escalated almost as quickly as it came, and his heart nearly dropped at the sight of the figure opening the door. A man, standing as if a paragon of Yakone himself stood, arms crossed and fixated in a posture just like the man.
"Noatak." Tarlokk heaved a breath of air he didn't realize he was holding in until now, relief lifting his confidence back up. It was the lack of violence that made him feel much better, for his brother held no anger on his face at the sight of their sudden unexpected reunion. Surely he thought his brother would be mad by this sudden surprise.
"Tarlokk? What are you doing here?" He asked, a very rare smile creeping onto his face. 'Just like the one he wore when we escaped on that boat. Just before I tried to kill us.'
Noatak grabbed his brother on either side, grabbing him in for a hug. Hesistant at first, the youngest caved in and held his brother back. It was then in that embrace that Noatak noticed they were not alone. The Avatar herself stood just before the steps in the snow, arm slung over her shoulder holding the strap to her bag. She was looking away to give them the moment alone without any onlookers. His face turned sour almost instantly.
"What is she doing here?" Noatak pulled back, nodding his head in the younger females direction to redirect their attention. Hearing that from the eldest, Korra returned the glare but held her tongue. This was not the time to be arrogant and act irrationally.
"We wish to talk, brother. Would you allow us to come in? She means you no harm, I assure you."
"How am I supposed to believe that?" Noatak didn't trust her one bit. She was the one single being he revolved his life around to destroy, the symbol of everything wrong with bending. She exploited him, caused this entire mess. If her stupid line of history hadn't existed he wouldn't have been molded by a father obsessed by greed and revenge.
Korra shrugged. "You'll just have to trust your brothers word. Granted that you more than likely won't believe mine, even though I have no means of using any type of violence. Like he said, we just want to talk."
"And what will this talk lead to..."
"It depends on how well you cooperate. I won't attack if you don't." Korra gave an honest answer, crossing her fingers to emphasize her point. "I'll even pinky promise if you want?"
"No, that won't be necessary." Glancing at Tarlokk for any signs of doubt, he found none and knew that the two must have coincided in this plan. No force seemed to be written on Tarlokk's face whatsoever, so this couldn't be some kind of ploy.
Stepping back, Noatak held his door open invitingly. Korra trudged up the stairs to the porch, following in suit, receiving an unpleased glance from the man just before he too followed after her, shutting the door behind all three of them.
AN: Quick thanks to my friend Emily for designing the cover, it was a christmas gift. Her Deviantart is RandomYori if you like her work and want to check it out. Also the song for the chapter is Summit by Giant Squid. The lyrics work extremely well with the setting we're about to fall into here soon.
