Asami's eyes twitched somewhat when she began to stir. No light shined through the window, but she could feel her head starting to unfog from a night of uneventful dreams. She blinked her eyes completely open and sat up slowly. With a yawn, she reached outward and stretched out like a cat to work out the kinks in her limbs and spine.
Once completely unwound, Asami moved into a sitting position, resting on her knees. She rubbed at her eyes while working through the process of waking. She could still feel the dryness of evaporated tears on her cheeks. Despite the early hour, she felt fully rested and refreshed, most likely due to having crashed so soon in the previous day. Regardless, she curiously enjoyed the clearness of mind and energy that followed an evening spent crying oneself to sleep.
She shuffled her weight to the side of the bed, dropping her feet to the floor and moving to stand. Due to the darkness, she set about lighting the room and the nearby hall leading to the closest washroom. A relaxed dip in the shower finished the wake-up process, and afterward she wandered back to her room to dress. She picked through a number of options, deciding on a simple, unfussy outfit to suit the start of a new day. In order to kill more time, she made her way to the makeup counter and neatly applied a violet eyeshadow and a thin red lip shade.
Even with the additional vanity steps, Asami still saw no indication of light outside her window. She wouldn't be hungry for some time, and she had no reason to loiter around the mansion. The only remaining option was to take a ride and maybe clear her head. It would give her the time she needed to reflect on the events of the previous day, and the unfortunate argument with Korra at Air Temple Island.
She trotted away from the estate, hands in the pockets of the warm coat she'd selected from a rack near the front door. She first approached her car, but once beside it she wondered if she'd appreciate a more thrilling ride around town. Walking past the Satomobile, she instead returned to her motorcycle, not having touched it since she rode with Korra a few days past. She mused over the ride, finally deciding to lean down and flick the vehicle on. After putting on a helmet, she bounced into the seat and set off down the street.
Asami had no destination in mind, no real goal or intentions, merely a desire to drive. The roads were completely empty due to the time of day, and she used the opportunity as an excuse to let her thoughts wander. She hoped that Bolin and Korra would still talk to her. Despite the mean things she'd said out of anger, she didn't intend to actually break off any relationships. She hated ditching Bolin as a side-effect of her fight with Korra, but she did know Bolin to be kind and forgiving. She'd write him a letter at next opportunity. Still, she needed to get a grip on her emotional state and understand why exactly she'd been so deeply troubled in the last week, and so very unstable around Korra. Until then, she was in no condition to be around friends.
She was lonely, of course, but that was no excuse. She needed to take special care to ensure that she didn't allow her loneliness to turn into bitterness. If anything, the argument only served to push her friends further away. Exactly the sort of thing she accused Korra of doing. Asami felt heartbroken thinking of how her words must have impacted the Avatar. If Korra said those kinds of things to her, well, best not to think about it.
While driving, Asami began to formulate an apology to Korra. Maybe she'd wait for an opportunity to drop by and visit Air Temple Island when Korra was there. Although, the island was so far out of the way that it would be obvious what her intentions were. Being able to have an excuse for being there, and acting like nothing happened, might work, but more likely she'd have to be honest and admit she came to say sorry. Korra was unlikely to buy any "I was in the neighborhood" excuses.
Asami did say the things she felt needed to be heard. Some of those words she didn't intend to take back. In the moment, putting so many of her thoughts and emotions into sentences was invigorating, even if it eventually resulted in a tearful breakdown. Korra was being selfish, but perhaps so was she. Even if she painted every scenario as if she were selflessly trying to look out for Korra, there was more to it than that. Ever since Korra came close to dying, Asami had a realization about how much she simply needed Korra. As much as she did want to help and protect Korra from further harm — and what a good job she did of that by screaming at her — she knew that she needed Korra as much as Korra needed her.
That need still haunted her. The sensation grew more in the last few weeks, and at the moment made her emotionally unstable. She couldn't get through to Korra, and couldn't accurately express what she was going through. And, in actuality, she still didn't understand exactly what she felt. Other than availability, she didn't know why Korra. And she didn't know why she was so acutely attached.
She sped down the street, taking one of the more scenic back-routes that she'd help build in the last couple years. While she couldn't see much with the sun down, the view of waterfront property did usher in pleasant memories. She veered away from the straightaway and began to take a more direct route across town. There was one place she wanted to visit. Asami had a destination now: Avatar Korra Park.
The stroll across the city was relaxed and pleasant. She thought again of the first time taking Korra out, and how the Avatar must have felt. Korra stayed quiet for most of the ride. What was she thinking? Where was her mind wandering? Was she merely afraid the entire time? Asami couldn't help but wonder. If only she could actually get inside Korra's head and finally understand her.
Circling the block to find a spot to park close to water, Asami finally came to a halt just off the grass. She dismounted and hung her helmet on a handlebar. Tossing her hair around her shoulders, she then traipsed over the short grass to the nearby pond. There were many memories tied to this park. Not just the recent visit with Korra in which the bender attempted to teach her how to fish, but the park was also where she came when trying to work through her relationship with her father.
Asami paced in a slow circle by the water's edge. Trying to understand the obsession taxed her mind and gave her a great deal of stress. But she had the entire day to work on it, and the sun wasn't even up yet. Surely such a brilliant engineer could analyze the data and reach a logical conclusion. Right?
After circling for several minutes, she moved closer to the pond and crouched next to it. Easing into a more comfortable position, she folded her legs underneath herself and sat. A hand idly picked up a nearby rock, working it around in her palm. The stone was mostly round and smooth; ideal for skipping. Winding her arm back, she flowed into a quick throwing motion. The rock sailed across the water, bouncing once, twice, three times before sinking. Three times? She could do better than that. She leaned to one side, picking up a second rock, and prepared to throw it.
"All right, lady. Just hand over all your yuans and this can be nice and easy." The sound came from behind her; a gruff and assertive male voice. Asami's head turned to look over her shoulder. Though still dark, she could easily make out the figure of a man in loose clothing, wearing a dusty brown jacket and a derby hat. He held a knife in one hand, with his legs wide apart in a careless and unpracticed stance.
Asami squinted, taking a moment to grasp the reality of the situation. Her back was to the mugger, but he was several steps away. Far enough away that she didn't feel particularly threatened. "Um, no?" she replied, bemused.
"Listen here—" the man started to say. He pushed forward and advanced upon her, brandishing the knife to one side. The moment he drew close enough, Asami leaned her weight to her side, placing a hand in the grass to support her motion. She swung quickly around, extending one leg out from underneath herself to sweep completely under the man. With the rotation, Asami took out one foot and threw him completely off balance, and in the same motion she used the momentum to bring herself to her feet. While she stood up, he went down, dropping the knife in the grass.
Asami put her hands in her pockets, still clutching the rock in one palm. Staring down at the man on his back, she tried to glare him into submission. But she couldn't catch his eye. Instead, she watched as he rolled over from his back and reached again for the knife a short distance away. She extended her left leg with a whiplike snap, kicking his hand away from the weapon. As soon as the leg lowered and her toes touched the ground, she shifted all of her weight onto it. She continued the motion through to her other leg, elevating it until her thigh was parallel to the ground. When her knee straightened, her shoe struck the man in the upper chest, sending him tumbling.
Once again she stood calmly, hands in her coat, waiting for him to make the next move. At this point, she expected him to get up and run away, assuming he had any sense. She was in control of the fight, and to drive the point home, she put one foot on top of the knife. She waited quietly for his surrender, watching as he returned to his feet. He shot her a mean expression, and she picked up a lingering confidence that she found terribly suspicious. He stepped into a more recognizable, but still sloppy stance, with both hands tightened into fists. Then, he threw a punch in her direction, igniting the air around his hand. He followed through, leaning his shoulder into the motion as he created a large fireball and launched it at Asami.
Her eyes went wide upon the realization that he had a backup plan past the knife. A swirling orb of flames now advanced upon her. She had merely fended off his attacks at first, casually disrupting his strikes with very little effort. But she was forced to take him seriously as a firebender. Adrenaline flared through her, making the exploding fire slow its approach. She watched it drawing nearer, taking only a split second to analyze her possible movements. If down, it might not clear her, and back would keep her in its path. She quickly decided. Her knees bent, and she wrenched to her left side, her body twisting as she entered a backward freefall.
Though it bruised her ego, she had to remove her hands from her pockets to complete the movement. She fell leisurely as the fireball drifted by in slow motion. For the brief moment it passed by, she could feel the heat on her face, and worried that it might singe her hair. The rotation of her spin continued until she nearly hit the ground. Her left hand dropped to catch her fall and aid the uninterrupted turn. At this point, her back was to the mugger, but she came back around again with added momentum. Her eyes flew forward when her body pivoted in a complete circle.
Having preserved all the energy from the twirl, her right arm rotated back around, swinging forward with the same fluid motion that Korra showed her how to do only a few days back. She released her fingertips, sending the round stone from her hand just like the ice spears. The rock launched expertly from her hand, spinning on its intended path and striking the man in the center of the forehead. She heard it hit with a loud thunk. He clenched his eyes shut and grasped his face with both hands, howling in pain. The instant he took his eyes off her, she bolted, closing the distance between them to firmly grasp his chest with her right hand. But nothing happened.
No! She forgot that she wasn't actually wearing an electrified glove! So used to fighting with one on, she had intended to down him right then and there. But she hadn't anticipated any attacks, and wasn't wearing it. How could she be that careless? Stupid!
The man felt the hand on his chest and forced his eyes open. Asami removed her grip as swiftly as she could and stepped away. Due to the close proximity, she tightened her stance in very close, both arms pulled in with shoulders raised. When he brought a fist up to swing at her, she easily parried it with the back of her hand. Deflected, his motion turned away from both of them, forcing flames harmlessly into the air.
Despite being able to bend fire, the man clearly had no formal training. His assault was slow and easy to follow with the eyes. She allowed him to strike once more, waiting for him to extend his arm enough that his balance would be easy to tip. She sidestepped neatly around him, raising her foot to issue a precise strike to the back of his knee, causing him to fall into the grass and onto his face. She backed further away, colliding with her bike. A hand reached out desperately and felt along the contour of the vehicle to the snap-open compartment. While her eyes stayed on the fallen man, she pulled a shock glove from the bike's storage box and slipped it on. The man was starting to pick himself up when Asami lunged and slapped her palm to the small of his back. A powerful jolt of electricity sparked through the glove and into his body, ending it. He collapsed.
Asami stood up straight, waiting for the arcs of energy to die down in the glove before starting to remove it. She exhaled heavily, heart settling from the brief action. The increased blood flow was invigorating, but it wasn't enough of a workout to actually break a sweat. With the mugger out cold, she turned to pull on the hand radio connected to her motorcycle. Back when her father worked with the Equalists, he put a police radio in every vehicle. Asami continued the tradition, only now that Future Industries was a clean business, she instead worked with officers instead of trying to avoid them. Being best friends with the Avatar strengthened her credibility, of course.
She clicked the broadcast button, holding the small device close to her mouth. "This is Asami Sato, requesting police assistance." She waited for several seconds. Though early in the day, someone was supposed to always be standing by, regardless of the time. Anyway, at this point the sun was threatening to come up. The office would be open.
After a pause, a sleepy male voice spoke through the radio. Not one she recognized, but it could realistically be one of many different officers on duty. "This is headquarters. What do you need help with, Miss Sato?"
"Some guy tried to mug me in the park. Is Lin available?"
"Uh, no. The chief hasn't come in yet. She should be arriving shortly, though." Asami actually felt relieved; she'd be able to get out of doing paperwork and interviews if Lin wasn't there to make everything painstakingly official. "Wait, someone tried to mug you? Poor guy probably didn't know who you were. How did that work out for him?"
Asami turned her head, looking to the body collapsed nearby. "Not well. I shocked him into unconsciousness, so he should be out for about an hour. You should send someone to pick him up. We're next to the bridge on the east side."
"Roger that. Will you be able to make a statement?" the voice crackled.
Asami groaned, but pressed through the conversation. "No, I have somewhere else I'd rather be. If you need anything, you can have someone stop by the mansion later today." Asami hoped she was high-profile enough that she could bend a few rules. She was easy to track down, and the police should be more than capable of getting information out of the crook himself.
The voice on the other end of the radio hesitated to respond. No doubt considering his options, being caught somewhere between Asami and protocol. After a few seconds, it spoke again. "I'll handle it."
"Thanks. Sato out." Asami returned the radio to its clip and stuffed the glove back into the bike. She took one final look at the unconscious man in the grass, realizing she shouldn't leave his weapon out in the open. She hopped across the grass and dipped low enough to pick up the knife. Returning to her bike, she stashed it in the box with the glove, then jumped onto the motorcycle. Ordinarily she'd stay behind and make a formal statement, and make sure the assailant was processed, but her mind was much too rattled to endure the dull blur of the interview procedures. She revved the bike and pulled onto the street.
With daylight beginning to show over the horizon, she had a new destination in mind. A simple place nearby, where she could stop to take a break and loosen up. She still had things to go over in her head, and something to drink would help that process. She pulled into a spot by the road, hopping free of the bike to approach the small shop. The tea place had a proper name, but due to the cat face logo on the building, Korra always called it the "Kitty Cafe." The name stuck, and now Asami couldn't imagine calling it anything else.
Asami pushed through the front door to the sound of a jingling bell announcing her presence. She stopped at the metal rack in front, lifting a newspaper from it to pour over while sitting. She wandered to the smallest table she could find, seating herself. Skipping over a weather report about upcoming cold weather, she eyed an advertisement for Satomobiles, double-checking the details to make sure no one in marketing was making the company look foolish. It looked accurate.
In the middle of a census article, a server passed by the table. "Good morning, Miss Sato. The usual?" a female voice called from above.
Asami frequented the tea shop often enough that she was used to the speedy and polite service. And she didn't even need to order, most of the time. The personable staff recognized her and knew in advance what type of tea she preferred. "Yes, ma'am, thank you."
Left alone again, the nonbender flipped through the various pages of the paper. Sports updates on who was winning the current pro-bending season, political information on upcoming elections, a review section for new restaurants in town. Halfway through a piece on current fashion trends, Asami noticed the server returning and placing a saucer and cup on the other end of the table for the empty chair. She lifted her head only to see a second cup of tea placed in front of herself. Blinking in confusion, she looked up at the woman, who smiled. "Your friend running late today, Miss Sato?" she asked, pointing to the second cup of tea she'd delivered to the table.
Asami's eyes dilated when she focused on the extra teacup. It clicked that she'd never really been to the shop without Korra in tow. The server must have expected that she was meeting Korra here, and brought the usual tea for the both of them. "I—um—yeah," she sputtered.
The server offered a sweet smile along with words of encouragement. "I'm sure she'll be along soon." The woman turned to walk away, leaving Asami by herself.
She stared at the empty spot on the other side of the table, which now felt very far away. Her heart sank, realizing how alone she was at the table, and how much she missed Korra. She diverted her gaze to her own cup, suddenly not feeling well enough to enjoy it. She slowly stood, reaching into a pocket to produce a slender wallet. She dropped a handful of pink bills on the table, enough to pay for five cups of tea, as an apology for not having stayed. She quietly collected herself, returned her hands to her pockets, and slipped outside.
Asami drifted back to her bike, picking up the helmet hanging from the back. She stalled beside the vehicle, dwelling on the thoughts in her head. On both her desire to see Korra again, and her lack of progress in understanding why. And, so far, neither of the activities she picked gave her any chance to try and work things out.
She raised the helmet over her head, sliding it on and giving it a simple adjustment. The best course of action for now was to get some peace and quiet. Once free of distractions, she might actually get something done. She turned the motorcycle onto the main road, setting a course for home.
Now solidly into morning, Asami had a few more cars to contend with on the road. She'd be glad to get out of the traffic and somewhere much quieter. The fact that Bolin would already be on his way back to Ba Sing Se at this time of day also entered her mind. She really couldn't apologize enough for her behavior. Hopefully at least Korra and Bolin enjoyed the rest of the evening.
By the time she pulled into the Sato mansion, she had it in her mind to write Bolin a letter. After parking and taking off her coat once inside, she searched the drawers and cabinets in the front area to find something to write on. She plucked through a number of professional papers and envelopes with the Future Industries logo on them before finding plain paper to work with. She collected a brush and ink, mentally composing the letter on the way back to her room.
She flopped onto the bed, bouncing once and then settling on her knees after kicking her shoes to the floor. She began to write. "Dear Bolin. I wanted to write to you to apologize. The fight Korra and I had was—" She stopped. She looked at the paper, tilting her head at the words, unsure of what to say next. Furrowing her brows, she tapped the brush on the side side of her leg, and sighed.
She stared blankly at the wall for several minutes before coming to. She glanced at the paper and the unfinished note. Though she didn't know what to write, a small memory began to brew in her head. She pushed the letter to Bolin aside and dropped onto her hands, crawling to the side of the bed. She reached down tentatively, taking hold of a box she'd kept hidden. Dragging it slowly out, she hoisted it up onto the sheets and plopped it down. It was an intricate wooden box, small but decorated. A stylized carving of a lion turtle's head dominated the front. She raised the lid, looking inside at the collected papers.
Asami reached in with one hand, lifting letter after letter. Three years ago, when Korra left, she'd written to the Avatar many times, but barely received any response. She meticulously made copies of every letter sent, and kept one of each in this box. She scanned each one, shuffling the untouched letters and sorting them by date sent. Once organized, she held the earliest one in front of herself, reading it silently.
"Dear Korra,
I miss you. It's not the same in Republic City without you. How are you feeling? Things are going well here. I just got a big contract to help redesign the city's infrastructure, so I'll be keeping pretty busy for a while. I promise to keep writing and let you know about anything important that's going on. Say hello to everyone there for me. I'll see you soon!
Asami"
Asami sighed as she looked over the paper. At the time she remained hopeful, believing that Korra would only be gone for a few weeks at most. Asami did keep busy, and she made good on her promise to write, but Korra didn't return her letters for a long time. She set the note aside and picked up the next one.
"Dear Korra,
Sorry I've been too busy to write you again. After weeks of planning, we finally have crews working on the roads. I've moved on to the more exciting job of updating the city's rail station. By the time this project is done, we'll be more connected to the rest of the world than ever before. I feel like I'm finally turning my company around. I wish you could see it. Please let me know how you're doing. I worry about you.
Asami"
Lowering the second letter, Asami frowned at herself. The timeframe on the second letter was close to when she started to suspect Korra might not be coming back anytime soon. In addition to simply not hearing anything back from the Avatar, she just knew that whatever sickness Korra was suffering from, Katara should have been able to get her back on her feet by now, if it was at all possible. Asami breathed more slowly, knowing that the tone and the desperation only picked up as the letters went. She reached for the third.
"Dear Korra,
I have amazing news! They're renaming the park after you, and placing a statue in your honor. I can't wait for you to come see it. I'm so excited for you. It's taken a long time, but I think people are finally starting to realize how important you are to the world. I know it's been hard, but I've always believed in you. I want to see you again so badly, so please get well soon. If there's anything I can do to help, don't hesitate to ask.
Asami"
She dropped the letter into the pile at her side. Asami felt chills beginning to build inside her body. Reflecting on the letters now, she recalled precisely how sad she was, having not heard anything back. How frightened she was, each day wondering if she'd find out Korra would never be able to walk again. She shakily moved on to the next letter in the stack.
"Dear Korra,
It seems like you've been gone forever, but it's only been a year. Things have slowly changed here in Republic City. The streets look so much nicer, and we're on schedule to finish the tram lines in another two years. I really have to thank you. I don't think anything would have worked out this well if you hadn't been here for all of us. Everyone here really misses you. I've been making a list of places to take you out to eat when you get back, and I have so many new things I want to show you. It's been hard for me without you here. But I know I'll be able to see you soon, and that helps me keep going.
Asami"
Asami slowly leaned back on the bed, bumping her head against the wall several times, listening to the hollow thump the contact made. She started to realize, by reading each note, just how much she needed Korra. All of her thoughts and emotions were laid out on these pages. She flipped to the next letter, remembering it as the last one she sent before she'd lost all faith in having any return messages. She attempted to reach out and find a way to contact Korra and get her to respond. She thought that maybe Korra just couldn't speak her mind, or didn't feel comfortable communicating. But she wanted to stay in touch with her in some way. And at this point, she was convinced that Korra would be gone for a long time. She started reading.
"Dear Korra,
It's been really quiet here lately and the lack of action is driving me crazy. Everyone is busy, and I have a lot of free time now that my projects are fully in motion. I miss having you around to bust criminals with. Since we can't do that, I thought we could at least keep in touch by playing long-distance Pai Sho. I know you don't know how to play, but I can send you a rulebook and we can take turns sending our moves to each other. I promise to go easy on you until you get the hang of it. Please write me back.
Asami"
Gently banging her head against the wall, Asami started to lay the letter down. In an unusual way, she began to understand herself by reading through the letters. She felt a strange, yet foreboding urge to continue reading. Especially since she knew the next one was from Korra. But she needed to keep going. She picked up the letter.
"Dear Asami,
I'm sorry I haven't written to you sooner, but every time I've tried, I never knew what to say. The past two years have been the hardest of my life. Even though I can get around fine now, I still can't go into the Avatar state. I keep having visions of Zaheer and what happened that day. Katara thinks a lot of this is in my head, so I've been meditating a lot. But sometimes I worry I'll never fully recover. Please don't tell Mako and Bolin I wrote to you and not them. I don't want to hurt their feelings, but it's easier to tell you about this stuff. I don't think they'd understand.
Korra"
Asami held her breath. She dropped the letter, allowing it to fall like a leaf from a tree. When she first saw it, addressed from the South Pole, she was incredibly overjoyed. Even now, her heart sank in her chest at the glimmer of closeness she felt for Korra. She would get Korra to open up, or so she thought at the time. She quickly reached for the next letter, against her better judgment. She knew it only got worse from here.
"Dear Korra,
I'm so glad to hear from you! I'm relieved to find out that you can move around again. I was so worried. I know it's been difficult for you, but you're the strongest and bravest person I know. I know you can pull through this. I want you to know how much your friends love and support you. You will get better, and it'll be like old times again. Just focus hard on your recovery, and we'll see each other again soon. And don't worry, I won't say anything to the guys. Get better, Korra.
Asami"
Tears began to well in Asami's eyes. She could barely continue. She started to understand more clearly just what the letters spelled out. The thought of losing Korra was unbearable, and now that she knew she was getting better, she couldn't stand to be apart. She sniffed quietly, blinking water from her eyelashes. She pulled her legs in closer, tucking them against her chest, while her free hand pressed to her face. She didn't know it at the time, but the last letter had been sent when Korra left home and set out by herself, and no one knew where she was. Trembling, she picked up the last letter, the last confession.
"Dear Korra,
I just got the news. You're going to be back in Republic City! I don't know if you'll get this letter before you leave, but I couldn't wait to write you again. I'm very eager to see you. Everyone's going to be here to greet you. I have so much to tell you about, and we have so much to catch up on. You should know I'm proud of you for pulling through and getting better. I always knew you would. As hard as it may have been, everything's going to be okay now. I'll be waiting for you.
Asami"
Asami clenched her eyes, whimpering to herself. She dropped her hand to keep from tightening her fist around the letter, unable to damage the precious artifact that so clearly explained her feelings. She felt so very stupid. Stupid for not realizing sooner. How could she have missed it? The words practically leapt off the page. A mixture of momentary relief and renewed fear coiled a painful knot in her stomach. She could barely breathe. She didn't know how to proceed. And the new challenges presented could be even worse than the horrible turmoil of not understanding her obsession with Korra. The fear of the unknown was instead replaced with fear of rejection. She clutched a hand against her face, her breath shaking as she scolded herself for only just now having clarity. "Dammit Asami," she choked. She was angry at herself. And now she knew why. "You have feelings for her. You're in love with her."
