Requested by Jokermask18
arm-wrestle
"I got fifty yuans on Lin." Asami made an aside to Bolin. He shook his head emphatically, offering the elder girl a few bills between his fingers.
"Nah, Korra's got this in the bag." He insisted.
"I wouldn't be so sure. They're both pretty unrelenting. It could go either way." Mako said in hushed tones. The three of them stood off to the side, watching as Lin and Korra mentally prepared themselves for the fight at hand.
"You can concede now, Lin. There's always time to turn back." Korra said with a self-satisfied smirk, adjusting the midnight blue arm bands around her wrist. She had the same look on her face that she wore when she won a pro-bending match.
Lin looked up at her from across the table, the light of the room insufficient to explore the elder woman's face. She didn't look quite as certain as the Avatar; but then again, she didn't look particularly nervous either. She was carefully blank: the picture of a poker face. "You overestimate yourself, Avatar." Lin said carefully. Her words were full of a competitive sort of venom. Mako was right. This could go either way.
The two women positioned their arms over the table, fingers tensed and ready. Korra stretched her hand once. Lin remained eerily still.
Then it began. The two women froze, muscles straining. Their eyes locked and the earth beneath them buckled; there was a mild cry of outrage from the owner of the restaurant. "Sorry." The women muttered simultaneously, both of them unconsciously righting the wrongs they'd done to the floor.
Neither of them was able to make any headway one way or the other. They sat silently, sweat dripping down their cheeks, for several long minutes. Bolin, Mako, and Asami grew bored very quickly.
"So, does this mean I win the bet?" Mako finally turned to his comrades, a cheeky smile on his lips.
"You didn't contribute to the pot. So no." Asami replied dryly.
"Yeah, besides, you said it could go either way. Not that neither of them would win." Bolin pointed out sagely.
Mako sighed and called over to the Avatar and earth bender who were still turning blue with concentration. "How long are you two gonna keep this up?"
"As long as it takes." Korra hissed through her teeth.
Lin startled, their hands quaking at the movement. "I don't think so." The chief declared. She slammed the Avatar's hand down so hard that the whole shop shook. "Been a pleasure, Avatar. I have things to do." She pushed away from the table and stood.
Korra looked up at Lin, dumbfounded. "How did you do that?"
Lin shrugged. "My desire to leave was more than your desire to win."
Asami gave Bolin a sweet smile as she thumbed through her winnings. Lin approached at a brisk pace. "I'll be taking that. I did the work, after all." She said, snatching the bills from Asami's hands and exiting the restaurant with a muted swagger in her steps. The four of them stared after her, mouths agape.
Bolin pouted. "What just happened?"