All I could remember was the look on his face, and the memory mixing with the sweet smell of cigarette smoke, champagne and the ocean mingling with the perfume that scattered all around us. I thought back on his sharp handsome features, and the woman beside him, the color of her cheeks and the cherry color that sat on her lips. They both had been spectacular looking people, I couldn't quite believe it. Within the confines of my dreams, I could not believe how my brain perverse such beautiful innocence into something exciting and passionate. My sweetest of dreams did not last as the pain that throbbed into my head began, as if my mind was simply telling me to shut up and remain quiet for the remainder of my sleep. Sleep would not last.
I awoke to the scurrying sound of a mouse-like maid rushing through my room , opening all the windows and letting the sheer curtains rustle in the wind of the light filtered into my room to reveal simply how haphazardly I had arrived in my bed the night before. I didn't recall at all, the champagne had blurred my mind of events that transpired after a certain time the night before. My head throbbed, protesting me lifting my tired body off the bed, moving the silken sheets away from me. Everything felt as if death was reaching out with its clammy hands to take me.
"Ms. Korra, please it would be wise to get up, it's already past noon." The maid gave a small bow. "Ms. Zhu li is holding a brunch gathering with a few close acquaintances. She would like for you to attend."
I shoveled myself up out of bed ever so slightly, but the nausea threatened to push me back to the downy feather covering. There was a large lump at the foot of my bed that I could feel, but couldn't comprehend what lay there. I turned myself ever so slightly to find a lump of a boy at the foot of my bed caressing my foot board, and as he gave a groan I startled and scrambled back against the headboard. My panic subsided as the boy moved slightly once again and my mental functions began to return. I discovered that it was not some odd boy that I had decided to pick up at the party last night, but a rather hungover Bolin who had much liked my decided to crash down on my bed with me when we had returned from Sato's party. The smell of champagne and smoke returned to my nose. Oh how sweet they had been, how beautiful they had been. Another mumble of Bolin drew me out of that fantasy as he began to kiss the foot board.
I stretched out my foot to nudge the sleeping boy."Bolin…." He gave a groan and rolled into the footboard some more. I made a face of frustration before nudging him a little harder."Bolin!"
He woke with a start before holding his head. I figured his brain was also probably questioning our decisions last night as well.
"Did you really have to kick me, Korra?" He asked, slumping against the foot board. "I feel ill."
"Well so do I, but Zhu li is hosting a brunch and we can't sleep in forever. Go on."
"Why do I have to go-oh. You're going to get dressed." He muttered, "That wine messed with my head. I'll be going then." And with that, he lifted himself and wobbled out of the room with the assistance of a maid who then shut the door behind them.
Sea air pushed in from the ocean, carrying the familiar salty smell in, but also the smell of all the flowers in the garden. With those scents carried the sound of laughter and busy muttering and bumbling. Thinking back, I wish to never forget the smell of those summer days. It really was the happiest I had been in a long time.
Within a few moments, I was walking downstairs in a fine suit that I had been told suited me very well. I still didn't feel too well, but I would march through it. Bolin met me down the stairs, wearing a very light earth color.
"You look much better than you did a few moments ago." I said approaching him.
"Coffee does wonders for the hungover soul; we'll get you some during brunch, but now let's make our grand entrance."
"We shall." I gave him a smile as we linked arms and entered the garden.
"Look who decided to rise!" Varrick called from across the lawn; a pale colored drink sat in his hand. We gave a sheepish nod, knowing that no one else had gotten up much earlier than us. Varrick walked in and gave a smile before sweeping me away from Bolin and pulling me quickly in the garden. My heels sunk into the grass.
"Korra! You sure got in early this morning, but that doesn't matter. It's wonderful that you've woken up! I have some people for you to introduce yourself too!"
He began to drag me from person to person, I met a man named Tenzin and his wife who was heavily pregnant with their fourth child, He was a senator up in the city. An old crotchety woman named Lin Beifong, who was the chief of police within the city, and was once the heir of the Beifong family fortune, which was now in the hands of her sister. Another person introduced was Tarrlok, another senator in the city. He represented the northern water tribe, yet something about him gave me the heebie jeebies,He shook my hand before leaving.
"Varrick, I couldn't possibly meet any more people," I laughed, dancing slightly as the music started up. I heard him laugh as well.
"One more person, oh Korra please, this last person, you won't regret it. Asami!"
I felt my heart freeze as I caught her in my sight again, the girl from yesterday morning. She had been talking to other people when Varrick caught her attention. She turned and gave a wave. She was just as beautiful as, no, even more beautiful than when I saw her last night. The light of the sun caught her beautifully and the sea wind caught her long hair, causing it to framed her face ever so wonderfully.
I was pulled out of my trance by Varrick pulling me through the people up to Ms. Sato.
"Asami! This is my Cousin, Korra, she's visiting from the Southern Water tribe. Korra, this is Asami Sato."
"Hi…Hi….Uh.. Hello, it's a pleasure to meet you, Ms. Sato." I said, stumbling over my words and suddenly feeling like a complete idiot.
"Please, Call me Asami, I mean we're very similar in age, aren't we, Korra?" She said giving me a very kind and beautiful smile. I never thought that someone could be as beautiful as she was.
"Uh…we are? I mean, yes of course!" I panicked, suddenly feeling flustered under the early May sun.
She laughed a little, "You don't have to be so formal with me."
"Sorry, it's a force of habit." I muttered towards her but it was a lie. Formality was a way for me to conceal my heart, which wouldn't stop fluttering in my chest.
Just as I was beginning to calm myself, he approached. Out of the corner of my eye. The man from the night before. I caught his eye as he walked towards Asami, holding a pair of drinks in his hands before handing one to Asami. She thanked him sweetly with a kissed him on the cheek.
"Thank you very much dear," the woman said sweetly and he nodded, before looking at me. Asami quickly piped up. "Oh! Korra, this is my fiancé, Mako. Mako, this is Varrick's Cousin, Korra, she's here for the summer!"
"It's a pleasure, Ms. Korra." Mako said holding out his empty hand towards me. I took it and shook his hand.
"The pleasure is all mine," I replied before pulling my hand away from his.
"Alright, now that you kids have been introduced to one another... Asami, I'm going to have to steal you away for business," Varrick said, holding out his arm for the young woman.
"You two get acquainted and I'll catch up with you cats in a bit. This won't take long." Asami said before walking off with Varrick.
"Did he really just want to introduce us all then leave?" I muttered
"Has this never happened to you before?" Mako asked, standing a little awkwardly away from me.
"I normally don't see this many people at parties that don't know me," I replied, my eyes traced his figure. Much like Asami, he was beautiful, eyes gold like the sun, hair black as india ink.
"I saw you at Asami's party last night," he said.
"Yes, your brother dragged me along with him, saying that these parties were so glamorous that even one of the councilmen of republic city had been seen there before."
"Well, did it live up to the hype and gossip Bolin had been feeding you?"
"Even more so," I replied, feeling my heart begin to race in my chest. Why were these feelings here for him as well?
The chatter became idle as we found ourselves lost around the large bushes of the garden, slowly becoming a game of hide and seek. We could hear the laughter of the lawn party that we had left behind, and occasionally we would run into people also walking in the topiary, only to act as if we were doing nothing out of the ordinary before continuing our little game.
Laughter fluttered off my lips after I playfully pushed Mako away from myself as we exited the large garden maze, running onto the dock of Zhu li's mansion. I began to walk forward onto the dock and all the way to the end.
"Isn't it beautiful?" I asked, looking down at the spectacular blue color of the waves pulling away with the current and out into the sea.
Mako slowly walked onto the dock behind me, a solemn smile on his face. "Since we're on the subject of foolish, simple things: did you ever think, as a child, that you could control one of the elements of this world?"
"Absolutely. It was always water, something that could be so cold and yet so warm." I looked back at him. The warm light reflected off the receding waves onto his face.
"I didn't believe you would say yes!" he said, beginning to laugh.
I flustered in frustration as he laughed. At that moment I decided, and I began to remove my jacket and my trousers.
"Korra!" he shouted, his laughter completely subsiding as he watching me in a mixture of embarrassment and intrigue as he tried not to watch me remove my shirt. I let the fabric fall to the dock before I jumped off the railing and into the bay.
"KORRA!" Mako shouted. His reflexes were too slow, hands tightly gripping the railing, knuckles as white as the light that reflected off the moon.
"Now who's laughing?" I snickered, wading in the water. It wasn't quite as cold as I had expected, but I wasn't at all surprised. " Why do you look so frightened?"
"You just stripped down to you're bloomers and propelled yourself off a dock, how is any other sane person suppose to react?" he asked still peering down at me.
"Something a little less starchy!" I replied, leaping from the water to grab his hands and pull him back down into the clear blue water of Yue bay.
We surfaced only moments later. Mako began to cough up a little water. He quickly turned to me.
"You're mad!"
I laughed a little more. "If I wasn't at least in the slightest, I wouldn't have shown up at the party the other night! Nor would have we spent twenty minutes chasing you around the garden." He swam closer to me, but I didn't notice as the waves lapped against us, swaying us like little boats out at sea. Suddenly he was close enough for me to feel the heat of his body seeping into the water. He smelled of fire, champagne and seawater, and suddenly his lips pressed against mine. I was left for a moment holding my breath, and my heart began to long for more as we continued to kiss.
"Korra? Mako?" Bolin shouted from the exit of the garden maze.
The two of us jolted and quickly pulled apart.
"Did he see us?"