Ch. 5: Sleepless Nights
All was quiet in the house. The dishes could be 'seen' sitting in the cupboard after they had been washed and dried after dinner. Not many, only two, one big plate and one small plate. The depiction of water tribe people playing with penguins couldn't be made out through this sense; just the overall shape. The plates had previously been wrapped in a cloth along with multiple others left in the fridge. All made with loving care in advance for the other two occupants of the house by the missing one. The person could see that the living room was still a chaotic mess of wooden blocks and toys. A stuffed badgermole still tucked with care underneath a blanket was sleeping on the couch.
This apartment had been her home for a very long, long time. Since she moved out of the only other home she ever knew. After all, what young women wanted to live with their mother when she was in her mid twenties. Lin had. But her mother thought it was time for her little badgermole to leave the cave. It was not an order given as her chief; but one as a concerned parent. Thinking it better for her to bust out on her own as she had put it. Not spend all her time either at work or home with her. Get out. Find some friends, Badgermole, her mother said. A graying head of hair, and a few lines starting to come out of her eyes. Boy that didn't stop her though from being the first through the door on raids.
So Lin found herself an apartment. Nothing to grand. Not on her salary anyway; and reluctantly furnished it with a few pieces forced on her by her mother too. Actually, most of the furniture she still owned were things given to her by her mother. But that couch, now with a few food or juice stains from recent happenings, used to be just big enough for her lover and herself. Except now they need room for one more. It wasn't cutting it...but it was her mothers. But it was getting to be a hazard. One could see the springs inside the cushion pinching the fabric. What if Yee-Li tripped and landed and-and...the women shook herself. The couch had to go.
Stretching her 'sight' just a little wider. Up the metal beams of the houses foundation and into the apartment above. The Morishita's who'd been living their almost as long as she had. Happy to have the security of someone like herself living beneath them. Their house had changed much since the last time the women took a peek inside. The dresser had a different shape as well as some added pieces of furniture in the living room. And it looked like they did some redecorating to the rather drab bathroom that was standard for both of their homes.
Unlike Lin who'd done nothing with it; keeping the ugly yellow painted walls the same. Until her little penguin had one of the air temple monks paint a mural. Making it look like the spirit oasis had been crammed in her tiny bathroom. Two bridges stretched from opposite walls to behind a shower curtain. The faintest glimmer of Tui and la, the spirit fish, underneath the small watering hole on the island surrounded by water. Which was revealed when you stepped behind the curtain.
She extracted herself from her neighbors home. Reeling her senses back to the first floor. Then sent them outside. Into the street. Creeping onto the roads. Feeling the foots steps of anyone who walked by. And able to tell a little of what they looked by them. The heavy feet of a man. Pot belly and a slight limp in his left knee. Favoring the other to keep him up. Or the click clack of heels for a much much older women than herself. Who shouldn't be on the streets at that hour. Not with the rocks around her neck. Cause the thief who held her up might not be able to tell they were fake. Chances were she didn't know they were either. Head tilted in that high life way as if to say I'm so much better than you. Look at my shiny jewelry.
Little penguin didn't care for those kinds of things. The one piece she did own was bent from the most beautiful metal Lin could buy. Not cheaply either. A black jade. Similar to the space rock her mother had given her. But it felt different somehow. Just the vibrations it gave off made her think it didn't come from the same place her mother had gotten her rock from. The women bent a chain from it. Taking a week to layer the pendant into the most realistic looking ocean she could for the symbol of her little penguins tribe. She was so ecstatic to receive it on an ordinary Wednesday morning. Waking up to breakfast in bed and the clammy hand presenting a midnight purple box wrapped in a blue bow. From her response she must of gotten the implications behind such a gift as was a custom for showing one's...commitment to a relationship in her lovers tribe. Being showered with kisses. Lips hungry for more intimate things other than the eggs and toast.
Even though the necklace only came out on dates; she didn't mind. After all with her lovers job of saving the world from some calamity or such. It was expected that precious items shouldn't be worn if you were expecting to be crushed by a boulder, or burned by fire, or impaled by icicles, or attacked by dark spirits, or any number of less horrible things than those. Maybe it'd fall off by accident. That last one actually seemed less likely.
As she ventured into a house across the street; one in particular. That could be seen much clearer than the others. A family of five. Still awake even though it was past midnight. Parents on the couch with a newborn in the mother's lap. A teenager trying not to seem like she was more interested in her magazine, maybe it was a book from the size of it. The smaller daughter had her head in her palms and twiddled her feet. Everyone staring at a small box casting out vibrations like a fireworks finale.
Ah, they must be listening to the pro-bending tournament, thought Lin.
The thought of the children brought the women back into her own home. Back to the feeling of her toes, touching the hard wooden floor, poking out from under the covers. Her green eyes opened, then drooped, for the first time since she went to bed early that night. A little bump rose and fell in the covers next to her. A hand reached out. The tips of fingers lightly touching the top of the blanket. Peeling it back.
Lying there with a face that could light up this women's world so easily now. Even though they'd only been acquainted for a short time. Pudgy cheeks but a solid firm chin underneath. She'd be strong willed. Yet, hopefully not as strong headed as her other mommy was.
Lin chuckled in a low but deep and grainy voice. Hopefully she wouldn't be to stern like her either.
The same hand that peeled back the covers wandered up to the sleeping baby's head. Petting red tresses that seemed to grow more fiery by the day. A whine escaped. As the child blinked. It looked around the dark room. Till it saw it's momma. Shining a restrained smile down upon her. Upon seeing her momma's face the baby's eye's became more alight. Fragile limbs forced their way out of the constraining blanket. Reaching up.
"Can't sleep either, huh?"
Throwing the blankets off the both of them. The women scooped up her child. Heading out of the bedroom.
The lights left off. Not even needing to use her senses to navigate the familiar layout of her home. She found her way easily to the kitchen. With its huge window that allowed the light's from the activity outside to make it was if it were daytime. Lin looked at the street lined with diverse looking homes. All built without the plan of what was going on around them. Some looked similar with the shape of a sloping roof. Other's looked like a recreation of a time before the hundred years war. With large angular roofs. And running ponds in the backyards.
The dark sky above were the stars lay hidden; overpowered by the sheer force of the city.
"I'll take you to see the stars soon. You and Me...and mommy. We'll all go to the beach. I hope you'll like it. There's lots of things to see. Like sea shells, and we can feed the toucan puffin's. Oh, you'll get to see the ocean too. Your mommy loves the ocean. She'll take you out for a swim. And you and I can build sand sculptures. Your Momma's very good. Mommy's very jealous of it."
The smirk fell. The women brushed a stray strand of hair from the child's face. Running her hand along Yee-Li's cheek. Which elicited a chubby giggle.
"Momma misses Mommy, Yee-Li. I-I hate it when she goes away. Her warmth. Her smile. Her...light. I miss all of it. I don't like being separated from her." With big curious eyes. Yee-Li listened to her momma's confession. "Your mommy does so much. So many good things. So much more than what I ever have. Your mommy has saved the world. I want you to know that. Your mommy is a hero to countless people we will never meet. Who don't even know us. Maybe she doesn't even know that she's saved them...Heh, she has a habit of that, not knowing. I hope you're a little sharper. Momma wouldn't know what to do if you were like your mommy...No-I guess...that I really wouldn't care; if you were exactly like her. I would love you just the same."
A voice floated in the still air. Silent; trying to be hold back. To not interrupt.
"And I would her too; even if she took after you, Lin."
Lin spun around.
Korra was slumped against the door frame. Clothes rumpled from the ride home on the sky bison. Her face ghostly. Head nodding. Failing to stay awake.
Lin walked over. They were silent as they took care in looking each other over. No words needed. Lin freed a hand and drew Korra close. Who in turn laid a hand on their daughter. And Yee-Li grabbed hold of one of her fingers and gurgled happily.