A spirit adventure (part 1)
The hair grew from his nose till it touched his side burns. Big. Bushy. And brown. The spiffily clean badge atop his captains hat proclaimed his rank like a bullhorn to everyone who walked by. The power which he lorded over his crew. Making them crumble to his wishes. For to get into a row with the captain was to court death. Well, not death but you'd see your butt thrown off the ship at the next port lickety-split if you crossed him. Or in the case of one hired hand, who's only job was to shovel coal into the engine and failed to do so fast enough, found himself overboard a good mile from land. The captain was gracious enough to give the man a life preserver. Which he hung on for his life as the waves were menacing that far out. Tossing him around like a rag doll. When he'd made it to shore he'd fainted from exhaustion on the beach in front of a family. When he'd come too their boy offered the weary man a lick of his popsicle.
But for a passenger to show him such disregard; granted they were still on land. Which was aggravating. So of course he had to put on a show. Wouldn't want to get a bad reputation. But she was holding up their departure. And Captain Jon T. Everet was a man of punctuality. The T should of stood for time rather than Thaddeus.
"Miss..."
"Hold on a second, Captain." The words were quick to lash out from an irritated tongue. Willing to lash out at anything at this point to work out the frustration.
Disrespect from a passenger had to be taken in grace. He couldn't well throw them overboard. Even if he did want to.
"Great way to start off the trip, little penguin." The other women. Tall. Sleek in her tight aqua blue china dress top. Grayed hair was something which suited her best. It would of been hard to imagine her with anything but. Really a beautiful women if Captain Everet wasn't already paying for his last four mistakes. He would of gladly taken on another with this one.
That kid with the violent red hair had to be the other ones. Who'd been ripping apart the luggage for several minutes. Though the women looked to of been from one of the water tribes. He wasn't familiar who belong to which pole considering he had only been a sailor in the warmer parts of the world. But the blue fur trimmed clothes were definitely water tribe.
But the child's features no doubt came from the fire kingdom. Her already sharp feature's starting to show through at the age of what? Ten. However, her laid back manner seemed more like the earth kingdom women. Who couldn't possibly be the mother. She seemed viral even at her age but...still-maybe an aunt. Taking over the job cause the parents were gone.
The water tribe women released a frustrated yell. Causing the Captain to jump back to avoid his clothes catching fire. Hands flying to protect his precious hat; as a small controlled fireball erupted out of her throat. "You packed the bag Lin." She pointed an accusing finger.
"Yes 'I' did. There in there."
"Momma ruined the trip." The little girl puffed her cheeks.
"Don't be mean to your Momma like that." Which shocked Captain Everet at the fact that the child was indeed the women he was becoming infatuated with. "Lin, I'm serious here. I can't find them. I looked through the whole bag top to bottom; front to back. They aren't in here."
The women leaned over; hand in the pockets of her baggy pants. She scuffed her moccasin on the concrete peer. Giving her a rather punkish look. Which the Captain would say wasn't a turn off. Still unwilling to offer the women more room to complain; Lin said. "Did you check the pockets little penguin?" The pet name was odd. Maybe they were old neighbors. Family friends? Maybe even just family; very estranged family.
"I did..." The women's head flopped. Her twin side braids beating on her chest. "...wait?"
Odd though. Captain Everet didn't know of many firebenders who lived at either of the poles. Wasn't there still bad blood between them because of what happened during the war?
"This thing has pockets?" The audible slap of a palm to the face made the man cringe. Shocked that when the women looked up there wasn't a bloody nose.
By the response from the earthkingdom women the Captain really was leaning towards very close friends. It would of taken years to build up the thick calluses to utter such terse and non-biting words. "Yes." A sigh as if she were used to this little game. "Little penguin. There on the inside of the bag."
"Oh." Flipping the bag around the women had found them by the loud zipper sound. Then she held them up for the Captain to see. "Found them. Sorry about the wait Captain. Thanks for holding up the boat for us." She responded.
Captain Everet snatched the tickets quickly and made his way onto the ship. Not caring to check behind him to see if the passengers were following or not. This would be the only time he'd see them the entire trip. tempting though it may be this experience had put him off from even wanting to try to make a move on the earth kingdom women. Lest he have to chance bumping into that buffoonish companion as well.
"Butt-head."
"Yee-Li." Korra snapped at the rude language.
"Agreed." Lin said. And mother and daughter shared a civil moment of agreement.
"Don't encourage her Lin." Saddling back up her bag onto her shoulder. Korra gave a light slap to the others exposed bicep. The flesh didn't yield to the light assault. However, Korra had to blow on her fingers to take the sting away.
"I wasn't. I was just agreeing with her." Lin laughed. Taking hold of her wife's aching digits she pressed a soothing kiss to each of them. "Trust me. Squirt was right. I've met plenty of captains. There all crazy and full of themselves."
A pair of hands clapped over Yee-Li's ears. The girl jumped and squinted at the ringing in her ears. "I don't think that kind of talk is appropriate." Korra said.
She received a hand waving her off. As Lin slung her bag over her shoulder she gave her kid a wink. "Come on. Let's get on board before we get left behind."
Forcing her mommy's hands off her. Yee-Li grabbed her bag so the trio could set off up the boarding ramp. Which seconds later was retracted so the ship could get underway.
. . .
The room was smaller than their suitcases. With two single beds. The cream sheets faded white to match the walls. The two overly bright lights overtop the beds casted deep shadows over the room's floor. Though the room looked clean. An odor had clung tight to everything no matter how many times the staff scrubbed. Korra and Lin both exchanged knowing looks as to what the all to familiar scent was when their daughter cringed and covered her nose. They made something up to tell her.
In an attempt to air it out. Korra went to the small porthole window. The aged knobs wouldn't budge; until Lin waved a forceful hand over to loosen them up. Still the smell coming off the murky green ocean, a far cry from the true blue one korra knew, could barely push the lurking scent out of the room.
"This is going to be fun." Lin remarked with a wry tone behind her wife. Who was taking in the ocean breeze through the port. The soft thump of her bag was drowned out by the shriek of the rusted springs of the bed.
The parents bristled at the spine tingling sound. Yee-Li however, seemed far more distracted by her own bed to react in kind. A constant squeaking noise as her bed gave way to her jumping. Hair flapping around her head like a dancing flame.
Lin watched her daughter jump and challenge her with a smirk. Sometimes it seemed to Korra that the few times they interacted civilly were in play fights. Since she was older now Lin had been teaching their daughter some way to defend herself. Guess if she couldn't bond with her daughter over bending. They could at least bond over something similar. So she started to teach her to fight. And Korra knew she didn't have to worry about Lin teaching their daughter to use it to beat up children. Maybe if Yee-Li's grandmother were still around they'd have to worry.
Quick hands struck as Lin snatched her daughter out of the air. Twisted her onto her side and playfully set her down onto the bed. The girl bounced twice before her head settled onto the pillow. Rubbing her face into it.
Lin cringed yet tried to keep her cool. Reminding herself that the staff should have washed everything before new guests boarded.
The shriek made Lin cringe. Korra was a literal force of nature and it was a struggle to keep her from separating their daughter from the bed.
. . .
The cruise was a snooze fest of people playing make shift games. Shuffle boards made of cobbled together items; some kids were using a stale croissant for a puck. The backs of staircases became dens to gambling. Often noticeable by the smoke signals drifting out. And the angry chatter of disgruntled losers.
Amongst the old people who were asleep in their folding chairs sat the three. Under a wing of the deck to keep the sun from burning them. The chairs laid almost atop each other just like their hands. Pale over brown. Each with their respective heads in a page. Lin had one of three books Pema had given her for the trip; almost finished unfortunately, and she'd be done the second before the ship made it to land. While Korra was reading over some avatar stuff from a scroll given to her by Tenzin. Since she couldn't commune with her past selves anymore. The only way to learn was to hit the books. Korra didn't think it was important; but listening to Tenzin explain why she needed to do such a boring thing was a worse punishment than enduring a few hours of reading.
"...single handedly put a stop to Chin the conquerors army. Lin, she's responsible for turning Kyoshi into an island. Why can't I do that." The women let out a incessant whine. Pouring over the parchment and listing to all the accomplishments of one of her previous incarnations. "Then she helped put an end to the uprising in Ba Sing Se."
"It was a reasonable response to a evil tyrant. And all she did was talk to the earth king."
Overlooking the history correction. Korra rattled off more facts. Particularly engrossed with her age. "...and she lived to be two hundred and thirty! Wow, she must of been a wrinkled prune by the end."
Lin huffed. "I'll have you know earthbenders age gracefully. I've seen depictions of her in much later years looking as if she were barely into her forties. Shows what a steady regiment of earthbending can do. For all the faith that people put into their cosmetics." Not a lick of make-up had a hand in making Lin look any more sultry. It was all her baby. Nothing made the lips fuller than biting them while hurling rocks around. And sweat was good for the pours; fact.
The hand in Lin's squeezed. Korra used her index finger to scratch the crevice between Lin's fingers. Too bad they weren't in the sun. That blush Lin had on was as visible as lighthouse on a foggy night.
"Don't I know it Badgermole." Her pet name ended in a growl. If they weren't careful this could have some enjoyable repercussions.
"I'm bored."
"You wanted a vacation Squirt. Enjoy It." The kid was sitting out of arms reach. In her own chair. With her own book. Again another gift from Pema; one of Rohan's old ones. But she left it unopened at her side.
Arms crossed and a sour puss that was trying to make the ocean go away. Still two years away but what the heck. What's acting like a grumpy teenager a little ahead of schedule. Yee-Li had been begging for years to have a family vacation. But between both their job's it was difficult. It's not like you could tell the world to solve its own spiritual problems because the avatar needed some TLC. Still they had both reached a point when they didn't want to put it off any longer. It's not like Yee-Li would be young forever.
Rising from her chair Korra stretched herself out.
Lin admired her over the top of her book. A smile to match that of her wife as she leaned down to give her a quick smooch.
"Need anything? I'm gonna get a drink."
Lin pressed for another kiss. "Tea please."
"Yee-Li you want anything to drink?"
"Tea." The girl said. Flopping her arms at her sides to emphasize her displeasure at her uneventful surroundings. "With lots of honey."
Lin cleared her throat. Gesturing a glance at the girls other mother.
"Please." Yee-Li added.
Korra walked off.
While the other two got comfortable again. Well, Lin did anyway settling back into her book. The story was to fluffy. To above the clouds as far as how real relationships went. Person A meets person B they fall in love instantly.
That's not how it goes.
At first Lin had nothing but utter contempt for her little penguin. That girl thought she could waltz into her city and break whatever laws she wanted to apprehend the bad guy. No. That's not how her city worked. There were rules. Her mother's rules. Break them and you'll find yourself in a very bad place. Never would Lin had ever thought that she would end up with the object of her contempt. Before Korra's arrival Lin never thought she would ever love anyone again. But times change and so had she. Little by little. Things here and there began to happen. Like close touches. Hidden blushes. Not from Lin. Who couldn't get past her initial bias of the young avatar. Shooting her down at every invitation for dinner or some form of entertainment. Lin thought the girl had just been trying to earn herself a get out of trouble card. The inkling of not wanting to trust others had prevented Lin from ever knowing what the avatar was really following her for. Then again it's not like Korra had ever said aloud she was pursuing Lin in a romantic way. And it wasn't Lin's fault she didn't know when someone was flirting with her. Tenzin wasn't the type to use flattery on her. With Pema, yes. Those two could be sickening with their exchange of lovey dovey phrases. But words like hot. Cute. Cute! Her? Spirits why Korra would of ever uttered such a word about her was just...so what if Lin couldn't catch on to what the other was trying to say. She would never say that had anything to do with the fact that she was an earthbender.
That was until the flowers. There were carnations, lilies, orchids, pear blossoms, snap dragons, kangaroo paws, and yes of course a rose tucked in there. Shoved in really. The bouquet bursting from her shaking hand. A few of them slipped out and trampled unintentionally as she shuffled around the women. So simple a gesture, like she had gotten advice from Pema's romance novels, even Lin wouldn't of been hard headed enough to not understand the meaning.
It...was wrong...to throw them away like that. Stuffing them in the trash can in front of Korra. The easier thing would of been to of taken her heart and thrown it away instead. That moment had been hard for Korra. But Lin lost sleep for days after. Confused by the whole thing. She wasn't beautiful. She wasn't young. She wasn't...worthy. Why would someone want a person so emotionally broken.
Korra had; for some reason. Had seen something in Lin; or made it up.
The look of utter shock. Wide eye's and even wider mouth when Korra opened her bedroom door to find Lin there; the bags under her eyes were like water stains. Her pajama's smelled like she had slept in them for days. Empty bowls and plates were left around the room. On her desk. Lin got stabbed in her butt when she sat down on the bed. Mumbling for the girl to clean up her room when they were done. As she put the fork on top of a stack of plates. Three words. That was all it took for Lin to reconsider the young girls affection.
"I like you." Not love. Not can't bear to live without you. Just like. She seemed so confused by her own feelings. Pressing her legs to her chest. Hiccupping as she covered her eyes and rubbed her aching heart.
No one had shown any emotion for Lin; not since her mother was around. This touched her in such a deep way that Lin couldn't refuse. To give it a chance. To let Korra in. To start a relationship with the avatar. Lin had forgotten how much hard work they were. But Korra could be surprisingly patient. To work through the good and the bad times then.
And here they were. Still working on it. Although the ideals had changed.
Lin looked to the brooding limp lump. "Try to look a little happy for your mommy Yee-Li." Folding her book up and setting it down on her leg.
"But-I'm-boooored." She whined. Slapping her thighs.
"Fake it-please. For your mommy. She wants us to have a good time. And I'm sure there will be a lot we can do when we get to the island."
Yee-Li gave her a sour expression. That morphed into a creepy over cheeful smile. Wide teeth and gums on display.
"Thank you." Lin leans over to lay her hand on her daughter.
Yee-Li flinches as it hovers over her head; expecting it to be a painful noogy. Instead Lin gently pokes her cheek. A simple smile from her momma that went a long way. As Yee-Li draws her teeth back behind her lips. But they stay curved.
Till they both felt someone intruding.
Inclining her head. Lin acknowledge the intruder. "Hello, Captain."
His weathered hand rose. "Please call me Jon. I think we can be a little less formal with each other. Miss..." He just couldn't stay away.
"Lin." The women replied tersely at being called miss.
"And how are you two enjoying the trip so far?" He inquired.
"This is boring." Yee-Li said bluntly.
Lin couldn't help but openly laugh as the captain's polite smile left him and his hands flopped to his side.
The captain offered the girl his hat to hold. Thinking maybe it would brighten up her moodiness.
Yee-Li turned it over once then threw it on her seat. Instead she watched her mother and the captain talk. Which she knew would be far more interesting by her parents obvious contempt.
The man sat down on the edge of Korra's chair. Ignoring Lin's visible annoyance as he settled in. He turned his head to watch the ocean for a second; saying. "I do hope you and your friend are enjoying the trip so far at least." Asking in earnest. Happy travelers were likely to come again.
"It's ok." She said offhandedly. "Our bed squeaks. So it's kind of hard to sleep. My bed mate likes to move around. Worse is she snores." Lin looked to her daughter and the two shared a laugh.
The captain butted in on their moment. Trying to join in the two's joke. "Is that right. Are you making trouble for your mom?" He asked. Reaching over Lin for Yee-Li's head. He found his hand slapped away more roughly then she'd ever done with Lin. Eyes staring daggers through his face.
Lin was impressed. The kid must be picking up some things.
The Captain looked to Lin wondering if she would discipline her child for such a rude display. Lin offered only a shrug.
"I don't snore. Mommy does."
The captain looked to Lin confused.
"Not momma." The child corrected. "...mommy." Picking up the captains hat by her feet and throwing it at his chest. The soft material gently connected. Falling into his lap.
Captain Everet fixed it back atop his head. As a finger pointed at him.
"And you better get out of mommy's seat."
"I'm just having a conversation with your-momma?" Captain Everet looked to Lin; who nodded. "When your mommy gets back she can have her seat back." Then as the sentence finished the deck came closer to Captain Everet's face. His rear in the air. The hat atop his head slid across the deck. Where it was trampled by a couple of passersby. The clean white now bruised.
"I'm back. So I guess I'll just be taking this back." Looking at the red faced man as he stood.
While Everet made sure all his medals were in place Korra passed out the drinks to her family. Pulled in for a kiss by Lin. Unbeknownst to the captain who was busy making sure his cuffs were folded properly; before picking up his trampled hat. He turned trying to muster some dignity and gave the ladies and child a short bow.
Lin raised her glass. "See you captain." The other two mimicked her action.
And as Captain Everet marched down the deck back to the bridge. Korra leaned over to Lin. Motioning for Yee-Li to come in as well.
"Your right. I don't like him either." She whispered.
Lin just sat back putting her face in her book. "Told you."
Yee-Li mimicked her mother. As she tried to put on a happier smile as she stared mindlessly out into the sea. "Me too." She said. As a seagull kept a lazy pace with the ship her smile became genuine.