487 Acacia Willows

Six: Feng's Mansion

Tahno didn't often ask for Korra's attention, nor did he demand anything from her.

Which is why she was so incredibly stunned when he called her the day before, just past dusk, and with that deep, sultry voice, asked if she'd take the time from her schedule to "spend an evening with the Wolfbats tomorrow." Imagining his sleepy bedroom eyes staring into her from across the telephone line, imagining that curl of his lip at the end of his sentence and the way he would've dragged gentle fingers up her arm had he been able to ask her in person is what drives her to say yes.

That, and the crushing curiosity that came with Tahno asking to spend time with her.

The anticipation had pooled into a little bubble in the pit of her stomach all throughout the day, something akin to excitement and nerves, and as the day faded into night, those nerves had turned into suspicious thoughts and the beginnings of an adrenaline rush in her veins, because Spirits, what could this crazy man have planned for her?

She stands before his door, no different than she has in the past, but while she's consistent, there's certainly something different beyond the black door that bores the golden 487 that has become her home away from home. In her right pocket the brass spare key feels heavy—she had slipped it in just before she left for his apartment—and she wonders if she should use it and surprise him, or be a lady and knock.

Beyond the door, she can hear Tahno's gramophone working at incredible volumes, and though the melody of whatever tune it's playing is muffled by the door and walls, Korra can tell that it's certainly a song much different than his usual leisurely tunes. She hovers outside the door for a minute more, listening curiously to whatever it is that's occurring inside—why, are those voices?

Almost comically, Korra leans so close to the door that her ear is almost pressed to the painted wood, and yes, there are voices coming from inside that don't bear any auditory resemblance to Tahno's quiet, deep murmur. Deciding that standing outside while there's quite obviously entertainment beyond the door is a waste of her time, she knocks against the wood with fervor to ensure that she's heard over the ruckus inside.

Korra waits no longer than twenty-five seconds, before the door is pulled open and the full volume of the music hits her, and she's welcomed by a familiar (yet unfamiliar) face—a tall, handsome man with curls that are an odd color—she can't decide if they're red or brown—and striking amber eyes stares at her for a moment, before something visibly clicks in his mind, and he smiles at her. His smile reminds her of Tahno's—it's close lipped and lazy, as if he's hiding a secret behind his lips.

He's holding a glass of what Korra assumes to be bubbling champagne, but she isn't sure.

"Well, if it isn't Tahno's dame, huh?" He teases, and Korra presses her lips together. Tahno's dame. She isn't quite fond of that.

"Sure," She replies, glancing inside almost impatiently. The man in turn, who seems to have picked up on her haughty fuse, laughs—Spirits, what's his name, again? She knows that she's seen his face before!—and opens the door wider to welcome him in.

"Now, now, where's the fire, baby?" He's got a nice voice, not as deep or musical as Tahno's, but it's certainly masculine and with a boyish, husky quality to it. He reaches for her hand and pulls her inside, and Korra stumbles a bit, her eyes narrowing at him, and any other man would've drawn away from her as if she had burned them, but he makes no move to release her hand. Instead, he brings the appendage to his lips and presses a soft kiss to her knuckles.

"I don't normally introduce myself," He clears his throat. "But Tahno will have my head if I'm a pill, now won't he? The name's Shaozu, darling."

Korra's face lights up in recognition—Shaozu, of course! The man who had once supplied the flames to the Wolfbat's glory—and, if Korra remembers her trivia correctly, the youngest member on the team.

Recognition and status does nothing to change Korra's personality, however, and she yanks her hand away from his, because she's never really been too big on the gentlemanly stuff, anyway (why Tahno has managed to wiggle his way into her heart is beyond her own knowledge, and while Shaozu is a looker, he's no Tahno).

"Great to meet you," She bites, though the words are light-hearted, because Shaozu seems not unlike Tahno in the basis of his demeanor, and she's right in her assumption, because he laughs her tone off with a flippant wave of the hand.

"Ouch, baby." Shaozu grins through his words, eyes sparkling, and lifts his glass to his lips. "I like the fire in you."

Korra smiles. "So does Tahno." A pause, and she glances around, having just barely made it past the entrance of the apartment. "Where is he, anyway?"

Shaozu shrugs, and gestures to the living room. "Being a wet blanket over yonder, probably. Go on, honey—I'll follow you."

As she breaks into the living room, it's clear to her that there are several more people scattered beyond the foyer, for she can hear conversation and the clinking of glasses, and the apartment is brightly lit, a rare sight for her eyes. If she thought Tahno's grand dwelling was beautiful before, it's absolutely ethereal with it's intricate chandeliers which Korra had once believed seldom been used, bathing the place in gold. Lining the living room are four large windows that span from floor to ceiling, and Korra's used to seeing them concealed by black and gold curtains, but tonight, the curtains are drawn back, hooked into elegant sweeps to the side, and the crystal windows on display for all to see, and there's an absolutely breathtaking view of the city below them.

There's barely a lash batted at her as she enters the living room, Shaozu following close behind, and Korra's surprised by the lack of people—for there are only two others in the living room, including a man strewn lazily across a white couch, whom Korra instantly recognizes as the tall, dark, former Earth bender, Ming (because before Tahno, Ming had always been her favorite Wolfbat), and woman who's dolled up in what's clearly Republic City's finest clothing. Korra feels quite underdressed as Shaozu breaks away to curl an arm around the woman's waist

The woman of Shaozu's affections is dressed in a stunning black drop-waist gown with a loose grey belt hung lazily about her hips, and a tasselled skirt that stops just above her knees. The dress is sleeveless, and shows the smooth curves of her shoulders. She herself is quite pretty—with olive colored skin that isn't as dark as Korra's, but is certainly flirty and sun-kissed, glossy red-brown curls pinned up into a messy side bun (Korra can't fathom how the woman manages to pull off such a look with elegance), and striking green eyes. She pushes away from Shaozu with a roll of her eyes, though the gesture is endearingly playful.

"Paws off, Shao. Spirits know I'm not giggly enough to deal with you." The woman's voice surprises Korra, because it's rather deep—deeper than Korra had expected—but she's got such a stereotypical, flawless Republic City accent that Korra almost wants to believe she's a caricature of the city.

The woman turns, facing Korra with a warm smile—glossy, dark red painted lips stretching to expose teeth that aren't quite perfect, but a smile that's welcoming regardless. "Why," She gasps. "If it isn't the mysterious Avatar Korra!"

The exclamation makes Korra roll her eyes, albeit tongue-and-cheek. "Don't remind me," She says with a laugh, and to her surprise, the woman laughs along with her, a sound so loud and contagious that it brings Shaozu, behind her, to a chuckle.

How odd is this, Korra thinks. She doesn't even know this woman's name, and yet here she is, joking so informally and light-heartedly, as if the two have been acquainted in the past. Though unorthodox, Korra finds the atmosphere of the apartment so relaxing, so liberating that she's very glad she stopped by.

"Can't be that terrible, can it, sugar?" The woman replies, though the question is rhetorical, and the answer is swallowed by her sweeping movement toward Korra, and she offers her hand.

Without hesitation, Korra accepts, formally greeting the woman with a nod.

"I'm Fei." She introduces herself.

Korra blinks. "Fei?" She echoes back, doing little to hide the astonishment in her voice. "That's a Fire Nation name, isn't it?"

Fei laughs and nods enthusiastically, as if she's gotten the question numerous times and has turned the whole ordeal into a joke. "It sure is. Daddy's from Jang Hui, Mommy's from Omashu, and me?" She lets go of Korra's hand to toss her arm dramatically over her forehead. "I'm in therapy."

Korra's eyes go wide, and her mouth falls open, jaw slack and smile wide with laughter at Fei's words. She isn't the only one laughing, either, for Shaozu's snickering, and from his spot of leisure, Ming's booming laughter rises above the singing gramophone. From the kitchen on Korra's left, she can hear the familiar (yet incredibly rare) song of Tahno's laughter, coupled with a rather peculiar feminine, snorting giggle.

Naturally, Korra's attention is drawn to Tahno's voice, and like the main event of a show, he emerges from the kitchen with a smile, dressed to the nines, holding a glass of champagne in either hand. Spirits, he looks wonderful—his hair is tousled, curls loosely falling across his face, and the dark kohl of his liner is smudged just enough to accentuate the striking blue of his irises.

But what's most attractive about him, is he's smiling, and her breath is taken away.

"Well, well, well," He purrs, eyes sparkling as he circles behind her, and Korra finds herself leaning closer to him, if only to properly hear his murmur. "Finally decided to show face, hm?" He flirts, handing her one of the glasses in his hands.

Korra clicks her tongue at his words, but takes the drink anyway, completely ignorant to those around them as Tahno presses against her back. "You should be thanking me," She retorts, though she's smiling through her words. "This party seemed pretty lame before I got here."

He laughs behind her, slipping his free arm—the one that isn't currently balancing a delicate glass of liquor between his fingers—around her stomach.

"Oh Honey," Tahno's voice is a sin, so quiet and low that only Korra can feel it rip through her like a tidal wave. He's still smiling—she can hear it in the gentle swell of his syllables. "The real party hasn't even started yet."

And just as quickly as he's wrapped around her, he's gone, opting instead to sling his arm loosely around her waist as he takes her side and guides her further into the apartment.

"Seems like you've been acquainted, hm?" Tahno asks, gesturing around. Ming sits up a bit straighter from where he's been lounging, and offers Korra a wink and a smile that is admittedly charming—she no longer wonders why the Wolfbats were considered the prettiest boys in the city—and Fei and Shaozu are standing beside one of the large windows and sharing smiles and hushed laughter.

Korra almost nods, but there's a loud, feminine "Aha!" that comes from the kitchen and draws everyone's attention to the source of the sound.

Tahno's kitchen is undoubtedly grand, but a bit unconventional in it's design. It opens his floor plan with a bar that boasts a glossy granite countertop and tall, polished barstools, and just beyond the bar is the kitchen, something worthy of it's own dedication entirely, but what takes away from the aesthetic is a small woman with skin just as rich in color as Korra's, and long, stick-straight brown hair, popping up from beneath the counters with a triumphant expression painting her face.

Naturally, the expression on the woman's face falters and falls as she notices the several eyes staring at her, replaced instead by the rosy glow of embarrassment blossoming on her cheeks.

"Sorry," She clears her throat, and her voice is soft and sweet. "Did I interrupt something?" She laughs, though the sound is a bit shaky with nerves.

Korra can't help but smile at the girl.

"We were just being bored to death by Tahno, no harm done!" Korra jokes, and Tahno pinches her side.

"Naturally," Tahno smiles, taking the words with a grain of salt. "Anyway, this sweet mess is Miss Koko Fen." He takes the liberty of introducing Korra to the girl—Koko Fen—and Korra feels a strange feeling churning inside of her, a sense of familiarity upon hearing the girl's name.

Had she been a probender as well? Though she was quite pretty, she didn't seem lady-like enough to fall into the role of a groupie. Korra smiles at her, nonetheless, though her name continues to torture her—was Koko Fen on Amon's long list of casualties? Korra had no clue whether or not Fei was a bender, but she knew all too well of Tahno, Ming and Shaozu's fates. Was she really standing in a room full of people that she had failed to protect; people that she had failed as the Avatar, and joking around with them as if they were all starting with a clean slate?

She shifts a bit on her feet and glances at the bubbling drink that she had completely forgotten about between her fingers. Spirits, she's thinking too much again.

Tahno invited her out for a leisurely evening—not for an existential crisis.

Tahno nudges her lightly, as if to help draw her from her trance, and she blinks a few times, before looking up at him—when did he end up in front of her?

"What's eating you, darling?" He purrs, lifting his fingers to twirl through loose strands of her hair. Those eyes, those beautiful eyes of his are tearing her apart inside, and she suppresses a smile, opting instead to push his hand away with a click of her tongue against the roof of her mouth. The gesture is playful, naturally, and well received, for Tahno lets his hand fall away and continues watching her with that glittering twinkle in his eyes.

"Who say's anything's bothering me, huh?" Punctuating her answer with a long drink from her glass, she hopes he'll drop the blip in atmosphere, or at least pick it up later, when they're entirely alone.

"So, guys," Korra calls the attention of everyone in the room, and drapes herself across a chaise lounge that had earlier been vacant. Tahno moves to turn the gramophone, which had been squealing the melody of a trumpet-heavy piece, down to a conversational level.

Koko emerges from the kitchen, positively glittering in an earthy green dress that mimics the style of Fei's only without the belt, and settles herself beside Ming, who yanks rather childishly on a strand of her hair and leaves her whining a brief "Grow up!". Shaozu takes a chair as well, and Fei lays rather girlishly across his lap, arms around his neck, legs dangling over the arm of the seat.

"So Avatar," Fei sings, lightheartedly mimicking Korra's tone. Korra, who's sitting with her back turned against Tahno, who's leaning against his gramophone, completely misses the way the former captain gives Fei a sharp look and shakes his head softly.

"Is this how we're spending our night? Not going to lie," Korra is teasing by now, the glass of champagne that she earlier indulged in (perhaps a bit too quickly) beginning to make her head grow fuzzy. "I expected more from a crowd like this."

(Of course, she wouldn't mind either way if they went out to face the night or stayed in with Tahno's record collection and bottles of wine.)

Her declaration, however, is awfully comedic to the group, and there's a chorus of laughter at Korra's naïvety.

"Of course this isn't how we're spending our night, Sugar." Ming finally speaks, and the rich quality of his voice startles Korra, because he nearly sounds like Tahno—but he's missing a certain musical eloquence that Korra doesn't ever think she'll find in anybody but Tahno for the rest of her life. "Maybe a few months ago we would've burned away here." He says.

Tahno takes this as his cue, and slinks to where Korra is sitting and slides beside her. "Right," He drawls, "But ah! It seems we've outgrown this place, hm? After all—" He interrupts himself to sling his arm around Korra's shoulders, his fingers dancing along the skin of her upper arm. He's talking to everybody, but only looking at her, and Korra almost feels overwhelmed.

"—It's difficult to contain this much… personality," He steals a brief glance at everyone else in the room, a sinister smile twisting his lips upwards. "in one apartment."

Koko must find something funny—or offensive—in this, and she scoffs, even though she can't seem to fight the smile that tempts her lips up.

"Says you!" She cries, and Korra thinks Koko's voice is positively adorable and unlike any other woman she's heard in the city before. Koko diverts her attention to Korra, leaning in with a hand against her mouth as if she's about to share a secret with her.

"He'll never tell you this, but six months ago, this place would've easily put the best clubs in Republic City out of business."

This catches Korra's attention, and she lifts a brow and looks at Tahno with a smile. "Oh really?"

Ming chimes in, nodding and leaning forward to reach for a glass of wine that looks as though it had been abandoned earlier, and brings the glass to his lips for a drink. "Absolutely, Honey." He agrees, validating Koko's earlier claim.

Beside her, Korra can feel Tahno shift, and beneath his breath he mutters, "Not again." but he doesn't seem nearly as offended or upset as he pretends to be, and Korra smiles wider, biting her tongue and nudging Tahno.

"No, no," Korra encourages, looking at Tahno. "I want to hear."

Tahno brings a hand to his head, pinches the bridge of his nose between his fingers and shakes his head, though anyone can see the cast of a grin that stretches his lips.

"Don't let these guys beat their gums at you—" Shaozu tosses out, waving his hand dismissively toward Koko and Ming. "Tahno's a better storyteller than all of us—go on," Shaozu winks at Tahno. "Let the little lady know about Feng's Mansion, huh?"

Tahno lowers his hand to cock his head toward Shaozu, eyes wide and somewhat exasperated, words dying on his lips as he eventually caves to the pressure of appealing to the crowd (for no crowd was too small) and clears his throat.

"If you all insist," Tahno begins rather dramatically, and in his left hand, he swishes his glass of champagne idly.

Korra watches him, absolutely entranced, because he has these phases, she's noticed. The Tahno she most often spends her time with—the Tahno who doesn't coat his phrases in metaphors, speaks in that hushed whisper, and looks at her with soft bedroom eyes and makes her feel as if she's the only person who matters, the only person who's ever crossed his line of vision—and then the Performer, the Entertainer, the Tahno who drinks for the show, whose voice fluctuates as he speaks, whose expressions are dramatic and drawn out, the Tahno that the rest of the world knows.

She's drawn in by both sides of him, and she hasn't seen Tahno the Entertainer (because he's no longer The Wolfbat, Tahno) in a very long time.

"Feng Mansion," He begins, syllables falling drunkenly from his lips, though everybody in the room knows he's far from it. There's something completely enthralling to Korra, seeing Tahno like this, with glittering eyes, undoubtedly thriving off of how he's commanded the attention of everyone, and a voice that's deep and quiet enough that everybody has to lean in to hear him properly, though she's sure that she's the only one whose ears are virgin to the tale he's about to tell.

"Is an old story, Honey," Tahno stops to meet Korra's eyes, lips curling upwards as he gazes at her, his eyes boring holes into her own, and the moment is so intimate that she wonders if she should break eye contact, but Spirits, she can never bring herself to draw from his gaze. Distantly, she can her Shaozu laughing at the moment they're sharing, but everybody seems so far away.

He breaks first, if only to include everyone in the story, and they all listen, enchanted by Tahno's melodious voice and his absolutely beautiful way of making words swell and ebb as his letters spill from his tongue. They all listen, Ming and Shaozu perhaps with less interest, given that Tahno's voice has lead them and undoubtedly told them stories for the past four years, as Tahno paints a picture of Feng's Mansion.

Feng, according to Tahno, was a man who once threw parties in his own home that were so extravagant that the entire nation would flock to his doors, no invitations necessary. People would dance, drink, and socialize until the inky black night would fade into the pinks and oranges of morning, and even still, the liveliness would scarcely fade, for the lively aura of Feng's Mansion would bleed into the lives of those who attended, and bathe the guests in euphoria for the rest of the day, until the high from the previous evening fell.

Even when the last of the guests filtered out, some wearing significantly less clothing than they had entered with, some leaving with a feeling of hopefulness, perhaps with a new Lord or Lady on their arm, Feng would simply order the many servants he had working under his name to clean up the night's mess and prepare to do it all again the following evening.

"He was quite the host," Tahno concludes, and Korra presses her lips together and plucks Tahno's glass from his fingers and brings it to her lips. Something about Feng's Mansion is bittersweet—because Tahno, once upon a time, had been like Feng—a man whose very name inspired hope and giddiness in the minds of others. She hardly gets a sip in before Tahno is dragging the glass away from her with a smile.

"Slow yourself down, Sweetheart. The night's hardly getting started." He chastises, and with his words, Fei stands and stretches her legs, agreeing wholeheartedly.

"Speaking of, when are we going to blow this joint, huh?" Fei asks the others, doing a quick twirl where she stands, the tassels on her dress fanning out.

Fei, as Korra is quickly noticing, seems to be the energy ball of the group, and her upbeat mood brings Koko up with her, and together, the two girls lock hands and begin a short, sloppy dance that Korra recognizes to be a foxtrot, giggling all the way, the jewels and additions on their dresses singing along to the low-playing gramophone and Korra can't help but smile. They're absolutely liberating, the two girls.

"Don't want The Lily to close up shop without us because these old men wanted to stay home and chat, now do we?" Koko teases, and the two ladies stop dancing a bit abruptly, Koko stumbling a bit. Ming and Shaozu stretch and stand up, clearly preparing to exit, and take with the ladies to warm up their dance moves with silly, tipsy steps.

Korra is rather excited to see the city, considering that they did indeed have plans other than sitting in, and she's never experienced the Republic City nightlife before. But, there is one worry plaguing her, and she turns in towards Tahno to confide. He instantly changes his posture to direct his full attention to her, gazing at her affectionately.

"Am I… underdressed?" She asks, her voice hushed, because she's not used to being self conscious, but everybody looks so elegant and wonderful, and she's still dressed in her usual every day clothes.

Tahno laughs, soft and sweet. "Caring about the material things now, are you?"

Korra kisses her teeth at him and brings a hand up to lightly smack his bicep. "Oh, shut up. I just—should I be wearing something special?"

Tahno stares at her for a moment, and his eyes are laughing, but unreadable, and she wonders what he's thinking. Finally, he leans a bit closer and with delicate hands, pulls the blue spools from her hair and sets them on the table, unwraps the band that ties the bulk of her soft waves in a ponytail, and then runs his fingers through the now loose strands, working out any tangles and creases left behind by the ties.

"There," He says, his lips barely ghosting over hers as he speaks. With her hair down and messy, Tahno thinks she's absolutely ethereal, and knows he'll have to keep a careful eye on her through the night, because she's doubtlessly going to attract the attention of nearly everyone at The Lily, if not for her status, then for her beauty.

"Something special," He smiles with the words, his fingers twirling through her hair, and Korra blushes, something that Tahno finds incredibly endearing.

Ming draws them from their bubble as he turns the gramophone up just a dial. "Are we all—" He shoots a playfully accusatory glare at Tahno and Korra, "—ready to leave, now?"

Korra laughs and nods. "Absolutely. Where are we going?"

Tahno stands, offering Korra his hand, and pulls her up. He's still smiling, and Korra is still smitten with the expression, because he's so handsome, so pretty when he smiles, so beautiful when he looks happy.

"Why—The Golden Lily, my Darling."

Big thanks to my dear Ivon, who let me use her OC, Koko Fen in this story. Another shout out to Brieanne, who helped me with Shaozu's personality and character description!

If you'd be so kind as to leave a comment, I'd greatly appreciate it. I'll try to update much more timely from now on :)