Note: I managed to make some time free from distractions to finally finish this chapter. Yay me! Time just got away from me last week when I actually had the time to write this. Anyway, I'm on a roll. So there might be another chapter within the day. That's if I'm slightly ambitious. Again- thanks for the reviews and follows. I really appreciate it all.
They took a rail car back to the harbor. The ordeal of buying fare for the three of them proved to be ridiculous as Iluq struggled with the Yuans that Noatak and Korra had given her. Iluq played with her seat across from Korra and Noatak's and looked everywhere. Korra had make sure Iluq's hood and scarf were fixed in place. Noatak smiled and placed his arm around Korra. Iluq occasionally asked questions about the rail car. She never had been outside the palace like this before. Korra felt flashes of her own arrival at Republic City when she thought of Iluq's bewilderment.
"Do you live this way?" Iluq asked.
"Yes," Noatak said.
"That's where Korra stays. Isn't it?" Iluq asked.
"…Iluq. Don't say that so loudly," Korra said.
"You two are getting married though," Iluq said.
Iluq's comment was not too far off the mark. While Water Tribe people of both the north and south were fairly conservative in terms of relationships, there was some unspoken custom of betrothed couples engaging in sex prior to the marriage- although it was normally frowned upon couples who did this prior to engagement. Iluq didn't seem to notice the difference though. Korra didn't actually care one way or the other. She had been exposed to how casual Republic City felt about sex in her short tenure there. She just hated how judgmental Water Tribe people tended to be about these things.
"What Korra is trying to say is that this is the sort of thing that is reserved for more private settings," Noatak said.
Iluq nodded at Noatak and folded her arms.
"Are you two in love?" Iluq said.
Korra looked at Noatak and back at Iluq.
"Very much," Korra said.
"That must be hard," Iluq said.
"She knows," Noatak said.
"He took your bending," Iluq said.
"He's… very different now," Korra said.
"You still bend," Iluq said.
She pointed a finger at Noatak. Noatak nodded.
"I'm a fisherman. I have to," Noatak said.
"Korra changed you," Iluq said.
"Yes," Noatak said.
"And someone else," Iluq said.
Noatak nodded again.
"My brother," he said.
"She changed you more," Iluq said.
Korra stared at the two. The conversation held its own strange pace. Noatak didn't seem to mind obliging Iluq's questions. He seemed to be fine with the way she asked him about everything or seemed to know everything without even asking. Noatak just shrugged and accepted her knowledge.
"This is our stop. Isn't it?" Korra said.
"Yeah," Noatak said.
Noatak and Korra stood up and waved Iluq on to get off the rail car with them. She followed the pair like she was their shadow. Sometimes, Korra felt Iluq's hands clutch the back of her shirt as they walked to Noatak's apartment. When they entered Noatak's apartment, Iluq sat on the settee and waited for Noatak with Korra. Korra had already gone to the kitchen to make herself tea. Iluq saw Korra riffle through a tin box full of envelopes.
"Noa! We're out!" Korra said.
Noatak poked his head from the bathroom, steam infiltrating the living room.
"Can you double check? I thought I bought some," Noatak said.
"I already triple checked. We'll just have to buy some today," Korra said.
"That's not a problem," Noatak said.
"Well, I've already got the kettle going. Do you want jasmine tea?" Korra asked.
"Sure," Noatak said.
He retreated back into the bathroom. Iluq noticed the little scars on Noatak's arms and wrists. She tilted her head in thought. Iluq pulled up the sleeve of her dress and traced the horizontal lines etched onto the underside of her forearm. They matched his, she thought. Noatak came back in the room, and Iluq quickly pulled her sleeve down. Noatak looked at Iluq as he went to the kitchen to join Korra. He grabbed a couple of teacups from his cupboard. Korra looked out at Iluq who had been biting her nails.
"Hey Iluq, would you like some jasmine tea?" Korra asked.
With her finger still in her mouth, Iluq nodded and continued to bite her nails. She used to bite her nails when she was younger. Her brother stopped her though. He stopped a lot of things for her. She forgot how nervous she used to be around other people. She forgot how normal people could be outside of the palace. Even with how things were with Korra and Noatak, they interacted so fluidly together. Iluq had never really seen what a couple truly looked like before this. She had only seen the strange affairs of the servants and what kind of terrifying relationship her brother thought was normal.
"It's a little hot. So just blow on it," Korra said.
Korra placed the teacup into Iluq's hands. Iluq looked at Noatak sipping his own tea and motioning to Korra to stand by him. Korra smiled as she sauntered his way and snuggled up against him. He gave Korra a kiss on her forehead as she sipped on her tea. Korra weave her fingers between his as they held hands and finished their tea. Noatak took Korra's teacup after she finished. She took Iluq's cup and went to the sink. Iluq could hear the muttering between the couple about when the dishes were going to be cleaned.
"Are we ready?" Korra asked.
Iluq nodded and stood up. Korra already linked her arm with Noatak's and waved Iluq on. Noatak asked whether or not Iluq knew what she wanted to do today. Iluq always shrugged at these kinds of questions. She never really knew what she wanted or what she intended on doing today. She just wanted to observe Korra and Noatak- to see what these two did when they were together. So far, Iluq only saw two people who were always whispering and making small touches.
"We should just go by the marketplace, Noa. We have to buy tea anyway," Korra said.
"That's true… I don't really need anything else though," Noatak said.
"I need the tea though," Korra said.
Noatak shrugged.
"You're right," he said.
"Of course I'm right. I usually am," Korra said.
The three of them walked to the markets by the docks. Iluq stayed close to Korra at all times, practically causing Korra to trip everywhere. She asked Korra and Noatak questions about everything. Noatak usually obliged Iluq's curiosity while Korra rolled her eyes and made comments about other things. Iluq never went to the markets in all of her life in the city. She was born in the palace and stayed there all of her life. She knew bits and reasons as to why this was, but she only heard that it was her father's doing. However, her father's doing meant a lot of different things. Sometimes it meant strictly that. Other times it meant what the council wanted. On her supervised outings to council approved buildings, she heard from Chu about how the council was heavily invested in her and Desna's safety- something about being the people's treasure. She didn't know whether or not this was true. It was just something people said.
"Iluq, do you think this is pretty?" Korra asked.
Korra never was much for this sort of shopping, but it was the least she could do for the strange and awkward cousin who tagged along after her wonderful morning with Noatak. She already bought the tea that she came for, and Noatak seemed preoccupied with something on his mind. She touched her betrothal necklace constantly as she held tightly onto Noatak's hand.
"What're you thinking?" Korra asked.
"Not much… I know you don't want to do this," Noatak said.
"Well… this isn't my sort of thing."
"Your sort of thing? Then what about meeting an old man at the docks for some training tonight?"
"Is the old man in this scenario devilishly handsome?"
"Far from it. Just some washed up has-been."
"I'll consider it, but only if he can deliver when it comes to the after training activities."
"You don't have to worry. He still has some stamina."
Korra laughed and pulled Noatak in for a kiss. She enjoyed how strangely goofy Noatak had become in these last few months. Here was a man who used to be the leader of a major movement that had Republic City on its knees. Now he was the lover of his former enemy. She sometimes asked him about what happened right after Amon had been defeated and before she moved to the Northern Water Tribe. That strange year for her was equally strange for him. His desire to live had been extinguished, and he slowly had to come to terms with everything about himself and the failure he felt. He sometimes told Korra at night that things were still hard for him to think about- like the bending or his father. He admitted to her that sometimes he imagined life would have been so much more different had he been born a non-bender, but that it probably wouldn't have been any better. Korra always nodded and held onto him tightly when he told her these things.
Noatak walked away briefly to get some cakes for Korra and Iluq. He saw Korra fish out a couple of Yuans to buy Iluq a strange little wooden idol. When he stopped by, Iluq had clutched the idol to her chest. Noatak handed Korra a cake and then nudged one in front of Iluq.
"Let's exchange for a bit," Noatak said.
Noatak took the idol from Iluq and gave her a cake. Iluq bit fast into the cake and grimaced when she came to the hot syrup.
"Not good?" Korra asked.
"Hot," Iluq said.
"Korra had the same problem," Noatak said.
Korra remembered all too well about how hot the syrup was inside of the cakes when it came off the hot oiled pan. She burned her tongue twice in her haste to eat the warm cakes. Iluq did the same.
"This is good," Iluq said.
"I'm glad you like it," Korra said.
Korra looked at Noatak who was still looking after Iluq's little idol. It was a beautiful woman holding a crescent moon with waves sweeping at her feet.
"What did the seller of this idol tell you?" Noatak said.
"He said it was good luck," Korra said.
"Nothing else?" Noatak said.
"Nope," Korra said.
"You bought this for Iluq?"
Iluq nodded. Noatak handed the idol back to Iluq and shook his head.
"I think you two are confused," Noatak said.
"Why?" Korra said.
"This idol is of the human form of Tui and is meant to be served as fertility idol. That's why," Noatak said.
"Are you sure about that?
"The black dot on her forehead and the fact that the crescent moon she's holding…"
"Noa… I get it. Why would he sell us this then?"
"You two," Iluq said.
"He must have seen us earlier. Though he must have not paid attention to you at the tea stand," Noatak said.
"Probably not. Iluq, you should probably keep that away from your dad. And Chu… he might get some funny ideas," Korra said.
Iluq smiled and nodded.
"Was there anything else that you two wanted to do?" Noatak asked.
Korra looked at Iluq who shrugged. Iluq wouldn't even know what she wanted to do anyway. She could stay out some more and look at the pretty scarves being peddled, but she probably would have been bored. She felt strange about that- about how when it came down to it, she had no real interests. Chu asked her when they went out on their supervised dates, but she never had a real answer for him. She was always with Desna.
"Well… then I guess we should part for the time being," Noatak said.
Noatak pointed to the satchel in Korra's hand.
"Drink that as soon as you can. I'll see you tonight. Also, keep this in a safe place."
He tapped her necklace and stooped to give Korra a light kiss.
"Fighting with jewelry is usually ill advised," Noatak said.
"I'll keep that in mind. See you later," Korra said.
Noatak paused before taking Iluq's hand and giving a soft kiss to her knuckles. She blushed lightly at the polite gesture.
"I am grateful for your presence. Try to stay out of trouble," Noatak said.
"You're welcome," she said.
Korra took Iluq's hand and lead her away. They waved goodbye to Noatak who smiled as he waved back. He looked at the two walking north to the palace and placed his hands into his pockets. When they became just two specks to his eyes, Noatak turned around and walked back to his apartment. He walked the entire way with a silly grin on his face thinking about Korra. I'm just a silly man in love.