170 AG
Peering through the window Opal could see the reflections of orange candlelight against the gloss of metal. She was sitting on a windowsill in a rarely traversed corridor on the estate. She'd crept away from the party and was effectively hiding from her mother. She had a book in her hands but felt too guilty to read it.
She couldn't really see the partygoers from this angle and height above the grounds, but she knew that they had probably noticed her absence; it was her birthday after all. Opal didn't like parties that much. Every year she'd bear with it but this year, maybe with some sort of newfound fifteen-year-old rebelliousness, she'd decided to leave early. Her mother hadn't noticed yet.
What had made this birthday less than bearable then ones in the past was the fact that Suyin had invited several boys that Opal decidedly hadn't. It wasn't that her mother was trying to set her up with citizens she'd deemed worthy, but it wasn't as though she would protest if Opal turned out to like one of them. Her mother had circulated around the party, glowing as usual, every now and then stopping to look at her daughter with wide eyes while jerking her head at various boys Opal's age. It was kind of embarrassing, even though no one else really noticed. Beifongs weren't known for their subtly, at least amongst themselves. There wasn't any pressure on Opal to go along with it but it was still too much to deal with. She took a book and the easy way out.
Embarassment aside, what had forced Opal to flee was that her mother expected Opal to dance with the boys she'd invited. Dancing wouldn't have been a big deal, if Opal could actually dance. Opal couldn't dance to save her life. It wasn't that she was clumsy but she was too timid to properly move with another person. She was too afraid of dancing poorly to dance well, and since she didn't want to embarrass herself she avoided dancing altogether which guaranteed that she wouldn't improve.
She was grateful when Wing accidentally bumped into and knocked over Huan's delicate yet disturbing sculpture, and she took the ensuing drama as her chance to slip away. Most of the guards had the night off for Opal's birthday and it worked in Opal's favour now. She crept off with relative ease since only a few people were still on duty. Even from up here she could hear the boisterous laughter of a few of the tipsier guards. It made her smile.
Still, she wondered if it was worth it. Her mother wouldn't bring it up but she'd probably sulk a little over breakfast. Whether she'd try to pull the same thing next year Opal really couldn't say for sure. They were all nice boys, kind of. They were all from Zaofu, not necessarily wealthy, not necessarily poor. All were talented and ambitious, and she'd seen them around and talked to most of them. But honestly, choosing between them and a good book? No contest.
Opal opened her novel and set it in her lap, creasing the pages flat and staring. She still felt kind of guilty. Her mother had probably noticed her absence by now and Opal could only hope that she hadn't made her worry. Sneaking away really hadn't been worth the trouble. Opal sighed out loud.
"So this is where you've been hiding," a voice, rich with a grin, spoke up from behind Opal. Opal turned around, fear squeezing her throat, but when she recognized the person walking towards her it let go.
"I'm not hiding," Opal mumbled, a little embarrassed. "I'm just . . . taking a break."
"Long break," Kuvira smirked a little. She was wearing her guard's uniform, but she'd taken off her helmet. It was dark in this corridor other than a small lamp Opal had lit up to keep her company. She didn't want to attract too much attention, but obviously it gave off enough light for Kuvira to find her. The reflection of flame in the lamp flickered in the guard's eyes.
"Are people looking for me?" Opal asked guiltily.
"Just me," Kuvira assured her. "Your mother just wanted me to check up on you and bring you back." Opal nodded. She felt a sudden rush of gratitude towards her mother because she knew that Suyin wouldn't try this again next year.
She meant well; she wanted Opal to find someone in Zaofu and Opal ideally wanted that as well but she'd probably read too many books. They left her longing for something big. She didn't need to leave home to have an adventure but she at least wanted the adventure of falling in love. Regardless of her intentions, her mother's interference would just spoil any potential for honest romance. Judging by her reaction tonight Suyin had realized this. She still wanted Opal to come back to the party though, which was completely understandable and fair but Opal didn't want to go back just yet. Kuvira seemed to notice this.
"Nice spot," the metalbender began conversationally. Opal nodded meekly, taking it as permission to stay awhile. Kuvira claimed the seat across from the window, propping her legs up on the sill next to where Opal was sitting. She rested her helmet in her lap and turned her head to look idly out the window into the night.
Kuvira seemed to be one of the few guards that hadn't been given a night off. In the time between meeting Kuvira and Opal's birthday Kuvira had gotten higher and higher prestige in the Beifong household. Kuvira was still a dancer on Suyin's troupe, getting more polished by the day. Between being a guard and rehearsing dancing, she and Opal had run into each other more often.
Opal tried to be friendly with all the guards but she wanted something more with Kuvira. She didn't seek Kuvira out or anything, but she had to admit she didn't avoid her and she felt like they'd actually built . . . something. That something being the fact that Opal enjoyed running into Kuvira and Kuvira didn't seem annoyed by it.
Opal liked herself and who she was becoming, but she also really looked up to Kuvira and Kuvira was a lot of things Opal was not. Kuvira was down-to-earth but also impossibly refined and talented. Opal couldn't help but admire her.
If there was one trait that allowed you to flourish in Zaofu it was the determination to improve for the sake of yourself and Kuvira was no exception. Suyin trusted Kuvira enough to find her daughter on the estate, and Suyin prided herself on knowing her people. Realistically, Kuvira probably had flaws but Opal hadn't found any evidence so far.
"How old are you this year, Opal?" Kuvira asked, speaking up all of a sudden.
"I'm -" Opal's voice skipped. She tried again, making her voice stronger. "I'm, fifteen." She wavered on the last syllable and Kuvira chuckled.
"Any particular reason you left your fifteenth birthday party?" she asked.
"Ugh," Opal mumbled, putting her hands over her burning cheeks. "My mom wanted to me to dance with some boys."
"I was wondering why I hadn't seen so many new faces at the estate before," Kuvira mused.
"That would be why," Opal sighed.
"It can't be that bad," Kuvira said. "Some boys are nice." Opal must have made a weird face because Kuvira laughed. "It's true," she insisted. "They're rare, and you're rarely introduced to them by your mother, but they're out there."
"Yeah," Opal said, eyes wide. "Every single one of them. In the courtyard." Kuvira grinned. "I don't even know most of them," Opal went on. "I've seen them around but . . . I don't even know some of their names. I mean, I can appreciate what my mom is doing but . . ." her voice trailed off. "I'm really an awful dancer."
"That's the problem?" Kuvira asked. Opal shrugged. "I could teach you," Kuvira offered. "I'm nowhere near as good as your mother, but I can dance pretty well." Opal knew that.
"Oh no," Opal said, cheeks burning. "You don't have to." Kuvira only got more insistent.
"I want to," she said. "No one learns better than the teacher, you'd be doing me a favour." Opal shook her head, almost chuckling. No way was she dancing in front of someone as cool as Kuvira, even if Kuvira actually wanted her to. "I'm sure you're not that bad."
"Oh," Opal said, choking. "I am that bad, believe me." She caught Kuvira's eye and said decidedly, "Anyway, I really don't feel like embarrassing myself in front of anyone on my birthday." Kuvira grinned.
"Suit yourself," she said. "Some other time?"
"No way," Opal said. "Maybe." Kuvira laughed.
In a more serious voice she said, "I'm sure that if the boys at the party passed your mother's inspection they wouldn't mind being turned down for a dance anyway. Maybe you can head down, make some new friends." Opal didn't want to say that she'd rather spend her time with Kuvira because she still wanted to sound like she was totally in control of her feelings here. It was obvious at least that she'd rather sit in the dark with a book then dance with some boys.
"This is the last book in a series," she shrugged, holding it up and pouting a little. Kuvira chuckled.
"Would you rather she invited girls for you to dance with?" she asked. Opal was sure she'd misheard her.
"You mean my friends?" Opal asked. To be completely honest Opal didn't have many friends of any gender, but she did have more female friends. Kuvira raised an eyebrow. "Wait, what?" she blurted after Kuvira didn't say anything. Kuvira only smiled at her and waited.
"I . . ." Opal hadn't even realized that it was an option. But it was a fair proposal and Opal sat back and thought about it for a moment. "No," she said at last. "Being with my friends is fine, but if there's going to be romance . . . I want to at least pretend that it was my own idea."
"Fair enough," Kuvira said. "But from what I've heard about love, it's never really your idea in the first place." Opal was a romantic even while she knew nothing about love itself. Kuvira seemed to be choosing her words in a way to dart around the topic as well.
"Have you ever been in love?" Opal asked. She regretted asking something so personal but while Kuvira seemed surprised she didn't look offended.
"Probably not," the guard said after a moment. "I'm probably not the best person to give you advice in this area." Kuvira's fringe fell over her eyes and she looked down at the floor, one arm slung around the chair's arm. The light given off by the lamp flickered on her serious face. The warm air pooled into the room and Opal could swear she felt a breeze.
She turned her gaze from the guard and looked out the window, down on the twinkling lights of the party. Opal liked Kuvira giving her advice but she didn't know how to say that. She heard laughter down below. The party went on as she and Kuvira sat in silence. "I still can't bend," she said in an almost inaudible voice.
Opal saw Kuvira look up in her peripheral vision. "There were rumours," she trailed off. People had suspected, just like Opal had, that she would never be able to bend. Opal had heard the rumours as well.
"I thought maybe when I turned fifteen I'd finally be able to," Opal said, opening her palms to the ceiling. "But it doesn't seem like it ever will."
Kuvira watched Opal for awhile then remarked shrewdly, "You don't seem too torn up about it."
Opal bit her lip. She wasn't sure if it was a good idea to tell Kuvira. "Do you remember Amon? From Republic City."
"You mean Noatak, son of the crime lord Yakone?" Kuvira asked. Another rumour spreading around was that Kuvira was poised for the position of guard captain in Zaofu. Opal didn't doubt it.
"Yeah," she said. "I know Avatar Korra was against the Equalists but . . . I really thought the nonbenders were justified with what they were doing. I - I understand that benders have a - special bond with their ability, and Noatak shouldn't have taken it away from them, but it's not as though the benders in Republic City could handle not abusing their power over nonbenders."
"I know there's a nonbender president now," she sighed. "But having a nonbending leader doesn't sound like it would be enough to fix everything." Opal had never been hurt a day in her life but she knew from observation that when people could get power from hurting weaker people it was a tough drug to quit. "He's visited Zaofu a few times."
"I know," Kuvira said. "He seems like someone so pleased to find himself in his position that he'll forget to fight for those who aren't." Opal nodded, Kuvira had described her thoughts exactly. Opal respected him as a nonbender who against all odds had gotten elected by a bender-majority but she couldn't trust him. He seemed too polished to protect people when they needed protecting. You could be diplomatic in ways that went beyond official visits.
Opal self-consciously played with a metal bracelet and went on as Kuvira politely heard her out. "It's obvious that people who can't bend are at a disadvantage to people who can bend but . . . there's so much of an emphasis on the benefits of bending that people don't see the problems it can cause. I'm not saying I was ever hurt like the people in Republic City were," Opal said, cheeks flushed. "But I guess . . . I'm glad I'm not a bender."
She glanced at Kuvira whose face was composed but alert, listening. "If I was a bender," Opal explained. "I wouldn't have cared about what was going on in Republic City. At the time people would be talking about how they should just put all the nonbenders in jail and then I'd walk into the room. They'd stop, but only because I'm Suyin Beifong's daughter. I'm glad I can't bend because if I could I would've been just like them."
She pressed her fingers to burning her cheeks and looked out the window, trying to catch a glimpse of the party beyond the lit orbs of light, determined not to look at Kuvira. She'd just wanted to read her book, she hadn't intended on ranting about bender-nonbender politics. The young woman remained unmoving in Opal's vision. "You wouldn't have been like them," Kuvira said, voice sounding sure. "You still would've cared, Opal. It's who you are."
Opal looked back at Kuvira who was watching her softly, gaze flickering in the candlelight. "Maybe it would've taken you longer, but you would've gotten there eventually." Her voice was gentle and her expression was almost sad. "Preferring understanding people's suffering over bending is something very noble. Something rare. You're a good person, Opal."
Opal looked down at her lap. "Thanks," she murmured. She could hardly breathe.
Kuvira looked thoughtfully up at Opal, setting her legs on the floor and leaning forward. "Did you get any gifts you liked tonight?" Opal was grateful for the lighter topic.
"I didn't look at them yet," Opal said. "I'll probably like them all."
"What kind of gift would you really like?" Kuvira asked playfully, ushering the conversation along in lighter direction. Opal was thankful.
"I don't really need anything," she replied.
"None of us really need anything in Zaofu," Kuvira coaxed. "So come on. What would you like?" Opal smiled.
"Honestly?" she asked. Kuvira nodded. "I'd like to go out of Zaofu for awhile," she shrugged. It was a bit of a boring wish but it was the truth. "It's tradition in my family to go on a hike a couple of times a year, but no one wants to hike out with me otherwise. They wouldn't let me hike alone and I'd feel guilty to make a guard come with me."
"You want to go hiking?" Kuvira asked.
"It's the only time I've ever been outside Zaofu," she said. "I'm just . . . curious. I want to know what it's like out there. I don't need to go to another city but I'd like to explore a little. I can see why they wouldn't let me go alone though. Since I really can't bend, I really am . . ." Opal swallowed and didn't finish her own sentence.
Kuvira seemed dissatisfied that Opal was getting distracted and sad with her own vulnerability. "I'll take you out of Zaofu sometime," she said. "How's that?" Opal felt kind of awkwardly happy and grinned in response. Kuvira got to her feet, stretching a little. "Want to head back to the party?" she asked, eyes soft on Opal.
"Alright," Opal said. She forgot the book on the windowsill when she left to rejoin the party. No one but Suyin and perhaps Aiwei had noticed her absence. Kuvira patrolled the grounds and Opal danced, badly, with a friend on Suyin's troupe. The next morning Opal's book had been returned to her, resting on her pillow. Opal finished it in one sitting.