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***Day Korra left for Ba Sing Se***
After Bolin caught a little breakfast at Air Temple Island, he made his way back to the city. He arrived at Shey's office a little before nine am. After a few unresponsive knocks, he started to worry he had shown up too early, but at the third attempt, the door opened. Izzi peered through, sleepy-eyed.
"Bolin, come on in," the small woman said, opening the door all the way and waving Bolin in. He entered obediently.
"Where is everyone else?"
Izzi stretched out her arms to the ceiling. The oversized sleep-shirt she was wearing drifted above her knees with the movement. "Should be here any minute with breakfast and tea."
Bolin took a seat at the meeting table and watched Izzi move about the room. She picked up a bundle of clothing on the floor and then disappeared behind a curtain.
"Are you living here?" Bolin asked.
"Just temporarily, my parents and I aren't getting along right now. Shey lets me crash here when that happens," Izzi replied from behind the curtain.
Bolin looked down at the table. Izzi's comment reminded him of the similar stories he heard from his fellow gang members that were close to his age crashing at the hideout along with him and Mako. Bolin used to feel a tinge of jealousy when his peers would talk about their parents. But he quickly learned in the gang that just because you had parents did mean your life was all that better.
The office door banged opened, and Shey and Lan rushed in, both carrying takeout bags.
"Hi, Bolin!" Lan said with as much of a wave as she could manage with full hands.
Shey dropped her bags on the table and took the seat across from Bolin."I'm so glad you're already here. We've got great news!" One bag full of pastries slumped, and a few sesame balls rolled onto the table. "That guy from the hospital, Jon Yuen, he's in."
Bolin smiled. "That's great."
"We'll be getting straight into the table read when everyone else arrives." Shey leaned across the table towards Bolin. "I was hoping you're free afterward so we could do a little extra work between you and Jon Yuen."
Bolin nodded. "Yeah, Opal's out of town for a while, so I've got an open schedule."
Izzi appeared from behind the curtain, dressed and refreshed. Shey pulled back from Bolin, waved Izzi over to the table, and pointed at the breakfast offering. Lan set down her bags, which contained more food and disposable cups, plates, and napkins.
Shey grabbed a sausage roll and a napkin. She placed them in front of her on the table and started picking small flakey pieces from the doughy puff. "We've got everyone cast now. Well, accept one role, but Izzi will be reading it for now and playing them worse-case."
Lan passed a plate to Bolin. He took it and then poked around the pastry bag to see if one caught his eye. "What's the part?"
"The little girl," Izzi answered, taking a seat next to Shey, so it was an even two and two on each side of the table.
"The one me and Jon Yuen end up adopting at the end?"
Shey nodded. "Kids are tough to cast, so we figured the role is small, and Izzi's on the shorter side. I can spare her for a few scenes."
Lan took a bite of her red bean paste bun. She covered her mouth with one hand as she spoke. "There are certain camera tricks we can do to make her seem even shorter."
Bolin chewed and nodded. He thought back to his time making movers with Varrick. The man seemed to know all the special effects tricks, putting the background on a loop to make it appear like they were moving or scratching the film to create Pabu's laser eyes. All stuff Varrick would explain in great detail and a speed Bolin could hardly keep up with.
"With the role cast or not, I figure we do a read-through today and then get right into rehearsing the rest of the week. If that goes well, we start shooting scenes as early as next week. We want this to premiere while Avatar Korra and uh," Shey cleared her throat. "Miss Sato's relationship announcement is still relevant," Shey rose from the table. "The hope is the conversation will continue, and through that, maybe the minds of the citizens of the United Republic who are skeptical about the legitimacy of gay relationships will realize it's no different. That love is love."
When Shey finished, Izzi put down her pastry and started clapping. Bolin quickly joined her.
Shey blushed and turned away. "Scarf down your breakfast, guys. We gotta somehow make more room in here before everyone else shows up."
Early afternoon, Asami traveled back to Air Temple Island to check on Ikki and Jinora. She didn't feel bad leaving work since she arrived so early in the morning. Asami had basically put in a full day. Instead, guilt gnawed at her for leaving Korra so immediately after rising. She just couldn't bear waiting around to say goodbye.
She woke up that morning surprised to feel arms around her waist. Korra was not supposed to sleep on her side with the cast but had ended up spooning her sometime in the night.
Asami laid still, soaking up the feeling of Korra wrapped around her. The soft skin of her stomach pressed against Asami's naked back.
The light in the room started to change, indicating the early stages of pre-dawn. Korra needed to start getting ready, so she pulled herself out of the other girl's arms. Korra mumbled in opposition to the sudden absence of warmth.
"Time to get ready," Asami whispered as she moved back to Korra's side, sitting on top of the covers.
Korra's sleepy eyes blinked a few times, and then she smiled. "I like this view first thing in the morning." She reached up a hand to brush the back of it along Asami's bare collar bone. The hand then fell lower, caressing the top of Asami's left breast, stopping shy of her nipple.
"You need to get up," Asami said with all the willpower she could summon as her sleepy girlfriend caressed her naked chest.
Korra cooperated, and the two quickly got dressed. No need to pack since it was taken care of the night before.
Asami's stomach clenched as she watched Korra seated on the bed, picking at a loose thread on her pants. She just needed to get into her wheelchair, and then she was ready to go to the docks.
Asami pushed herself to move over to her girlfriend. She crouched down in front of Korra, placing a hand on her right leg.
"I'm going to go."
"So soon?" Korra whispered.
Asami could only muster a nod. She then lifted her head to bring their lips together for a firm but quick kiss. When Asami moved away, she could feel Korra straining her neck to keep them connected, but she had to stay the course. It took everything in her to leave the room. Even now, she felt like she was walking around without a piece of her heart.
Jinora was nowhere to be found on the temple grounds, but Ikki was in the courtyard watching a few newer recruits try their luck through the wind gates. It was hard for Asami to believe that Ikki was likely the most senior Airbender on the island at this moment. She noticed Asami approaching and waved.
"Look at you holding down the fort. I ought to make a recommendation for some tattoos."
Ikki beamed, then hesitantly touched her forehead. "I want them so bad, but I also do not want to shave my head."
Asami reached out and touched a snip of Ikki's bangs. "It'll grow back."
"It took like a year and a half before Jinoa had anything she could put up!"
Asami moved her hand to prod Ikki's part. "Maybe they could just shave down the center where the tattoo goes."
Ikki swatted Asami's hand. "That would look even worse! Like some balding old man."
Asami giggled. "So, Master Ikki, I did have a spiritual question for you."
Ikki perked up. "Yes, my child," she said in a deep voice.
"I was wondering if you could teach me how to meditate?"
"You've never done it before?"
Asami shook her head. "I want to be able to go to the Spirit World. I thought if I could do that, I could meet Korra there while she's away."
"Aww!" Ikki squealed. "You want to have Spirity Rendezvous!"
Asami smiled and nodded. "Something like that."
"That's gonna be tough. I only just recently learned how, after basically growing up meditating." Ikki watched Asami's shoulders slump. She closed the distance between them and tugged on Asami's arm. "Let's give it a shot. Who knows, being around the Avatar all the time might have rubbed some spirit mojo onto you. I bet together we can figure it out."
"Thank you, Sifu!"
Ikki started to pull Asami across the courtyard. "To the Gazebo!"
They swiftly arrived and settled in the center of the small structure.
Ikki walked around Asami. "So first, we got to get you in the position."
"I have seen Korra meditate," Asami said, lowering herself down. She was glad she had chosen to wear slacks."She sits something like this, right?"
Ikki examined Asami's lotus pose. "That's good."
"But I never remember how she does her hands." Asami filtered between several iterations of elaborate hand positions.
Ikki giggled. "Just put your knuckles together," she said, demonstrating with her own hands. "No fingers are involved."
"That seems too simple."
Ikki sat down beside Asami. "The concepts around meditation are simple, but in practice, it can be challenging. The most important thing is to clear your mind and try to let go as much as you can."
"Let go…" Asami murmured. It took Ikki a long time to get into the Spirit World. What could an eleven-year-old possibly need to let go of? Was there hope for her at all?
"So we're going to close our eyes," Ikki's eyes followed her own verbal instruction. "And the best way to start is to focus on your breathing. Take a big breath in and then slowly let it out."
Ikki and Asami both took deep breaths of air and then let it pass back out through their lips.
"Try to be aware of how it feels, like what your body needs to do in order to take in that big breath of air and what it's like blowing it out. This is to help distract your mind from the things you want to think about."
Asami let out a long puff of air. "So I don't meditate on an issue, I thought maybe-"
"That's advanced stuff. Your first goal with meditation is to not think about anything, and you'll be surprised to find what things your brain brings to you."
"So I'm going to clear my mind, to see what my mind thinks about on its own? Like daydreaming?" Asami said, taking in another big breath of air.
"Yeah, kinda. But deep, deep daydreaming. I once came upon a memory from when I was a baby. Jinora had a stuffed lemur I desperately wanted to play with, but she wouldn't share it with me. The emotions felt so real. I couldn't stand it."
"Aww, poor baby Ikki," Asami cooed.
"No getting distracted. Let's go back to focusing on our breathing," Ikki chided, poking Asami in the side for emphasis.
Asami readjusted her pose, straightening her back, realigning her knuckles. She took in as much air as she could, held it for a moment, and then slowly pushed it out. It felt a little unnatural, like when a doctor would ask her to take deep breaths during a physical. She tried a few more rounds of this process, then tried taking more natural breaths, which seemed to help her feel more relaxed. Asami started to forget about the small girl beside her, and her thoughts turned inwards.
Asami found her mind split between her breaths and thinking about not thinking. How could she not think? She had roads to rebuild, Ikki and Jinora to look after while Rohan was in the hospital. Rohan is suffering a life-changing injury. Pema and Tenzin must be so heartbroken. And Korra is still in a cast and now is miles away in Ba Sing Se to deal with Kuvira, who has resurfaced. How could Kuvira do such a thing to all the people that spared her life? It was her fault. She should have kept that secret Raiko stupidly spilled to her grave. If Kuvira was the cause behind another person, she cared about's injury or, worse, death...
Asami felt herself become nauseous as anxiety sped off with her sense of control like a sporty Satomobile. She bolted up from her lotus pose, ran over to the railing, and dropped her forehead on the wood. The wood was cool, but not enough to provide much relief.
Ikki had noticed her absence and was not by her side, a hand on her back. "What's wrong?"
Asami swallowed some bile threatening to rise out from the back of her throat. It burned but was better than the alternative. "I just got a little nauseous all of a sudden."
"Did something happen while you were meditating?" Ikki asked as she rubbed small circles on her back. Something her mother would do when she felt sick to her stomach. Ikki's heart clenched at the thought. She hadn't given voice to the feeling, but she was starting to really miss her mother.
Asami eased her head off the railing and instead rested it in her palms. "I…" Asami started, then stopped herself. She couldn't add any more burden onto Ikki's tiny shoulders. "I didn't eat anything for lunch. Sometimes I get a little dizzy when my blood sugar gets low."
Ikki blew a raspberry. "Why didn't you say something! You can't meditate on an empty stomach. That's like rule number one."
"That doesn't sound like a rule…." Asami murmured.
"It's my rule. Dad is all for unnecessary suffering during meditation, but I find being hungry distracting!"
Jinora's eyes opened, and she was no longer in Wang Shi Tong's library but on the rock overlooking the dock. She tilted her head back and shielded her eyes with a hand to get an idea of how long she had been gone. The thrumming of a boat's motor caught her attention. She looked down to the water and saw a small craft zipping towards the island.
Jinora rose to get a better view. Her stomach clenched as she wondered if it was her parents returning home. She still couldn't make out who was on the boat, so she hopped from the rock and started down the stairs. She skipped every other step, using the flaps of her wingsuit to slow her descent safely. As she made it to the docking platform, the boat was pulling in.
"Jinora!" Kya called out.
Jinora smiled and gave a boisterous wave. "Aunt Kya!"
The acolyte piloting the small speedboat moved onto the dock to secure the vessel. Jinora was now able to see Katara was also with Kya.
"Grandma!"
Katara waved as Kya started easing her up from her seat. They moved together to the edge of the boat, touching the dock. The small craft rocked in the waves, making it difficult for them to step out, but eventually managed with the help of the acolyte.
It was slow going up the long steps from the dock to the temple grounds, but Katara managed on her own, with Kya fussing the whole way up. Jinora followed behind them, carrying their one travel bag. She watched her Grandmother take careful steps but didn't see any faltering.
Once they made it to the top, Kya guided Katara to a nearby stone railing to rest.
"Where is your father?" Kya asked.
"At the hospital still, with mom and Rohan."
Kya groaned. "I should go back down to the docks before that boat leaves and get a ride back to the city."
"Do you know when they plan on bringing Rohan home?" Katara asked.
Jinora shook her head.
"That may be for the best," Katara said, looking up at Kya from her seat. "You go get an idea of what's going on."
Kya rested a hand on her mother's shoulder. "I'll make sure you get to see Rohan soon, whether it's at the hospital or back here."
Kya let out another groan and then jogged back down the stairs. She called out to the acolyte as he began to rev his motor. She was soon out of sight. After a few moments, Katara and Jinora could hear the boat's noise getting fainter, and when Kya didn't reappear, they knew she had caught the acolyte in time.
"We should have called from the city before coming over here," Katara sighed, looking down at her hands. "We just assumed they would have brought Rohan home by now."
"The doctors are trying everything they can, Dad says. Because Rohan is so little, they want to be sure of his diagnosis."
"Children can be more resilient healers."
"I went to Wong Shi Tong's library," Jinora whispered.
Katara's head perked up at Jinora's confession. "You know about that place?"
Jinora nodded. "I've been there once before trying to help Korra during Harmonic Convergence."
"You're a very brave girl," Katara smiled, the creases around her eyes deepened. "Most children would be frightened out of their wits by him."
"You and Grandpa Aang weren't," Jinora countered. "Or at least that is what Dad said."
Katara nodded. "It's amazing how we discover courage we never knew we had when those we care about need us."
Jinora looked down at her feet. "I was hoping to find something to help Rohan, but I didn't."
Katara reached out and took one of Jinora's hands. They were almost the same length, but that was hardly noticeable compared to the difference in age. Despite how worn Katara's hands looked, Jinora noted they were gentle and soft. Jinora bent down, wrapped her arms around Katara's neck, and leaned her upper body over her shoulders. Katara squeezed back.
"We'll do whatever we can for little Rohan. No matter what, everything will be alright, dear."
At Katara's words, the tears Jinora had been holding in for days forced their way out. Her chest tightened, causing her sobs to come out like stunted gasps. But with the tightening came some relief from the pressure built inside her, finally finding a way out.
Katara rubbed circles around Jinora's back and gently rocked their upper bodies back and forth. "It will all be alright."
Ikki and Asami found themselves a little lunch and enjoyed it at the long family dining table when one of the sliding doors opened. Asami expected it to be Jinora finally making her appearance but couldn't quite place how she knew the older woman at her side.
Ikki jumped up from her seat on the floor and scrambled over the table with a gust of air. "Grandma!"
Katara opened her arms and received Ikki's tiny body in a crushing hug.
Asami got up from her spot and started towards the kitchen. "Let me get you both a plate."
Jinora gave Asami a small smile and nod before taking a seat. Ikki bounced up and down as she guided Katara towards the table. "I want you to sit by me, Grandma!"
Jinora rolled her eyes but let Ikki have her way without a snarky comment.
In the kitchen, Asami could hear Ikki squealing over her Grandmother. She shook her head. Of course, that was Katara. She took a moment in the kitchen to try to place the very familiar-looking older woman.
"I didn't make this, but it's pretty good," Asami said as she placed plates of steaming mixed rice with vegetables and shoots in front of Katara and Jinora. "There is a huge pot of it, so don't hesitate if you want seconds. I think the lunch rush has already happened here, right, Ikki?"
"Should be," Ikki said before shoveling a big scoop of rice into her mouth. "Most people eat lunch here before noon."
"I'm lucky if I remember to eat lunch at all," Asami sighed between a sip of her water.
"That's terrible," Ikki said, shaking her head. "I'll have to start sending Korra to deliver lunches to you when she gets back home."
"And out of her cast," Asami added.
Ikki snorted. "She's the Avatar. She should be able to fly even with a cast."
Katara looked up from her food. "Korra is gone?"
"To the Ba Sing Se, there's some…." Jinora paused, thinking of a way to summarize the situation for her Grandmother, who, relatively isolated in the south, likely just barely got the news of Kuvira's death. "Political problems."
Katara nodded and scooped up some rice. "That city is a chore."
"Suyin Beifong has some big aspirations to be its president," Asami offered. "Korra and a few others went to join her in the city to sort the issue out."
Katara smiled, remembering her long-time travel companion. "I think a Beifong is just what Ba Sing Se needs."
Ikki suddenly dropped her chopsticks. They rattled on her porcelain pate, startling everyone at the table. "Grandma, we never got to tell you, we met Toph!"
Katara tilted her head curiously."Really?"
"In a swamp," Jinora added, catching her sister's enthusiasm. She had also forgotten all about meeting one of her grandparent's best friends.
"Yeah, she lives there!" Ikki chirped.
Katara wrinkled her nose at the thought of living in a swamp. "She's certainly become more of a masochist in her old age. Though she always lived a bit like a moo-sow. Her feet…" Katara shook her head. "Well, now her feet are never clean if she's living in a swamp."
Jinora put down her sticks. "Korra said she was there for the Bayan Tree. It kept her connected to the outside world through the sprawling vines. Like in a way she could see through them,"
"Yeah, Korra was living with her for a while. It was our mission to find Korra and bring her home!" Ikki boasted.
Asami held up her left hand and peaked at the watch face that settled on the pulse point of her wrist. "Well, since your grandmother is here with you, I could probably head out soon and sleep at my apartment tonight…."
"You don't have to go. We can have a sleepover!" Ikki chirped.
Asami looked to Jinora. She shook her head and then smiled. "Just because Korra isn't here doesn't mean you shouldn't feel unwelcome."
"I wasn't... " Asami started panicking at being caught acting insecurely. "I just thought maybe… Thank you."
Katara squinted her eyes and leaned towards Asami. She then popped up with recognition. "Oh, you're Korra's special person, aren't you?"
Asami blushed and fidgeted with a stray lock of hair. She tucked it behind her ears and then pressed her hands into her lap. "I am."
"That's not an easy person to be sometimes."
Asami nodded. "You know that very well, I'm sure."
"I do," Katara smiled.
An idea flashed into Ikki's head and manifested on her face as a wild-eyed grin. "Grandma, you should tell us all about how you and Grandpa got together!"
"You know that story," Jinora teased.
"But I've never heard Grandma tell it," Ikki said with a huff. She then gestured to Asami. "and I bet Asami doesn't know it."
"I'd be happy to." Katara smiled. "I didn't like your grandfather in that way for some time. He apparently had a crush on me from almost the very beginning…."
Ikki pushed aside her plate and plopped her elbows on the table, eager to listen to her Grandmother's story. Asami allowed herself to settle since it was clear Ikki wasn't letting her go anywhere for the rest of the day.
***The next day***
That morning Asami joined Ikki and the other airbenders in a meditation session led by Jinora. She planned to go to work shortly after the class finished. Kya came to the island late last night and confirmed Tenzin and Pema would bring Rohan home that day. Asami wanted to give the family the day together. She was even considering just not coming back to the island that night for dinner, so Ikki wouldn't be tempted to invite her to spend the night again. Bolin was alone. Maybe the two of them could go out like they sometimes did while Korra was in the south.
Asami heard Jinora say something to the group, but she was too busy thinking about her plans for the day she had gotten entirely derailed from her meditating. Asami took a deep breath and tried to clear her thoughts. She imagined taking an arm and sweeping a bunch of papers off her desk to give her a blank surface. But that only made her think about what it would be like cleaning up a mess like that if she ever did such a thing.
Asami began to wonder if meditation was really something she should bother with. Though, on the other hand, the idea of quieting her mind seemed so difficult, it was probably confirmation that she should continue to pursue it, just for the mental benefits. If the Spirit World never happened, it would be okay. Spiritual stuff like that was tricky, even for the very spiritual. Korra had trouble getting in touch with her spiritual side at first, and she's the Avatar.
A smile pulled at Asami's lips as the image of the spunky wolf-tailed version of Korra came into her mind. So much different now from the Korra, who can touch a spirit vine and tap into the unseen world's connective wires.
Asami could feel herself become tempted to indulge in self-doubt. How could the Avatar, the bridge between the human and spiritual worlds, and the bender of all elements feel satisfied with a non-bender who can't properly meditate for five minutes? But Korra wasn't like that. She had never given any indication she felt that way or acted or said anything that made Asami feel like she did. It was just her own insecurities trying to sabotage her happiness.
Asami didn't use to have thoughts like this about her relationships. Part of her wondered if it manifested because of the deception pulled on her by her father. He harbored such dark and destructive feelings for so long, and she never knew. When that happened, it felt like the ground was being torn out from underneath her. But then she remembered who was there to catch her, Korra, Mako, and Bolin.
What her father did to her was not what other people would do. Hiroshi was a broken man. Asami had only wished that she had seen it sooner. There was another timeline that existed where Hiroshi didn't late grief turn to hate. Where they could still be working side by side, rebuilding the city, growing the family company, and maybe he could even, it was almost too fanciful a thought, but be a part of her life with Korra. Some limited version of that future may have been possible had the events of Kuvira's invasion turned out differently.
Asami's chest tightened as she felt herself go back to that moment in the hummingbird suit. Kuvira's colossus's ice-covered body loomed above as their small craft clung to its hip. The unobstructed blaze of the sun made quick work of the large sheets Korra had bent. Chunks began to sluff off and crash on Asami's window. She barely had a moment to realize what her father was doing until she was drifting outside on a small parachute. The moment between the colossus's arm breaking free of the ice and obliterating her father was so fast her brain could barely process what happened until she saw the remains slide to the ground. She still wouldn't let her mind think too long about how gruesomely flat the wreckage that fell was.
Asami didn't attempt to find the remains. Her final fleeting image of her father as a sheet of metal was traumatic enough. They did arrive some time ago. The city kindly took the time to box and deliver them to her family plot. She rarely reflected on that moment since it happened. But it was so easy not to; at that moment, her father's sacrifice just barely tipped the scales in their favor. The battle still had to be fought. Korra created a new spirit portal, Kuvira surrendered, and then all the regrouping and rebuilding that came after.
Only now was she finding the time to think about what she had kept pushing aside for another day. Like the letters her father sent, long left unreplied to. Asami went back and forth between blaming herself for wasting those years being mad at her father and blaming Kuvira for stealing away their future. Had she forgiven him sooner, she would at least have had more time connecting with her father. She could have had the rest of his life if Kuvira hadn't taken it away.
When Asami found her mind going down this spiral, she tried to remember Kuvira didn't set out to kill Hiroshi. She didn't do it because of who he was. Kuvira chose to invade Republic City in a way that knowingly would lead to human casualties. Fortunately, there was the foresight to evacuate the city. Hiroshi was just one of few lives lost in the attack.
Asami was perfectly content to let Kuvira's punishment for her crimes play out in whatever manner Republic City saw fit until Raiko let that kernel of truth slip out, and she wound up helping save that woman's life.
It was the right thing to do, despite it making her feel like spirit vines were tangling around her in her gut. She would not allow the loss to erode at her soul as her father did, but she doubted he ever went so far as coming to the aid of those responsible for her mother's death. But then again, he lost the ability to distinguish those benders from all benders.
Perhaps it was the finality of her father's death. She now truly was without any known living family. This didn't mean she was alone, but the fact still left a slightly lonely feeling inside.
A small hand on her shoulder snapped Asami out of her thoughts.
"It's over. Did you get lost somewhere?" Ikki asked hopefully. Jinora was close behind her.
Asami shook her head. "Got too lost in my thoughts."
"That's okay. It might be because you need this time to think if you aren't making a space for it anywhere else in your day," Jinora offered. "Zhou Rhen has the same problem, but he's getting better with daily practice."
"I will try to keep at it, even when I'm not here for guided sessions."
Jinora smiled. "All you need is quiet and a place to sit."
Asami was able to catch Bolin on the phone at Shey's office. She was startled to discover she still remembered the number without having to check her address book.
Fortunately, her assistant answered the call. Asami didn't feel dread at the idea of potential contact with Shey, having cleared the air between them. But she still felt a wave of relief when she heard an unfamiliar voice on the other end of the line.
Asami and Bolin met up at a small eatery downtown, about halfway between their two locations. Asami enjoyed going out with Bolin. He was always more easygoing than Mako. Plus, they didn't have any awkward romantic history.
"So, how's life in your empty apartment?" Asami asked with a smirk.
Bolin let out a groan. "Awful. If it were just Mako gone then, Opal and I would have the place to ourselves for a bit, which would be great. But with them both, it's so lonely!"
"What are you and Opal going to do when you get married?"
"I hadn't thought about it. We might be able to get our own room at the temple, but that's not really much to start a life together in," Bolin muttered, poking at the remains of his food with one chopstick. "Prolly be weird for Mako if Opal officially moved into our bachelor pad."
"Might be time you start looking into getting a place for just the two of you. I can ask the real estate agent who helped me find my apartment," Asami offered.
Bolin grimaced. "I'm going to need something way cheaper."
"With your budget in mind, of course. A realtor can work with all kinds. Though this probably isn't a great time to look, with a lot of people displaced." A smirk tugged on Asami's lips. "I bet Suyin would buy you the place next to hers if you asked."
"And move to Zaofu?" Bolin's voice cracked slightly at his exclamation. "No way. I'd sooner move closer to my family in the Lower Ring."
"Suyin is going to be an intense in-law."
Bolin casually waved his stick in Asami's direction. "What about Tonraq? He's like eight feet tall and a tribal chief?"
"He's a turtle-duck. I've gotten on better with him than with Senna."
"Ahh," Bolin mused. "The Avatar's mother, she's always seemed to be a bit of a mystery."
"She's trying," Asami sighed, thinking back to their visit to the south. The whole time Senna wore a troubled expression until they finally talked one on one. Something she said must have proven to Senna that she was serious about her feelings for Korra. Or something. From that time on, her emotions didn't seem strained, just a still bit hesitant.
Bolin pursed his lips and dipped his head in a nod. "She's a bit weird about the whole…?"
"Yeah."
"How does Korra feel about that?"
Asami shrugged. "Mostly, it seems like she doesn't have a lot of patience for it. In a way, she's been blissfully unaware of the stigma. Chalking up her feelings to Avatar weirdness for most of her life."
Bolin leaned in closer. "So she didn't really know about her kind until now?"
"It's probably a blessing for her," Asami leaned back in her booth seat and crossed her arms. "I think I'm the one that's more sensitive, though I've tried not to let Korra on to that face." Asami looked down at the table, focusing on the decorative flowers lining her plate. "I think maybe because I've known about my feelings longer…."
"For Korra?"
"I definitely had a crush on Korra before she did me, but what I mean is I came to terms with my attraction to girls sooner. I realized when I was around fourteen, and somehow my father had picked up on that part of me. I think with Korra's parents, I might just be desperately seeking that approval I never got from my own father."
Bolin nodded. "I think I understand how you feel. Like anytime a much older person like, praises me or says they're proud of me," Bolin blew out a woosh of air. "Or when my uncle told me I looked like my Dad. It touches this like place inside me that was so thirsty for this feeling, but I didn't know until I got a taste."
"It feels so silly. We're adults."
"Look at Lin. She was chasing her mother's approval into her fifties," Bolin scratched his chin. "Let's promise each other we don't leave these feelings unchecked for that long."
"Agreed," Asami said holding out her hand for Bolin to shake. They gave their shake a few pumps and stopped when a waitress appeared to clear their plates.
Asami turned out her wrist and checked her watch. "If Korra is going to call today, I think we've entered the final possible hour."
Bolin rose from his seat and swiped the check off the edge of the table.
"So we should head to the temple then?"
"If I don't answer there, she knows to call my apartment. Besides, they just brought Rohan home, and Katara is there. We should give the family some alone time." Asami swung her purse over her shoulder and followed Bolin to the cashier counter.
Bolin handed them the check slip and a few bills. As the register opened, Bolin flipped around to face Asami. He leaned his body on the counter. "C'mon, let's go over there. When have they ever asked for some alone time."
"That's exactly why I think we should do the family the courtesy. They might not feel comfortable saying no or setting boundaries."
Bolin held up his hands. "Okay, okay. What if we brought them some food?"
Asami stole another peek at her watch. "It's kind of late."
"I bet Pema and Tenzin haven't eaten. Too sick with worry to take care of themselves. We gotta bring a little self-care to them."
Asami shook her head. "Okay, I like this plan."
"Alright, now we're cooking with gas," Bolin grabbed a menu from a cubby by the door. He flopped it on the cashier counter and read with his pointer finger leading his eyes.
"You really don't like sleeping alone, huh?" Asami asked slyly.
"No, I do not," Bolin replied, not taking his eyes off the menu.
Asami, Bolin, and a couple of takeout bags found the family in Tenzin and Pema's private bedroom. Rohan still had his bed in there, he was just getting to the age where he was to start sleeping in the dorms by his brother, but that wouldn't be happening anytime soon.
Jinora, Ikki, Katara, and Pema, with a dozing Rohan in her arms, were seated on the master bed. Tenzin and Kya were beside Rohan's bed, attaching rail guards on all sides.
Ikki was the first to notice Asami and Bolin in the doorway.
"Hi guys!" she chirped.
Bolin held up the two bags of food and gave them a small jostling. "We thought maybe you all could go for a little takeout?"
"It's all vegetarian," Asami added.
Ikki and Jinora hopped off the bed and scurried over to them. Bolin passed a bag to Ikki and the other to Jinora. "Go nuts."
The girls started taking containers out and placing them on the bed.
"Careful not to spill on the comforter," Pema warned.
Tenzin walked over to where Asami and Bolin stood by the door. "Thank you. We haven't even thought about food."
"You better dig in before it's all gone," Bolin said, gesturing to Ikki and Jinora, who were still rummaging through the containers to see what everything was.
"No need!" Ikki chirped as she dashed over to the three. She held out a plate to her father. "A little of everything!"
Tenzin accepted the plate.
"Do you guys want anything?" Ikki asked.
Bolin and Asami both shook their heads.
"We already ate," Asami answered for the both of them.
Ikki bounded back over to the bed and started serving up a plate for herself. She plopped down on the bed and joined the conversation between Jinora, Pema, Kya, and Katara.
"She's done a great job keeping things together here while you've been gone." Asami offered, gesturing in Ikki's direction. "Jinora too. They are both so mature for their ages."
Tenzin let out a tired sigh and looked over at his daughters. "I know. They have seen so much in their short lives. I was hoping maybe this time there would be some calm for them, time to let them be children, at least Ikki. Jinora, she's like me at that age, fourteen going on forty."
As Tenzin was talking, Bolin watched Ikki. His hand stroked at his chin, thoughtfully, pinching the end as if he had a beard.
"I hope this doesn't contradict your desire for your kids to be kids, but what if I thought Ikki might be perfect for a small role in a mover?"
Tenzin and Asami's heads whipped in Bolin's direction.
"Well, I wouldn't say I was opposed, as long as the work was appropriate. It would really be her decision-"
"Great!" Bolin said, cutting Tenzin off. "Hey, Ikki, come back over here."
Ikki perked up at her name. She jumped off the bed, plate in both hands, chopsticks poking out of her mouth like tusks. Bolin bent down to be eye level with the young girl."How would you like to be in a mover?"
After everyone finished their late meal, Bolin, Asami, and Ikki went out to the gazebo to discuss Ikki's role. Jinora watched their animated conversation from the rooftop of the dorms.
It was a little after ten, so 6 am in Ba Sing Se, as Jinora situated herself into the lotus position and closed her eyes, she hoped Zhou Rhen remembered to wake up in time.
When she opened her eyes, she was in Xai Bou's grove. Knowing the location's history made her feel uneasy, but it was one of two places Zhou Rhen knew of in the Spirit World. She would have preferred the Republic City Portal, Spirit World side, of course, but the Tiger Pillar Spirit was still lurking every time she meditated there.
Jinora let out a whistle, hoping her flying spirit critter would hear her call. She looked around the foggy grove. Everything felt stagnant, the rusty water moved at a snail's pace, and there weren't any spirits milling about like most other parts of the Spirit World.
Soon a chirping sound came from the distance. Jinora whistled back, turning around over and over, trying to hear where it was coming from. She saw a large figure lumbering in the mist. She took a few steps back, cautiously.
"Jinora?" Zhou Rhen called out.
Jinora relaxed and started moving towards him. The rodent spirit cut through the mist first, and then Zhou Rhen stumbled out.
"Sorry, I'm late. I didn't quite land where I thought I would."
"Well, fortunately, my little friend found you."
"Yes," Zhou Rhen said, giving the tiny creature a wave. "Sorry, I tried to swat you with a book."
Jinora scowled. "You hit my friend?"
"I said I tried but then quickly realized they were trying to help," Zhou Rhen said as he smoothed back the strands of hair that had fallen from his bun.
The critter trilled and then settled on Jinora's shoulder. It turned its small body away from him.
Zhou Rhen bowed deeply. "I'm truly sorry."
Jinora looked at her friend. It gave her a slight nod. She turned back to Zhou Rhen. "You're forgiven."
"That's a relief," Zhou Rhen said, wiping at his brow. He looked around for a grassy knoll or something to sit on. A small bolder caught his eyes, so he rested there. Zho Rhen pulled his notebook out of his pocket and balanced it on his knees. "So?"
Jinora plopped down on the ground where she stood. "Yes, so what's the situation?"
"Well, Avatar Korra was able to meet with Kuvira last night, and it turns out she is not Kuvira."
Jinora let out the breath she didn't realize she was holding.
"There seems to be a lot of surprise around this fact," Zhou Rhen said, scratching at his chin. "I figured since she was witnessed to have died in an explosion, this was likely not going to be the actual Kuvira?"
Jinora bit her lip. "You just never know. The crew did not rescue her when they evacuated. She was alone when the ship went down. So there was a slight chance."
Zhou Rhen held up a hand. "I get it. Better to be safe than sorry. The plan is to not release this news to others, for now, to see if anyone else is privy to this information about the fake Kuvira."
"And how is Korra doing?" Jinora asked, breaking eye contact. She tried to fix her gaze on one of the spooky red trees instead.
"She appears to be doing well. Some light but constant teasing from Opal, nothing too awkward between her and her former boyfriend, Mako." Zhou Rhen thought for a moment. "Kai is also here in Ba Sing Se."
Jinora fixed back on Zhou Rhen. "He knows what's going on?"
"They were at the village this Kuvira look-a-like got picked up in," Zhou Rhen said with a nod. "Want me to send him your regards… or any other messages?"
Jinora shook her head.
"So, same time tomorrow?" Zhou Rhen asked.
"If you don't mind?"
"Not at all." Zhou Rhen tucked his notebook back into his pocket. "It's a reprieve. You're still the only friend I've made here."
Jinora smiled. "Well, maybe this trip will change things."
Zhou Rhen smiled back. "Perhaps they will."
To be continued…