Small time skip, like maybe 3 days
It was early, too damn early. The blinding white light peeking from between the drapes hit Suyin's eyes much sooner than she wanted. She knew she had to be up, she did run the city after all. But oh how she wished she could just stay in bed all day long...with Kuvira by her side. As the thought graced her mind she rolled herself further into her husbands arms, wishing she had her missing piece there to complete their puzzle.
"You're so warm in the morning, love," Bataar whispered in her ear. He kissed the back of her neck lovingly, his wife letting out a sigh of contentment.
"Why can't I stay in bed forever?" She asked, turning around to kiss him gently before speaking.
"Because you wouldn't be a productive member of society. You also wouldn't be able to help me with our kids," he chuckled. He let one hand rest on her hip as the other held up his head.
How he got so lucky to have a wife as beautiful as her, he didn't know. Even after just waking up Suyin was as radiant as ever. Her sun kissed skin had an ethereal glow to it in the mornings, her hair in tight curls from going to bed with it wet. Her eyes always full of determination and strength, the things he admired most about her. To him, there was no one more beautiful than his wife. The only one who could compare was Kuvira.
"Mm, that's true. What if we stayed like this for a little while longer?" Her angelic voice drew her husband out of his thoughts.
"My dear, if we stay like this any longer then I'm afraid I won't be able to keep my hands to myself, and we'll end up staying here longer than either of us wanted." A small blush crept up on Suyin's face as she felt a familiar presence now poking her rear.
In one swift movement the dance instructor was on top of her husband, straddling him.
"I suppose we won't be productive today then."
—
"Just do it! You already have the tools to do it! Just do it!"
Kuvira stood in front of the mirror, scissors clamped between her hands.
Snip! Snip! Snip!
"Oh my spirits..."
She haphazardly cut at her hair until a somewhat presentable style shone through. Both sides were now as short as she could get it with just scissors, the top and back of her head stayed the same aside from a small trim. The style felt different, almost exciting. During the cut the main bits of grey in her hair had been chopped, leaving just a few stray greys here and there.
Despite the change, she continued to style her hair in a simple braid. She was nervous just thinking about how Suyin would react to the new hair, hoping she of all people would find it alluring.
"Hey Kid." A small knock came from the other side of the bathroom door. The door opened and the second Lin laid eyes on the younger woman she burst out into a fit of laughter.
"What's so funny?" Kuvira asked, her face turning red out of embarrassment. It was highly unusual for the police chief to just laugh out of nowhere, and it almost felt worse that the younger woman had promoted it.
"I.. haha.. think you.. haha.. need to go see Kya," she replied, wheezing between every few words. Feeling a bit irritated, she stepped out into the hall only to come face to face with her healer...who now had the exact same hair style as her.
"Oh spirits..." she mumbled under her breath. Lin was practically on the floor laughing about this, which then caused Kya to begin laughing about the situation as well.
"Oh dear! Seems like great minds think alike!" The waterbender beamed as she pulled Kuvira in for a tight hug. "Your first night here and of course this happens! Su's going to have a field day with that haircut you know."
Kuvira removed herself from the grip of the older woman and gave her a shy smile.
"Do you think she'll like it?" She asked nervously. Lin pulled herself together at last and wiped the remaining tears from her eyes.
"Of course she will, kid. It's you. She's enamored with you." This time a deeper red spread across the young metalbender's face as she looked at the floor, a smile spreading across her face.
"Well as nice of a surprise as this has been, I think it's time to head back over to see your sister." Lin rolled her eyes at the comment, but nodded her head in agreement.
"You ready little miss angst?" The police chief asked Kuvira.
"Spirits, I'm not going to live this down am I? I'm really starting to think you enjoy treating me like a teenager," the younger woman replied before following Kya out the front door.
"Nope. And I do. It's not like I have any kids of my own, and Mako doesn't live nearby. I've gotta get in my parental bullying somewhere!" Lin replied, shutting the door behind her as they all headed out to the Beifong Compound.
—
"Dear, has my sister left yet?" Suyin asked, her words echoing off of the metal walls.
"I believe they have, love. They should be here soon," her husband replied. He lounged on his wife's couch, opting to take a break from the construction early. Suyin on the other hand had been doing paperwork, anxiously awaiting her lovers arrival.
The two shared a loving look before going back to their separate activities. They often liked to spend busy afternoons like this. Suyin with her duties and Bataar with his own. Rarely did they get to spend time going on dates, but parallel play worked just as well.
Suyin continued on with her drab paperwork until the phone near her husband rang. He frowned for a moment before putting his paper down and picking up the receiver.
"Beifong residence, Bataar sp-" his greeting was cut short by a frantic sounding Kya.
"Opal is there!! We just made it into the main compound and she's headed to your office!!"
Suddenly the doors to Suyin's office opened with a thud and what came through surprised them all. There stood their daughter with a smug look on her face.
"So I hear you've booted out the homewrecker," she sneered. Suyin's face curled into a disdainful look as her eyes fell upon her only daughter.
"And who might you be referring to? Your father's girlfriend? Or mine?" A blush spread across her husbands face as the words left her mouth. Opal rolled her eyes in response.
"Truly, it's for the better." Her stiff words hung in the air as everyone shifted uncomfortably.
"Did you come here to insult us or did you need something?" Su spat through gritted teeth. She loved her kids. Of course she did, who wouldn't love their own kids? But her kids were grown now. She raised them with respect and manners, both of which Opal seemed to have forgotten.
Opal was not a fan of this response.
"Bolin and I were stopping through and I thought it might do you some good to see your grandchildren." Suyin frowned, still skeptical of her daughter's intentions. She turned slightly to gauge her husbands reaction, who seemed to match her demeanor.
"Dear, why don't you take all of the children out into the courtyard for some play time. We can both meet you out there shortly." The sharp look in her eyes had her husband scurrying out of the room. He had lived a long life and he had learned better than to step between his headstrong wife and his equally headstrong daughter.
The metal doors to the office slammed shut behind Bataar as he came face to face with Bolin. The young earth bender jumped backwards with fright, nearly tumbling over his own kids.
"Spirits, Mr. Beifong! Give a guy a heart attack will ya?!" Behind him his children started giggling.
"Ah, apologies Bolin. I think a whole war is about to break out in there and I was told to leave." A nervous looking Bolin let out a long winded sigh.
"Oh geez. This was just supposed to be a quick stop on the way to visit Mako. She's really trying to butt heads with Su?" The young father looked exasperated. He loved his wife but spirits was she a handful. Bataar grimaced in response.
"I apologize for the inconvenience. Maybe you'd like to leave the kids here for a while and visit him on your own?" Bolin stood there contemplating for a good ten seconds before bolting out of the compound.
"Okay sounds good, if you need anything find Opal!!" He yelled as he ran. This drew a hearty laugh out of Bataar. His family might have its fair share of problems but for the most part they were a lovely, albeit goofy, bunch to be around.
Tick. Tick. Tick.
The silence between them was deafening, the air thick enough to slice with a dull knife.
"So really...how is she here?" Opal finally started. Her mother was skeptical, so very skeptical. She was afraid about divulging too much information and jeopardizing everything they've worked for. But surely she could satiate some part of her daughter's curiosity?
"She's doing well. Shouldn't you be with your husband, dear?" The venom in that last little dear could've killed anyone else on impact. But Opal, as stubborn as her mother, pushed past it.
"She's still in mandated therapy right? And you've got guards with her every waking moment?" Suyin's patience was wearing thin and Opal knew this.
"My apologies dear, but I've got plenty of paperwork and meeting to tend to. Why don't you catch up with your father? Or track down your husband?" Opal slammed her hand down on the desk and stared her mother down, an awful shit eating grin spread across her face.
"I hear she doesn't live on the compound anymore. You get tired of your little plaything?" Suyin matched her daughter's grin with a rather nasty one of her own, her teeth grinding as she held back an eye twitch.
"Oh I wouldn't say that. Seems like you may be running your plaything into the ground though, by the looks of him at least."
The two stood mere feet away, the bond between them growing weaker with every word said. As much as Suyin loved her daughter she knew that she wasn't about to back down from this fight. They had raised their children to be strong willed and defiant of power...it's just that neither of them thought it would blow up in their faces years later.
"She'll never change. You and I both know it." Her words hung in the air heavier than anything else nearby. While Opal had grown to be rather headstrong she had definitely inherited it from her mother. Suyin did not doubt for a second what Kuvira was capable of, not once.
"Why don't we save ourselves the fuss of this back and forth? I've got a meeting coming up any minute now dear, and as much as I would love to sit here chatting this visit was rather impromptu. I couldn't possibly cancel this last minute. You wouldn't mind finding your father or your brother and spending time with them would you?" If Suyin didn't stop with the teeth grinding soon she might not have any teeth left. She was sick and tired of this awful interaction and needed her daughter to leave before she had her thrown out.
Opal gave her one final look up and down before turning away.
"You know what...I didn't come to fight. I think I'll go search for my husband." And with that the incredibly headstrong airbender blasted the doors open in a huff and stormed out, leaving papers flying in her wake. For just a moment Suyin thought she'd have enough time to relax and catch her breath before Kuvira showed up.
The older woman slumped down into her office chair for just a moment, relishing in the few seconds of silence, before she heard the sound of flesh hitting flesh and a body hitting the floor. She rushed out of the office only to be met with an enraging sight.
With a malicious grin adorning her face, Opal stood towering over Kuvira, who was clutching her face on the floor. Time stood still for all women present. Suyin stood, mouth agape in the door frame. Kya and Lin stood a few feet from their new ward, seemingly headed in opposite directions. Lin towards her niece and Kya towards the crumpled girl on the floor. In a swift motion Kuvira was pulled up off the floor and pushed behind Kya's back as she prepared to defend her. And before Suyin could strike Opal, Lin had the younger of the two in a tight grip, effectively separating everyone. Screams erupted out of throats and many insults were hurled around until all three women were at bay and now several feet apart.
"Let's go find Bataar," Kya whispered before hastily retreating with Kuvira. A cackle escaped Opal's throat in an almost maniacal manner.
"I know who you really are, Kuvira. Don't let me catch you here aga-" Her crude words were cut short by a sharp slap to her cheek.
"I suggest you find your husband and leave." These words left the matriarch calmer than anything else since her daughter had shown up. In a matter of seconds all three had separated and gone their own ways. Suyin back into her office, Opal in search of her husband, and Kuvira hastily following behind the (shockingly) fast water bender.
—
"Are you okay?" Kya asked, finally slowing her pace long enough to get a good look at her ward's face. Kuvira kept her eyes to the ground but nodded solemnly.
"Yes. I don't think it'll bruise." Kya's hands were on either side of the younger woman's face as she scanned it, ensuring there was no real damage to fix. Still, a frown rested upon her face.
"I just wish we had been able to fully avoid her. She had no right to hit you like that!" She exclaimed. Kuvira responded with another nod.
"Why don't we just meet up with Bataar later? After all that I need to calm down with Huan." This time Lin responded with a nod.
"Probably a good idea, we don't know if Bataar is still with Bolin or not. Best to keep our run in's with my sisters devil child to a minimum." She turned towards Kuvira and ruffled her hair aggressively, earning her an irritated look. "I'm gettin' old, kid. I can't keep fightin' like I used to!"
Reluctantly, Kuvira smiled.
"Yeah...I guess it would be wise to avoid having old ladies fight my battles for me." She erupted with laughter as Lin's hand met her shoulder in a slap.
"I said I was getting old, not that I couldn't kick your ass!" The three of them shared a smile before continuing on towards Huan's wing of the compound.
Hopefully the rest of this visit won't go so bad, Kuvira thought to herself as she continued to walk down the corridor. After a couple of minutes the group came to a halt in front of Huan's corridor.
"I want to give Suyin my painting today. It's mostly finished...and I think after the events of today it might soothe frayed nerves." Lin and Kya shared a seemingly sentimental look between themselves and nodded in agreement.
"So, kid. What did you end up painting? You haven't shown anyone yet." Lin asked, crossing her arms over her chest. A shy smile spread its way across Kuvira's face.
"You'll see."
—
Suyin hastily made her way towards her youngest son's corridor, hoping to find either her lover or husband present. When she opened the doors she was pleasantly surprised to see both of them...crying? On better inspection it seemed like there wasn't a dry eye in the room. Even her stone cold older sister was left a little teary.
"What's going on? Is everyone okay?" Suyin's voice pulled everyone out of their own thoughts. Kuvira blushed deeply and rose to her feet. Silently she walked over to the older woman and took her hands.
"I've got something I wanted to show you. It's the painting I've been working on. It's finally done." As she spoke, Bataar burst into tears.
"It's...the most beautiful thing I've ever seen!" He wailed before hastily walking away, attempting to avoid crying any further. Slowly Suyin was led over to the easel and when her eyes landed on the painting she understood why it had made everyone cry.
"Going through prison and atoning for everything I did to hurt people has taken a toll on me. And when I decided to take up painting I was very unsure. As you know, a lot of artists will put their feelings into their artwork. You've seen it over and over with every member of your family, every member of your society. So today I wanted to show you my contribution."
The painting was far from perfect but Suyin just couldn't tear her eyes away. On the canvas was a woman dancing. Not just any woman however. The woman looked peaceful as if fully enthralled in whatever dance she caught herself in. Her traditional baggy pants clung to her hips and highlighted every curve she had to offer the world. The jewelry she adorned draped over her body in a way that almost made it look like the piece was moving, like you could almost predict her next move. She looked like she was laughing having not a care in the world and dancing like no one was watching.
Her emerald green eyes looked tired but content and her loose silver curls looked almost iridescent. Golden thread had been woven between the locks, making the silver pop more. Her body was on display here for the world to see but the painting itself felt oddly personal.
Suyin's finger lightly traced the edges of the painting as tears welled up in her eyes now. She could almost feel the love, remorse, guilt even that this painting portrayed.
"It's you, mom," Huan whispered gently as he attempted to hide his own sniffles.
Su, all teary eyed and flustered, looked over at the younger woman. Kuvira's gaze had never left, her eyes still searching for any major reaction. The matriarch held out her hand and gently cupped her face.
"Everything I can't seem to say lives in this painting," Kuvira said quietly. Su's hand brushed away stray grey hairs as she found the strength to speak.
"I can feel the emotion that's gone into this piece, my love. Am I your muse now?" She almost laughed in response. Her heart felt like it was about to beat out her chest, gods forbid. Kuvira's face twisted into one of confusion as tears now slid down her puffy cheeks too.
"It's always been you."
