#expect some more broken down korra

[nerdycanible1]

Kya's Confusing

A small one shot. It be one sided love, have hurt and of course broken hearts. But of course a sexy Lin Beifong and a sexc Kya Water Tribe.

I hope you enjoy OwO

Lin suddenly leant in and kissed Kya, her hands clasped around her shirt tightly. Kya had frozen under her touch and Lin had her eyes squeezed shut.

The feeling of finally being able to tell Kya she liked her and the way her heart raced when she kissed her all felt perfect. She could feel Kya grab her shoulders and Lin's heart raced wondering if Kya was going to deepen it.

Slowly Kya pulled away from the kiss pushing Lin away slowly. Lin opened her eyes, her eyes dark and her face flushed. It took her years to finally tell her and what more perfect way to tell her then under the cherry blossoms on the island.

Kya looked at her and several emotions flashed over her face. Surprise, shock confusion, hurt, pain and even a small bit of... disgust. Lin swallowed roughly as she saw Kya slowly peel her hands away as she pressed a hand to her own lips.

"Kya?" Lin asked with a tremble in her voice. Her heart was pounding and she began to feel anxious. She would have thought Kya would have kissed her back or even smile but now she saw millions of things fly through Kya's mind. "Kya." She said more firmly.

Kya flicked her eyes to Lin finally seeing her again and she watched Kya rub the back of her neck. "Lin." She grimaced as she felt her eye brows furrow together. "I'm sorry but... I-I don't feel the same way."

Lin could feel her eyes water and she clenched her jaw lightly. Her gut twisted and fell to the ground, her heart constricted and her breathing began to grow heavier. "W-What?" Lin said with a choked voice.

"Lin, I've met someone on the road. I-I'm sorry but I can't." Kya watched as Lin's lower lip wobbled. She reached out to touch her but Lin stepped back and wiped her tears away hastily. "Lin-" Kya began.

Lin shook her head and held her hand up. Embarrassment, rage, anger, hurt flashed over her face. All emotions Kya has never seen before.

"It's fine." Lin said clenching her fists. "Really." Kya watched her best friend break and she reached out again and Lin smacked her hand away. "Please just go." Lin said as her voice cracked.

Kya swallowed roughly not knowing what to do. Torn between comforting her friend or running away from this awkward encounter. Just how did she not notice Lin's crush on her? With one last look at the woman Kya turned and left.

Lin's mind began to race as well as her heart. Just where did she go wrong? She thought that Kya had liked her. All the hand holding, the late night talks, the drinks and the secrets, even the soft look in her eyes as they stared at each other? Just everything. Lin felt her tears continue to come and she growled as she hated it.

A sob slipped slipped through her lips as she didn't expect this to happen. She thought-- just why couldn't-- why didn't she see this coming?! Lin sat on the ground and stared off towards the ocean and at the setting sun. Her heart was ripped out and destroyed.

All she can see in her mind was Kya's face of disgusted face and how her words echoed through her mind. The way she looked at Lin with pity. Lin hugged her legs and sniffled as her fingers were pulling at the grass.

After hours and hours of thinking and replaying everything in her mind she began to notice that they were friend things to do. She never saw the way Kya would pull her hand away after a couple seconds, or the way she would stare at the ocean with dreamy eyes.

Lin shouldn't have ever tried. The sun was down and the moon up, the moon only half filled so everything was relatively dark. She sighed heavily as she wiped her tears away and shook her head. She shouldn't have never listened to Saikhan.

After awhile she could hear the crunching of footsteps coming and the vibrations of their footsteps through her fingers. "Hey." Bumi said carrying a tray filled with food and tea, even a small candle.

Lin didn't look up as she turned her head and faced away from him. She didn't want to see the pity in his face. "H--Hey." Her voice cracked. She coughed lightly to try and clear it out.

Bumi sat down next to her and smiled softly. "Beautiful moon ain't it? Kinda looks like half a pizza if you ask me." The sounds of him pouring tea made Lin slowly look at him.

He was in his uniform, probably meaning he'd leave in a few hours. His jaw line to kill for, the straight teeth he had not to mention his handsome face was sure a lady killer.

His smile friendly and inviting and his hair brushed back but wild in the back. He was rather a goofy and a comforting man.

Her face on the other hand was different. Her jaw softer, her nose small and face shape fox like. Her eyes puffy and red but still holding the sharp look all Beifong's have.

"You always say the moons pizza." She said as she took the offered tea. She held it in her hands as she stared down into the cup, feeling her eyes water once more. "Was I the only one that... didn't know she had someone?" Lin asked softly. "I thought... I thought she liked me too."

Bumi looked at her and sighed softly. "I didn't even know she had a girlfriend." His tone deep but true. It held hurt for his friend. "I always assumed she liked you."

Lin sniffled and wiped her nose as she sipped her tea. "I thought so too." She murmured. "She was my best friend." Lin whispered. "Aren't I supposed to know important things like that?" Lin asked took another drink.

Bumi began to pile Lin's plate up with food and handed it to her. "I don't think she was ready yet." He reached over and gently squeezed her knee. "Please don't hate Kya." He said softly. "I don't think Kya would live with herself if you did."

Lin stared at him and then at her food. A small sad laugh left her lips as she shook her head. "I could never hate her." Lin whispered. "She's my friend."

She looked up at him and gave him a watery smile while tears slid down her cheeks. "I'll always be there for her." Snot began to glide out of her nose as she began to break and she covered her mouth. "Why couldn't she like me?" She cried.

Bumi immediately wrapped his arms around her and held her tightly. "I don't know." He whispered into her ear. "I just don't know."

•••

Lin stared at the ring in her box as she ran her thumb over it. The ring obviously being larger than her actual size. Years ago she was going to ask Tenzin to marry her but of course that relationship didn't work out.

Lin was currently in her office looking over paper work. She sighed softly as she placed the ring back and stood up. She stared out the window and looked across her city.

After years of heart break Lin called it quits and gave up on dating. It was no biggy really. She loved her job, loved scaring rookies and jailers and even liked the Avatar gang.

They were growing on her. She would listen to Korra's relationship problems, Asam's new inventions and thoughts about the city, Bolin's random chatter and even Mako's awkward moments.

These kids were all under her watch and she had a soft spot for them. She looked at the picture she had of all for of them, they were her responsibility. Even if she didn't want it in the first place.

Lin looked at the time and furrowed her brows seeing that it was 4 o'clock. She swore she didn't have anything planned but her instincts told her other wise.

She furrowed her brows and walked to her desk to look at her calendar. Then her eyes zeroed in down at the date and she could see the familiar scrawl of Kya.

The message, "Don't forget our date! 4:15 p.m. sharp!"

Lin could feel herself panic for a second seeing that it was 4:05 now and traffic was heaviest during rush hour.

She cursed under her breath and gathered her papers and rushed out. She locked her door and placed the papers down on Mako's desk. "Take care of these." She ordered as she hurried out.

How can she forget that Kya was back in town and most likely wanted to go out fo a drink with her?

•••

Upon arrival she realized she was 15 minutes late. She only hoped Kya didn't leave with some floozy. She entered inside, was met with the waiter and soon was brought back to Kya.

Kya looked bored and appeared to be on her fourth cup. "Kya?" Lin called as she thanked the waiter and sat.

Kya perked up and smiled as she waved. "Linny. I didn't think you were coming." She said looking away from the woman she was obviously ogling.

Lin nodded and sat down as she placed her coat down. "Sorry. Was working." Lin said as she flagged down the waitress.

Kya snorted and rolled her eyes. "When are you not working?" She mumbled. It appeared Kya was a bit too relaxed due to her drinks, meaning Lin would probably have to drive her back to the temple.

"Sadly that's what people do when they have jobs Kya." Lin grabbed the clip in her hair and pulled it out. Her hair soon flipped down and unfurled and soon her curls were free.

Kya looked her up and down, going unnoticed by Lin whom was currently looking at the menu. "Sorry for not being employed at the moment cranky pants." She giggled and crossed her leg, her foot sliding up Lin's leg.

Lin gave her a weird look and scooted her legs back a bit to give the woman with longer legs more room and then looked back at the menu. "Did you order yet? Think I'll get the teriyaki beef and misu soup. Maybe even dumplings."

Kya frowned feeling Lin pull her legs away. "I didn't order yet. You can order me something." She said as she hand reached over and began to play with Lin's fingers.

Lin let her be and felt Kya intertwine their fingers together. Lin read over the menu and nodded as she looked up at the waitress.

Lin smiled at her and pulled her hand away to point at the menu. She made the waitress blush and Lin laughed softly. Kya could feel the jealousy burning inside of her. She's been flirting with Lin for months now. Lin soon nodded and soon the waitress was walking away.

Lin looked over and watched as Kya pouted. She raised her brows and looked at the waitress and then behind her. "What? Something on my face?" She asked as she rubbed at her face.

Kya sighed and shook her head. "Nothing's on your face." Kya said holding her hand out to Lin.

Lin looked at it and furrowed her brows. "How drunk are you?" Lin asked looking at the cups. "Did you order a strong drink or something."

Kya huffed and grabbed her hand. "Noooo... hold my hand." Kya whined.

Lin rolled her eyes and intertwine them again. She grabbed her drink from the same waitress and the waitress placed down a paper with her number and Lin blushed. And before she could grab it, Kya grabbed it and placed it in her mouth.

"What the heck Kya." She snapped. Kya began to eat the paper and stuck her tongue out.

"Oh please you'd thank me. She probably wanted a one night stand." Kya said rolling her eyes.

Lin frowned and pulled her hand out of hers. "You don't need to be a jerk." She muttered. She grabbed her soda and angrily sipped it.

Kya stared at her and sighed softly. "Sorry. Want me to ask her for her number for you?" Kya began to raise her hand and Lin grabbed her hand to stop her.

"Its fine Kya. Just numbers." She looked at her and crossed her arms. "So how have you been? I've heard you went to the Fire Nation to see Izumi. Is she okay? How is she?"

Kya waved her off. "She's fine, just said shes tired of the meetings and such."

She smiled up at Lin. "So how about you Lin? Any girlfriend or boyfriend?" She prodded.

Lin rolled her eyes and waved her off. "You know me." She mumbled. "Not looking forward to dating and such. I find it useless. After all I'm 54, I should start looking forward to retiring or something." She muttered knowing she won't be retiring soon.

Kya beamed at the news and smiled as she gently squeezed her hand. "Anyone you have your eye on?"

Lin furrowed her brows, she just told her she wasn't looking for a relationship but she felt her eyes wonder over to the waitress. "Well if someone didn't eat the paper I would've been seeing someone tonight."

Kya tightened her hold on Lin's hand and clenched her jaw. "Well sorry. I'll be sure to ask her."

All throughout dinner it was Kya asking Lin her favourite colour, her favourite hobby to do now, how was she and the kids. All sorts of things. By the end of the night Lin and Kya were stuffed with the delicious food and both buzzed, well Kya drunk.

Lin and her were stumbling to Lin's apartment since both were too drunk to drive and Lin not having the energy to deal with Tenzin.

She plopped Kya on the couch and groaned as she stretched her back. She bonded her armour off and stumbled to her room to change and get ready for bed.

She began to brush her teeth in the bathroom and mindlessly brushed them. Suddenly a pair of arms snaked around her waist and kisses began to align her neck. Lin jumped startled and quickly turned around to be met with the pout face of Kya.

"Kya?" She asked with furrowed brows. She pressed a hand to her neck and watched as Kya grabbed her and tried to kiss her again. Lin frowned and pushed her face away. "Kya." She snapped.

Kya paused and looked at her hurt. "What are you doing? You're drunk. Go back to bed." Lin said as she tried to fix her shirt.

"I don't want to." Kya huffed. "Please Lin let me kiss you." Kya whispered as she reached out to her.

Lin smacked her hand away, her eyes flashing in anger. "I'm not going to tell you again. Go to bed." Kya tried to fight the pain she felt knowing the only reason Kya is trying to kiss her is because she's drunk and doesn't know what's she's doing.

Kya placed her hands on her hip and glared at Lin. "No." She said clearer this time. "Can't you see I like you Lin?" She stepped forward and pressed her agssint the counter. "I've liked you for awhile." She said with a smile. "You don't know how hard it was watching you flirt with her tonight." She whispered.

Lin watched as anger and hurt flash over Kya's face. A red hugh over her nose and cheeks meaning she was buzzed. Lin grabbed her hands and pushed her away.

"You don't know what you're talking about Kya." She grabbed her hand and began to lead her to bed trying not to blow a fuse at her friend who didn't understand what she was saying.

Before Lin could pull her out of the bathroom she felt Kya pull her hand out of Lin's. "I know what I talking about!" She yelled. "Lin you have no idea hoe long I've been having these feelings. You're all I think about, I can't get you out of my head. The way my heart races when I see you, can't you feel it?" She whispered.

Lin furrowed her brows and shook her head. Her heart began to speed up as she began to feel overwhelmed. "Wait Kya hold on-"

"Lin I love you." Kya stressed as she shook her head. "I want to spend my life here with you." Lin tightened her hands on her door frame, the metal slowly warping under her hand. "Lin I-"

Kya didn't understand as suddenly the door was tore wide open and splinters of wood flew all over the place. "Get out." Lin growled. Her face in anger, her eyes closed and her scowl on full display.

Kya jumped and she shook her head. "Lin I don't understand." She whispered. "Didn't you like me-"

"Agni! Kya!" Lin said looking up at her. Her eyes watered but were filled with rage. "What's not to understand Kya?" She breathed still trying to control her temper.

She looked up at her. "That was more than 3 decades ago." Lin said with a strained voice. "Over 30 years ago!" She pressed a hand to her chest, splinters in her finger tips along with small cuts from the metal.

"Don't you remember?" She snapped. "I kissed you, you looked at me as if I'm gross and then tell me you don't like me!" She laughed breathlessly and shook her head.

Kya winced and stepped forward and tried to touch her. Lin smacked her hand away and stepped aside. "Please Kya just... sleep before I hit you." She clenched her fists. "I can't deal with you when you're drunk."

Kya looked at her sadly and stood her ground. "I was a kid Lin. I thought that I met the love of my life." She breathed. "Surely you can't hold that against me."

Lin looked at her and looked away. "You're not the only to say you loved me and you won't be the last." She whispered. "Can't you see I'm tired?"

"Lin please, let me prove to you how much I've changed. I swear I love y-"

Lin reached over and covered her lips. "Stop saying that." She grabbed her arm and began to pull her towards the couch. "Go to bed before I toss you out on the street." She pushed her down on the couch.

Kya gripped onto her hand before she was able to leave. "Give me a chance." She whispered hoping Lin could give her it.

Lin didn't look back at her and closed her eyes. "Goodnight Kya." Lin's voice thick with anger and sadness. And with that Kya let her go and watched as the woman tiredly walked to her room. Tossing the door into the bathroom and closing her bedroom door behind her.

Kya swore to the spirits she'd try her absolute best to be there for Lin. She had to be.

#nerds #atla #legendofkorra #lesbian #lgbtq #lin beifong #kya ll #bisexual #young lin beifong #young kya #young kyalin #one sided love #one sided attraction #broken heart #kya you dummy qwq #lin you dummy #lok #kya legend of korra #angst lok #legend of korra angst

[reinerispretty]

reminiscence. (? x f!reader) pt8

hello everyone!! i hope you’re having a fantastic weekend :) 

pt1

pt7

pt9

“Is everything alright?”

“Yes!” (Y/N) said quickly. “I’m totally fine, just have amnesia.” She knocked against her skull. “Nothing’s getting in here, I guess.” Before Asami could speak, Korra knocked on the door of the sparring room.

“How’s it going?”

“Well...” Asami started, glancing down at (Y/N). She stared up at Korra, a frown pulling at the ends of her lips.

(Y/N) didn’t sleep at all that night. She could feel the tiredness weighing on her body, pulling her limbs further and further down into the comfy sheets of her bed, but her eyes wouldn’t close. All she could do was stare up at the ornately decorated ceiling, painted with depictions of a tan, thinly mustached man as a cherub. She wondered whether or not she should go bang on Mako’s door and demand what that was. She thought he hated her! He had seemed so angry on the balcony and then the next thing she knew, he was kissing her. She knew it was ridiculous, but part of her thought she could still feel the softness of Mako’s lips against hers. She smothered her face with her pillow and screamed into it. 

When the rising sunlight just barely started filtering into her room, she slid out of bed. She walked to the mirror and brushed out her hair, which had become tangled from how much she had tossed and turned throughout the night, and pulled it back with a hair tie. She could see the faintest hints of tiredness on her features, so she splashed cold water on her face and hoped that no one would bring it up. Once she had pulled on her athletic clothes for her training, she walked to the kitchens. 

It was still early enough that the kitchen remained unoccupied. (Y/N) searched through the pantry to find something easy to make. Everything looked incredibly fancy and had labels that made absolutely no sense. She was lucky to have had Asami with her yesterday to help her decipher the meaning of some of the words. What in the world was a saffron? 

“Looking for something?” (Y/N) was so startled that she knocked her head against the frame of the pantry. “Oh, geez, I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to scare you, are you alright?” 

As she pulled away from the pantry, rubbing her head, she found Bolin standing beside her. His black eyebrows were pulled together in concern and his bottom lip jutted out apologetically. “Yeah, I’m fine,” She said, laughing lightly. “I wasn’t expecting anyone else to be up so early.” 

“I used to get up early for Nuktuk! I guess I haven’t really broken the habit yet. What are you doing up?” 

“I didn’t sleep that well,” (Y/N) said, and she supposed she wasn’t totally lying. She turned back to the pantry. “Plus I was hungry and I didn’t want to wait for everyone else to be up to eat. All these foods look too fancy.” Bolin snorted, as if she had said something funny. (Y/N) supposed it had something to do with her past, so she didn’t press him. 

“I can make you something!” He said, pushing past her to get into the pantry. His fingers were on her arm for only a moment but (Y/N’s) heart leapt into her throat and she had to take a deep breath to right her emotions. Bolin’s hands reached out and grabbed all sort of different ingredients. 

“You really don’t have to make me anything,” She assured him, to which Bolin scoffed. 

“I know I don’t have to,” He said to her, flashing a smile. “I want to.” He went over to the main island in the kitchen, laying out all of the ingredients in a row. “Today I will be making the lovely lady...toast.” 

“Toast?” (Y/N) repeated, a giggle following her question. “These seem like a lot of ingredients for toast. Do I even like toast?” 

“’Do you like toast?’” Bolin asked in a teasing manner. “You love toast! But you have to eat it in a very specific and sometimes frustrating way, if I remember correctly.” 

“I’m picky when it comes to toast?” She took a seat across from him, leaning her elbows on the marble countertop. “You’re making me sound pretentious.” 

“Oh you are,” Bolin said as he turned on the stove. He gave her another smile and (Y/N) knew he was kidding, “But only when it comes to food. You’re a big food snob.” 

“You’re telling me a lot about myself today and I’m not sure if I like any of it.” Bolin laughed at that, then began walking her through the instructions of how to make her special toast. As she watched, (Y/N) understood why Bolin had become a mover star. She felt like she could listen to him talk for hours. 

When her food was ready, Bolin elegantly garnished the plate and slid it in front of her. He watched her with an eager smile on his face. “Try it!” (Y/N) bit into the warm bread and hummed in delight. 

“I understand why I’m such a snob now,” She said. “I have pretty good taste.” 

“Does that mean I nailed it?” (Y/N) shrugged. 

“I’m gonna assume so, yes,” She said as she took another bite. 

“Great! I was worried I had forgotten how to make it! Y’know it’s been years since-” He stopped himself, his green eyes falling to the floor. Unsure what to do with the silence, (Y/N) slid the plate in between them. 

“Try your masterpiece, Chef Bolin.” She smiled softly at him and the corners of his lips turned up slightly. As they sat there sharing their food, (Y/N) was more curious than ever as to what had really happened between her and Bolin. Because right now, she feared that she was going to fall for him all over again. 

After their private breakfast, (Y/N) and Bolin walked to the main dining room, where the rest of their group was waiting. Korra and Asami’s faces lit up as they entered the room, but (Y/N) noticed how much of a point Mako was making to look away from her. The uneasiness from the morning rising in her stomach again, she took her seat between Korra and Asami. 

“Ready for your first training day?” Asami asked. 

“Could barely sleep thinking about it!” (Y/N) said. The waiters brought in their food, but (Y/N) only picked at hers while the rest of her friends dove in. 

“You’re gonna have to eat something if you’re gonna train today,” Korra said through a mouthful of rice. “Don’t need you passing out. Again.” (Y/N) rolled her eyes. 

“I’m pretty full! I got up early and Bolin made me this toast that I apparently really love.” Korra’s eyebrow quirked up in curiosity and, unbeknownst to (Y/N), a small smile made its way onto Asami’s lips. 

“That’s nice of him,” Asami said.

Once breakfast was finished, Asami led (Y/N) to the sparring room. She showed her mostly defensive maneuvers, like how to block an attack and get out of someone’s grasp. But (Y/N’s) mind was so far away that each time Asami taught her a new move, (Y/N) forgot it almost immediately. They had to go through each move close to seven times before (Y/N) was somewhat okay at it. 

Sweating, she sat down on the mat and flopped onto her back like a starfish. “I’m sorry for being such a bad student,” She huffed as she caught her breath. Asami stood over her, a quizzical expression on her face. 

“Is everything alright?” 

“Yes!” (Y/N) said quickly. “I’m totally fine, just have amnesia.” She knocked against her skull. “Nothing’s getting in here, I guess.” Before Asami could speak, Korra knocked on the door of the sparring room. 

“How’s it going?” 

“Well...” Asami started, glancing down at (Y/N). She stared up at Korra, a frown pulling at the ends of her lips. 

“I’m feeling a bit too much like an emotional mess today to spar, I think,” (Y/N) admitted, her voice rather sheepish. Korra sat down beside her, Asami doing the same. 

“Even more of an emotional mess than usual?” Korra quipped, nudging (Y/N) with the toe of her boot. (Y/N) sighed and stared up at the ceiling. There were so many secrets surrounding her life already. Did she really want to keep one more? She turned and looked at Korra’s bright blue eyes and she felt her heart squeeze inside her chest. Part of making friends was trusting people, right? And these seemed like people worth trusting. 

(Y/N) sat up and tucked her knees into her chest. “Mako kissed me last night.” Her words came out fast, rushed, and for a moment (Y/N) was unsure if they had actually heard her. 

“Woah!” Asami exclaimed, just as Korra said, “What?” (Y/N) covered her face with her hands to hide her embarrassment. 

“I was thinking last night, about how Bolin said he hadn’t seen me in years, but when I met Mako, he said he hadn’t seen me in months. So, I confronted him about it, and apparently I did something to him, whenever he saw me last, but he was just being so...Mako about it that I yelled at him! And then after I was done yelling, he kissed me.” (Y/N) groaned. “Everything is just so messed up and complicated. I can’t wait to get my memories back.”

“I’m going to go talk to him.” Korra stood, hands balled into fists at her sides. (Y/N) grabbed her by the wrist. 

“Korra, wait! You seem mad-” 

“Because I am! You don’t deserve the way Mako treats you, and I want answers.” She wriggled her hand free from (Y/N’s) grasp and stormed out of the room, Asami and (Y/N) watching in her wake. 

“I have a feeling this isn’t going to be good,” (Y/N) said. Asami gave her a sympathetic smile. 

“Mako’s just a complicated person. When I dated him-” 

“You and Mako dated?” 

“Yeah, we dated before he and Korra did.” 

“Mako and Korra dated?” (Y/N) leaped to her feet. “I’m so sorry, I didn’t know! I didn’t mean--Oh, I’ve messed everything up! I was worried that me being around would put a strain on your guys’ friendship, and now look what’s happened! Korra’s about to beat Mako to a pulp!” 

“Korra’s not going to do that,” Asami said with a laugh. “She’s just going to talk some sense into him.” (Y/N) couldn’t stop fidgeting with her fingers. She felt so anxious. 

“Are you upset that Mako kissed me?” 

“Of course not,” Asami said gently, standing so that she and (Y/N) were face to face. “I got over Mako a long time ago.” 

“And Korra? Is she going to be mad at me?” 

“It’s not your fault and she knows that. Korra wouldn’t be upset with you over something you had no control over.” Asami’s reassuring words put (Y/N) just a bit at ease. But the knot in her stomach tightened as she worried about how Mako and Korra’s conversation would go. Should she have kept what happened to herself? 

---

Korra found Mako easily, standing on the top deck of the ship by himself. “Hey!” She shouted, and Mako tensed. He knew that tone of voice. He turned to face her, raising an eyebrow. 

“What’s up?” He asked, but he had a feeling. Korra and (Y/N) had been getting closer, after all. 

“Care to explain yourself?” Korra asked, crossing her muscular arms over her chest. Mako opened his mouth to speak, but he shut it when no words would come out. He couldn’t even explain himself if he tried. He had laid in bed last night, mentally beating himself for kissing (Y/N). Maybe he had gotten too in the moment when she had told him she actually cared about him. Maybe he did it because he had been wanting to for a really long time. Mako truly didn’t know what he had been thinking. 

“I thought that when she left, the feelings I had for her would leave too,” Mako said quietly. “I did a good job pretending, while she and Bolin were together, but last night she told me that despite the way I had treated her she still cared that somehow she had made me upset. If you want an explanation, I don’t have one, because I don’t even know.” 

“Look,” Korra said, grabbing him by the arm. “We’re going to go inside and you’re going to tell me, Asami, and Bolin what exactly happened the last time you saw (Y/N).” 

“I don’t know if that’s a good idea.” 

“I don’t really care if you think it’s a good idea. If we’re going to go into the Spirit World to help her get her memories back, then we all need to be on the same page, alright?” 

So Mako stood in the middle of Varrick’s fancy den, the eyes of his three closest friends curiously boring into him. With a deep breath, Mako began recalling the last time he saw (Y/N). 

---

Mako had just finished dinner with Asami when he began his walk to the pro-bending arena for practice. It was still early enough in the evening that people were walking about, but the streets were surprisingly less crowded than he expected. Mako tightened his scarf around his neck and shoved his hands into his coat pockets as a cool breeze flitted through the spring air. 

He was rounding the corner when he saw a familiar figure, huddling further into their coat and ducking their head down. Mako recognized the head of (color) hair and the way her fingers just barely peaked out of the sleeves that were too sizes too big for her. “(Y/N)?” He asked, coming to a stop. Her head snapped up at hearing her voice, and she took a staggered step back once she recognized Mako. He recognized the familiar sight of her tear-stained cheeks and watery eyes. “Are...are you okay?” 

And he knew he probably should be colder to her, considering what she had done to Bolin, but she looked so...sad. She gripped onto the edges of her jacket tightly, as if she was trying to hide in it, as she shook her head as her bottom lip trembled. “I messed up. I’m an idiot, I’m such an i-idiot and I-” She started crying again, her shoulders trembling as she brought a hand up to cover her mouth. 

“What happened?” Mako asked. “Are you hurt?” She shook her head furiously. 

“I saw-” She was trying to speak, but her own tears were getting in the way. She tried to wipe away her tears but they just kept falling. 

“Listen,” He said, gripping her by the shoulders. “I have to run. Meet me in the park at ten, okay? By the riverbank. We can sit down and talk and figure whatever’s going on out, alright?” (Y/N) looked up at him, nodding as she wiped away her tears. 

“Okay,” She said, her voice quiet as she tried her hardest not to let it wobble. “Thank you, Mako. I-I’ll explain everything.” She nodded determinedly and gave him a watery smile. “I’ll see you later.” 

Mako smiled too, despite himself. “Okay. Ten, don’t forget.” 

“Okay.” They walked away from each other, but he turned around countless times until she became lost in the crowd. He hated to leave her like that, but he had to get to practice. He couldn’t have anyone being suspicious about what he was doing: Bolin was still in the process of getting over her and the last thing he needed was finding out that Mako had seen a hysterical (Y/N) back in Republic City. 

When practice ended, Mako walked as quickly as he could to the park. He made up a story to Bolin about swinging by a store to get a new pair of shoes to get away from him. But when he reached the park at the exact spot he had told (Y/N) to meet him, just a few minutes before ten, she was nowhere to be found. Mako waited until late into the night and became angrier with each passing minute. He should have known that she would treat him the same way she had treated Bolin. 

So he returned home and had continued on with life, trying to forget about the night that he had found her sobbing, and was grateful that months passed without seeing her again.

---

Mako knew when he had finished his story and looked at Bolin that his brother was furious. “If you had told me,” Bolin said, his voice scarily low, “We wouldn’t be in this mess. She might still have her memories!” 

“You don’t know that,” Mako countered. “Just because she didn’t show up that night doesn’t mean that was when she lost her memories.” Mako looked to both Korra and Asami for reassurance, but both stared at him sadly. “Right?” He asked, and the guilt was starting to settle in his stomach. He had been so angry, so upset at (Y/N), for something that she might not have had any control over. Maybe if he had stayed with (Y/N), all of this never would have happened. 

“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you,” Mako said. “I was trying to look out for you. You were just starting to be okay again. I couldn’t ruin that.” Bolin set his jaw, clenching and then releasing his fists. 

“You can’t start thinking about the what ifs, Bolin,” Asami said, leaning over to place her hand on his. “She’s here now, right? And for the most part, she’s okay.” 

Bolin remained silent until a knock sounded against the heavy wooden doors of the den. (Y/N) peaked inside, her smile falling once she found all four of them gathered together and realized what the topic of discussion must be. “Dinner will be ready soon,” She said, before shutting the door. 

(Y/N) didn’t think she had ever experienced a more uncomfortable meal. No one had said a word since they sat down, so (Y/N) ate her food and wondered what on earth they could have been talking about before she had entered the den. She knew it had to have been about her, otherwise they wouldn’t have met, just the four of them. She glanced over at Bolin, who sat uncharacteristically far from Mako. 

She looked at Korra, dramatically raising her eyebrows and just slightly nodding her head toward the two boys. Korra gave (Y/N) an awkward smile, which all but confirmed (Y/N’s) suspicions about what had caused the two brothers to be so tense around each other. She cleared her throat to speak. “Asami taught me a few defensive moves today. I wasn’t very good, but hopefully I’ll be better tomorrow.” 

Bolin smiled at (Y/N), but she could tell it was straining him. “That’s great!” And he didn’t continue. She had only talked to Bolin a handful of times, but he always had much more to say than that. She rolled her eyes, tired of the weirdness that was culminating around the room. 

“Look, I know it’s strange, what happened between Mako and I, but it was honestly just an emotions thing. We were arguing and he probably got so mad at me he didn’t know what to do.” 

Mako’s wide amber eyes flashed up at her, his face instantly paling. He shook his head and (Y/N) tilted hers to the side in confusion. “What are you talking about?” Bolin questioned. 

“You know, the kiss last night?” Korra choked as she sipped her tea. “That’s why everything’s so weird right now, isn’t it?” As she looked at the faces around the room--Korra’s mix of fright and amusement, Asami’s surprise, Mako’s shame, and Bolin’s shock--(Y/N) realized immediately that she had miscalculated. Horribly. 

“Actually it wasn’t,” Bolin said, narrowing his eyes at his brother. “Mako conveniently left it out during our discussion today.” 

“Just use some Avatar powers on me the next time I’m about to say something stupid, okay?” (Y/N) asked Korra. The girl humored her with a salute. 

“I think I’m going to finish dinner in my room,” Bolin said, taking his plate and getting up from the table. The group watched as he walked out of the room, slamming the door shut on his way out. (Y/N) turned to Mako. 

“I’m so sorry!” She said quickly. “I thought he knew and that’s why everything was so weird!” 

“No,” Mako sighed. “Bolin was mad at me for a different reason.” Mako’s eyes met hers and he gave her a smile. “He was bound to find out eventually.” 

“I hope I haven’t ruined anything between you two.” (Y/N) had been so worried about causing rifts between the group, and that’s all she had done today! She thought about keeping her mouth shut permanently unless she was spoken to. 

“It’s alright,” Mako said. “Really. This isn’t the first time Bolin has been upset with me and it won’t be the last. I’ll talk to him once he’s calmed down.” (Y/N) nodded, turning back to her dinner. She probably shouldn’t talk to Bolin, but she wanted to. 

---

Tag List!

perm tag list: @beifongsss , @aroyaldarknessblr , @musicalkeys , @thefandomimagines , @blondie0458 , @kairiririri , @awesomelupe , @zukosvice , @tomshollandz , @lavendercrystals , @astralsaf , @realimbo , @mycollectionofnuts , @wingeddemonclub , @gingersnap126126 , @aangsupremacy , @marvel-ing-at-it-all , @davnwillcome , @someoneovertherainboww , @bigbuckyenergy , @breadqueen95 , @buttholland , @noodlesfluffy , @busyforkuvira , @error-loading-sorry , @bombardia , @la3divine , @just-a-teal-android , @theeavtrkyoshi , 

fic tag list: @ilovespideyyy , @zukostan221 , @nataliahaslosthershit , @dailytrashypanda , @ryleyrooroo , @yuhaino , @hotgirlazula , @writeido , @foenixphire , @bolinmorelikebabe-lin , @pointlesscoconut , @shells-bells-ringding , @hstott , @bombardia , @maruchan77 , @busyforkuvira , @moon-spirit-yue , @idk123906 , @hocus-pocus-i-dont-focus , @simpingforzuko69 , 

#lok #atla #korra x reader #korra #asami x reader #asami #mako x reader #mako #bolin x reader #bolin #writing #fanfiction

[not-all-dead]

Hi! I just wanted to drop by and say how much I’m enjoying your writing, it’s amazing 💜

Can I ask for something between Lin and Opal? I’ve always though that chief crankypants has a soft spot for her niece 🥰

prompt #82 - “Just breathe, okay?”

ahh thank you so much!! I completely agree, I think she was probably very grumpy about it at first but definitely cares about opal a lot. This ended up way angstier (?) than I planned, but uh... explosions! aha oops

The blast was huge. Lin rushed behind a building for shelter, though it nearly collapsed on her anyway. She bent the concrete away from her and ran back into the street where everything was in chaos. rubble was everywhere and the ground still shook slightly. There was a minute purple glow to the air, and dust was everywhere. Lin coughed and waved her hand in front of her face in a feeble attempt to breathe clean air.

She stood there for a moment, letting the dust settle around her. The ground stilled and she spun in a slow circle, taking in the extent of the damage. She scanned the small crowd of people beginning to gather near one of the still upright buildings, looking for anyone she knew. She spotted all of the Krew helping one another around, and saw Jinora and the other airkids as well. Tenzin and all the other adults seemed to be present as well, doing their best to aid the civilians hurt in the explosion.

There was someone missing, though. Her niece.

She ran over to the group and pulled Jinora aside, assuming she’d have been with Opal just before the blast. Jinora looked up at her and answered before the question left her lips.

“She flew in right before the explosion. She thought she could contain it, or at least direct it up. I tried to stop her, and I have no idea where she is now…” Jinora had tears streaming down her face as she shook her head.

Lin pulled the girl into a short hug before turning back to the centre of destruction. She glanced back at Jinora.

“I’ll find her. She’ll be alright,” She gave a sad but reassuring smile to the air bender before stalking into the rubble.

Once she was a reasonable distance in, Lin bent the metal from her foot and brought it down hard on the concrete slab she stood on. She focused on the vibrations leaving her foot and dancing out across the earthen materials, searching for any sign of Opal. There was nothing. She bent her shoe back on and walked further into the rubble, the jagged rocks becoming increasingly difficult to navigate. Almost to the centre of the explosion now, she repeated her earlier attempt.

This time, she felt a form on top of a cluster of rocks nearby. She ran towards it, feeling for a heartbeat as she did. She reached the spot she’d sensed the body at and started frantically searching again, looking for signs of the red and yellow uniform Opal wore. She brought her foot down again to get a more accurate picture of where she was.

Lin pinpointed her niece among the rubble and began bending concrete away from her, desperately trying to get her out. She spotted a hint of red and redoubled her efforts, clearing everything from on top of the young girl quickly. She fell to her knees at Opal’s side, gently bringing her head into her lap.

“Please, please be alright,” Lin whispered to herself, panting with her efforts.

She held herself as still as she could, watching her niece for signs of life. She let out a huge sigh when Opal stirred under her, a gasp and small cough escaping her throat. Lin brushed the hair out of her face and she groaned.

“Opal, it’s Lin. Can you hear me?” Opal furrowed her brow and tried to open her eyes, but groaned again and let them fall closed when the effort was too much.

“Shh, it’s alright. I’ve got you,” Lin stroked her niece’s hair and glanced around her. “Just breathe, okay?”

Opal nodded weakly at her aunt, eyes remaining closed. Lin continued to pet Opal’s hair as she looked for someone to help. She saw several people beginning to comb through the rubble for any trapped survivors, though none of them were close enough to hear her yet. Instead of trying to call out to any of them, she focused everything she had on hurling a nearby slab into the air and suspending it. She could only hope someone noticed it and knew it was a signal for help.

Lin didn’t know how long it was before help came. It felt like hours of sitting there, checking every few minutes that Opal was still breathing while straining to keep the slab in the air. It was Korra who finally came to their aid, first helping Lin lower the slab and then turning her attention to Opal.

There wasn’t any water nearby, at least none that Korra had access to without hurting another person, so she couldn’t heal her on the spot. Instead, she helped Lin pick up a sleeping Opal as delicately as they could. Lin held Opal under her shoulders, her head resting on Lin's chest, while Korra supported her legs. They carried her slowly back to the darkening area where a small camp had been set up for the injured, the only sounds being those of their heavy breathing and an occasional whimper of pain from Opal.

They set her down on one of the makeshift beds that had been bent out of rock by Bolin and the other earthbenders, each looking around for either some water or another healer. Korra found a bowl of water a few beds over, but was shooed away by Kya.

“They need you out there, looking for people. I’ve got the healing station covered,” Kya insisted, to which Korra nodded.

Kya made her way over to Opal’s bed with the water and kneeled on her left. She glanced up at Lin, who was fidgeting and looking around nervously.

“Lin, sit. I know she’d appreciate you being with her when she wakes up,” Kya turned her attention back to Opal, bringing the water to her.

Lin took Kya’s advice and sat opposite the waterbender, taking Opal’s hand in her own. She stayed as Kya worked her way down Opal’s body, healing each broken bone, ripped tissue, burst blood vessel, and any other physical injury she found. It took longer than Lin had expected, and she fell asleep twice at Opal’s side. Kya took a few breaks too, exhaustion from focus overwhelming her and forcing her to stop to maintain the quality of her healing. It was almost morning when she’d finished.

Opal’s eyelids fluttered not long after Kya had taken off for the night. Her hand tightened almost imperceptibly around Lin’s, but it was enough for the earthbender to become alert again. She watched silently as Opal opened her eyes fully and sat up, twisting to stretch out her sore back. Once she was comfortable and less stiff, she looked at her aunt sitting on the ground below her.

“Thank you,” Opal said, voice raspy with dust and dryness.

She tried to clear her throat and started coughing, to which Lin untangled their hands and patted harshly on Opal’s back. The coughing fit lasted for a solid few minutes, and Opal had tears in her eyes when she calmed down and could breathe again. Lin switched to rubbing her back more gently, watching every twist of her niece’s face for signs of pain or anything of the sort.

“What happened back there?” Lin asked when it seemed Opal was doing alright.

Opal shook her head and let a tear trace slowly down her cheek before answering.

“I just…” She took in a deep but shaky breath. “I wanted to protect you, and my siblings, and Jinora and Ikki and… I thought I could do it, I really did.”

Lin got up from the ground and sat next to Opal on the cot. She let Opal sink into her arms, hugging her tightly as she cried.

“I’m sorry, Aunt Lin, I’m so sorry,” Opal sobbed against Lin’s metal armour, not bothered by the cold, hard material in the least.

Lin said nothing, deeming it best to simply hold her niece and listen to her, a solid support rather than a coach or teacher. Opal didn’t say it, but she was intensely glad Lin was there, and played the role she did. Lin was, in that moment, exactly who she needed, and something in her told her that in some way Lin needed that too. She made a vow in her mind to seek out her aunt more often, even if all they did was sit silently with tea at a cafe together. Lin would like that, she thought, simple company if nothing else. When the time came later and she followed through on her vow, she found that her assumptions had been correct. Lin found herself caring more for her niece than she had planned to, though she grew less and less opposed to the idea of it as time went on.

list of prompts

#lin beifong #chief beifong #legend of korra #avatar the last airbender #opal #opal beifong #opal tlok #tlok opal #opal beifong fanfic #lin beifong fanfic #fan fiction #fan fic stuff #fanfic #beifong family #beifong #beifongs #wow i write too much :0 #angst (?) #ehm #avatar: tlok #tlok lin #tlok #tlok fanfic #the legend of korra

[nanaminsonyfans]

✨🐉The Dragon Beifong🐉✨

Masterlist ✨ Requesting Rules

Request; hiii! i have a long prompt- could i get a lok x platonic fem hybrid reader where the reader is half human half dragon and her kind have brought despair upon people in the past n she’s basically an outcast but ms lin beifong takes her in as her child then she gets hurt or somethin,, i’m sry if it’s like stupid or anything lol have fun writing!! 💖💖

A/N; This is a vvv interesting request. Also im so sorry this too so long again i just wanted to get a creative bust and that was today! I hope you like it!

Pairing; Platonic LOK x Hybrid!Fem!Reader

Warnings; Mentions of abuse, curing, broken bones, fluff, slight angst

You were a firebender, that was honestly a given, you were half dragon and human. Do not ask me how that works because I, myself, don’t even know. You were half dragon but at some point everyone collectively decided that, human and dragon hybrids shouldn’t be a thing. Your parents sent you away to your mother’s side of the family since they were human. But you weren’t. Yes you looked human but your eyes were yellow with lizard like slit pupils, but you could control if that showed or not. You also had a small horn on your hairline and talon like nails, but you could clip them, currently you just weren’t scared for.

They didn’t want you. A disgusting hybrid? No thanks. So you lived on the streets of Republic City. You were like, five or six, you had to steal food to survive, eventually getting caught by the police. Luckily it wasn’t a mean cop, but a nice lady with a scar on her cheek. 

“What’s a little girl like you doing? Where are your parents?” Her voice was soft and calm, holding her hand out to you to grab. Your poor little body was trembling with fear, everyone on the streets shoved you and if you got caught by the shopkeepers that you stole from, they would beat you. They didn’t care that this was a literal child, you were a thief. You also weren’t like normal thieves, they noticed your horn and nails and beat on you more because of that.

This lady didn’t seem like that, almost like you could sense her intentions. All pure and good. You sniffled and wiped your eyes, still trembling. “Don’t worry little one. I won’t hurt you.” She whispered and tried to cup your cheek, causing you to flinch but ease into it slowly. “I promise.” You sniffled and rubbed your eyes. “Mah-My mommy and daddy....they-they were killed by mean men. They send me to gamgam but she hates me and kicked me away.” You stuttered, trembling horribly. “What’s your name?” The woman asked softly, now hugging you. “Y-Y/n...” You sniffle, “Well Y/n, my name is Lin Beifong. Why don’t we go get some lunch together?” Lin Beifong hummed. You smiled softly and nodded.

“And that’s how mom adopted me.” You hum happily as you sat with your adoptive mother’s family in Zaofu. Korra, Mako, and Bolin already knew your story. They were your best friends. As you suspected though, questions arose. “That’s so cool Y/n! So your really part dragon?” One of the Beifong twins asked, you were still struggling to tell them apart. 

You smile at their curiousity and pulled your bangs back, revealing you small horn that seemed like a simple bump but it also came to a sharp point with a horn texture.(i dont know how to explain it) “I’m basically just a super strong firebender. Firelord Zuko has nothing on me. I kick Korra and Mako’s asses easy.” You laugh, earning an elbow to the side from your adoptive mother. You just giggled and shook your head.

“Republic City calls her the Dragon Beifong! Cool right?!” Bolin gushed, causing you to blush. “Oh shut it.” You mumble, but the twins and your other cousins just grinned in awe. “Can you show us?” “Show you what?” “Your moves of course! Go against Korra! It would be so cool!” One of the twins begged. You turned red from embarrassment and turned to the Avatar with a raised eyebrow, she smiled in response. 

“Alright then, after dinner then. How about it, Avatar Korra?” You ask with a stupid shit eating grin. She responded to her own shit grin. “Of course, the Dragon Beifong.”

You circled around Korra with your fists up in a defensive stance. Both of you had serious looks on your faces, sizing each other up and scanning for any movement. You saw her move so you reacted fast. She started to earthbend rocks at you, which you dodged gracefully. The entire sparring match seemed like a dance. Your moves were well thought out, while some of Korra’s were. most were erratic and you expected this from the young Avatar and your best friend.

You moved in the air and punched multiple fireballs at her. Being half dragon you had much more stamina than the average firebender. You hit Korra four times out of the five that you shot at her. You heard her grunt and saw the scorch marks on her clothing. “Do you yield?” You ask in a snarky tone.

Korra smirked and sent you flying with her airbending then pinned you down with a few rocks. You grunted as the wind was knock out of you as you fell to the ground. You heard a crack of something, then numbness in your arm. “HOLY FUCK KORRA!” You whined as you looked at your arm and saw it was limp. Motherfucker dislocated your SHOULDER. “Oh my spirits, I’m so sorry Y/n.” Korra said as she rushed to your side, as did everyone else.

You laughed as you sat in the medical center of Suyin’s home. Your arm was put in a sling and your aunt, mom, twin cousins, and friends gathered around you. “Are you okay? Does it hurt?” Lin asked, examining your body. “Do you remember Lin ever being this caring about us?” Korra whispered to Mako earning a snort from you. 

“I’m fine mom. Really, it’s just a dislocated shoulder. It’s happened before. Don’t worry.” You smiled at your adoptive mother and moved away from your mother’s concerning hands cupping your cheeks. “I had a lot of fun Korra. Glad you didn’t hold back. Guess I gotta train harder now huh?” You tease, earning a laugh from everyone and a glare from your mother.

You were truly happy, you weren’t and outcast, you were wanted. You finally had a family, This is what home and love feels like, huh?

#legend of korra #lok #tlok #bolin #mako #wing beifong #wei beifong #opal beifong #lin beifong #suyin beifong #mako x reader #bolin x reader #korra x reader #fluff #firebender

[whattheflameo]

Lin healing the bonds with her family hc?

Ohhhhhhhhhh anon you have opened up a WHOLE can of worms I have extremely strong feelings on this topic and most of them can be summed up with Lin Beifong is the Epitome of the older sibling parent trope. RANT INCOMING

Lin choosing to forgive Suyin has almost nothing to do with Suyin’s “apology” (or lack thereof). It occurs solely because Lin actively decides to be the better person in their relationship. She decides that having her sister and her niblings in her life is worth more to her than her grudge and her hurt. Which is saying something, because damn can Lin hold a grudge.

Su isn’t going to apologize; its not in her nature at all. She genuinely doesn’t recognize the need for apologies in anything. She doesn’t give them and never expects them from others. Lin knows this and decides to move on anyway.

Su did write Lin a letter asking her to come talk. Actually, she wrote several. Lin never opened a single one, determined to keep herself from getting hurt again. Its easier, especially when Su isn’t in front of her, to convince herself she doesn’t care.

Despite everything, Lin still hopes the best of her sister. Finding out that she changed her ways after being sent away, stopped with the petty crime and actually made something of herself, built an entire city and raised a pretty great family, comes with a level of relief- even if it wasn’t her to help Su see the error of her ways, at least Su was able to do so.

Lin doesn’t trust Su as far as she could throw her, especially after Su lies to her face to send Korra after Aiwei. She doesn’t trust Su to choose her to save over literally anyone else, and to be honest she has the older sibling complex that she just doesn’t have as much faith in Su’s bending skills as her own. That’s why her “I love you,” before drawing P’li’s fire sounds so much like a goodbye.

Speaking of differences in skill level, that fight between Lin and Su? Buckle your seatbelts motherfuckers I have THOUGHTS. Yes, its one of the most badass fights in the entire series, imo, but I’m gonna be real here. Su was winning. She had Lin on the defensive almost the whole time. But Lin was also at about 40% health- run down, emotionally strained, off-kilter from acupuncture treatment (which I agree with @dont-blame-it-on-the-kids was DEFINITELY not in Lin’s best interest that doctor was 100% paid off by the red lotus), and Su is taking advantage of it. If Lin had been at 100%, even like 60%, she would have WIPED THE FLOOR with Su and Su’s dancy-ass bending style. But she still held her own, even though she was literally breaths from passing the fuck out. Did you SEE some of those hits? There’s one in particular where Su hits her in the gut with a rock mid-air that physically couldn’t not have broken several of her ribs. Su’s behavior in this fight absolutely incenses me like how dare she fucking do that I JUST

All this being said I do really love Su as a character I promise.

Su’s base character hasn’t changed, but after going through the Red Lotus and Kuvira together, Lin does recognize that she’s changed in some important ways. She’s still self-oriented, but she’s not the selfish, bratty teen she was when she scarred Lin for life.

Likewise, after seeing the permanence of Lin’s scars and spending more time with her sister, Su realizes that she’s really hurt Lin. She sees how terrible she’s been to this woman who is willing to give her own life to protect everyone around her, Su especially, and actively tries to make up for it. Like I said, she doesn’t apologize with words, but tries to prove to Lin through her actions that she is going to be there for her. And the fact that Lin’s arm flickers toward her weapons whenever Su loses her temper? Su is so disgusted with herself over it that she nearly throws up the first time she thinks about it.

They’re not best friends, but they do become close. Both of their personalities mellow out with age, and they’re more understanding of each other. Su becomes someone Lin is able to talk to about some personal things, if not the extremely deep stuff. They have wine nights and Su sometimes sleeps over if she gets too tipsy. They both act a lot younger with each other, and Su is one of the only people who can snuggle up to Lin and get away with it.

Unless one of them is actively concealing their emotions (its usually Lin), they can read each other like an open book.

Lin remembers all of Su’s favorite foods and colors and activities and songs from childhood. Su realizes that she hardly remembers any of Lin’s and has a guilty meltdown to Bataar over it. He suggests that she pay really close attention to remember them now, and Su makes it her personal mission. 

Despite having confronted her feelings of abandonment by Toph ages ago, Su can see that Lin not only feels abandoned but also feels like she’s the one who let their mother down, that the break in their relationship is her fault, not Su’s or Toph’s. She knows how glad she was to have Toph back in her life, even if inconsistently, and sees how much Lin wants their mother’s approval and marches into the swamp (and that’s saying something for Su, who isn’t exactly fond of gross swampy things) and drags Toph out to force her to some of Lin’s award ceremonies or other events, including her wedding to Kya. Lin doesn’t know it was Su’s doing.

“Mother Lin may have said she doesn’t hate you but she deserves more from you and spirits help me you are going to say the words “I am so proud of you” to her or I WILL tell Wing and Wei where to find you-”

Basically, Su’s main apology to Lin for all the years of pain and hurt she’s caused is to kick Toph’s ass into repairing at least some of their relationship. Its the most truly selfless thing she’s done in possibly her entire life, because she never tells Lin.

To be clear: NONE OF THIS WOULD HAVE HAPPENED IF LIN HAD NOT ACTIVELY CHOSEN TO SET ASIDE HER PRIDE AND HURT AND FORGIVE HER SISTER. LIN WAS THE CATALYST- SU WOULD NOT HAVE PUT IN WORK TO EARN HER FORGIVENESS IF LIN HADN’T GIVEN IT TO START WITH. Su’s behavior in Zaofu was utter bullshit, it was not worthy of Lin’s forgiveness. She literally showed up and immediately drove a wedge between Lin and some of the most important people in her life, said horribly mean things to Lin, and used Lin’s illness as an advantage to beat the shit out of her. But Lin, strong, selfless, badass, incredible Lin who is so much more empathetic than anyone in that show gives her credit for, looks at all of that and forgives Su anyway. Its not unconditional, like I said the level of trust isn’t bone deep, but she does the legwork. And you know what, Lin deserves to have family that cares about her in her life. Her niblings adore her, and she eventually believes that Su is genuinely there for her. I will die on this hill.

I know this probably came across as incredibly disorganized and rambly. I’ll talk more about Lin’s relationship with the metal clan kids and/or Toph in another post because I recognize that I’ve gone down a fuckin rabbit hole but I have extremely strong opinions on Lin’s relationship with her sister.

#asks #lin beifong #suyin beifong #thats our lin #but shes a Cool Matriarch™️ #do I have a little sister who reminds me of Su to a fuckin T? #am I projecting our relationship onto theirs? #oh most definitely #would I forgive her for just about anything if I saw she had made something of her life and was trying to do better? #yea #should i have to? #no #should lin have had to forgive su? #nope #lin is the ultimate Older Sibling as a Parent trope #she would do just about anything for su #I have SO MANY WORDS ON THIS OK #THIS DOESNT EVEN SCRATCH THE SURFACE #god sorry I super went off

[boltwrites]

Housewarming

Fandom: The Legend of Korra Pairing: Bolin / Reader (AFAB, gender neutral) Rating: E Tags: Rough, Multiple Positions

Anon Requested: Can we get some rough bolin smut pls? Maybe like bolin and reader doing it in different places around a new apartment? (I LOVE your writing, I spent the better part of my day off on your blog)

A/N: this was originally waaaaay down my request list but. uh. inspiration struck? literally just Bolin and reader defiling every goddamn room of their new apartment. hell yeah. also this better go in the tags tumblr i stg.

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Moving into an apartment together with your boyfriend was quite possibly the best decision you had ever made. It was just so fun, living with Bolin. You could wake up curled next to each other, Pabu pawing over Bolin’s face, chittering for his morning meal. You two could cook together, and do the dishes, and even that tedious task was manageable, when you had someone to do it with. When you came home from a long day at work, he was waiting, or you could expect him home soon, and you could talk to each other about everything under the sun. It was so sweet, and you couldn’t ask for anything more.

And, living together came with other perks.

Your back slammed against the wall of the hallway. What had been a heated makeout session in the living room had turned into something more, and with half your clothes gone, you didn’t know if you and Bolin would even make it to the bedroom.

“Bo, fuck-“ you tugged at his thick hair, gasping against his lips as he kissed you like you were water and he had been in the desert for days. You had been dating for well over a year at this point, and both of you should have been well past the honeymoon phase, but sharing your own space had brought something out in both of you. If you weren’t sharing sweet kisses and laughing at radio dramas, Bolin was shooting you hungry looks that you had never seen from him before.

He had always been gentle, and sweet, and so loving. But ever since you slammed him against the door to your apartment, kissing him so hard it could bruise after he brought the last of the furniture up, something had shifted. You couldn’t keep your hands off each other, and with an extensive knowledge of each other’s bodies and limits, combined with no roommates to be quiet for – you couldn’t help yourselves.

Bolin ground his hips against yours, drawing your attention back to the present as he kissed down your neck, a mix of suckling marks and gentle nips that had you gasping, nails raking against his naked shoulders.

“Bed?” he asked, kissing down to your exposed chest. You shook your head, keening as Bolin laved over a nipple, your hips thrusting against him, a low whimper escaping your lips.

“No, here,” you gasped out.

You had joked with him over dinner the other night that you two had fucked in practically every room of the house, and he had chuckled at it. You both had rattled them off over fire noodles.

Against the front door, that was first. You had slammed Bolin’s hips against it and he had gasped, the last box of trinkets discarded on the ground. You actually popped the button on his pants with how desperate you were to get him in your mouth, and when you did, Bolin had threaded his fingers through your hair, his hips pinned firm to the wall as you took him, and he screamed your name as he came down your throat.

The bedroom was next, of course. It was normal enough – you were under him, and he was loving you down like he always did, slow and sweet and perfect, when something clicked for him.

“Wait. We can be as loud as we want, can’t we?” he had whispered against your skin, and you had groaned, wrapping your legs around his hips, drawing him further inside you.

“Yeah, I guess so,” you had replied, not fully understanding his implication.

“Can I try something?” he had asked then, looking at you with a nervous smile, his green eyes shining with so much love for you that your heart might burst. “If you don’t like it, just say the word and I’ll – I’ll stop right away!”

He leaned back to gesture, swinging his hands across his chest, but you could hardly pay attention to him, with how the change in position pressed against you just right, the surge of pleasure distracting you.

“Yeah,” you breathed, nodding. You trusted him more than anything, and if there was something he wanted to try, you were all for it.

You smiled up at him, and he leaned over to press a small peck to your lips. It was gentle, and sweet, but as soon as his lips left yours, he pulled out – and he slammed into you, hard, and fast. You screamed, half in shock, and half in pleasure as he filled you, grabbing at Bolin.

“Y/n! Are you-“

“Spirits, don’t stop,” you whined, wiggling against him. “Spirits, Bo-!”

His name turned into a keen as he listened to you, thrusting into you hard, and fast – so rough that you saw stars, that the bed rocked and groaned in time with you. It was nothing like any other time Bolin had fucked you – he thrust into you like he was starved for it, and the noises that fell out of his mouth were sinful, his shoulders flexing as he braced his arms on either side of your head.

You touched yourself in time with his thrusts, and when you came, you pulled so taunt you never thought you could come back down.

The bathroom was next.  You had most definitely decided to shower with Bolin to help with the water bill, and not because he looked mesmerizing with water dripping down his back, the droplets sliding over his shoulders, dipping into that sweet space between his shoulder blades, where you could kiss them away, wrapping your arms around him.

He had laughed, asking you if you really wanted to get clean.

“But we’ve never had the chance to, before,” you had goaded him, your hands trailing down his chest, the planes of his abs, the slope of his stomach, tracing his hipbones with your fingers as he gasped.

“Haven’t you ever wanted to be clean and dirty at the same time?” you teased, trailing a single finger along the underside of his dick. His breath had caught, his weight shifting so he leaned against you. You smiled as you kissed his neck, wrapping one hand around his hard cock, firm and full in your hand, while the other squeezed his ass, tracing a finger along the crease there.

He had gasped, and when you pressed a single finger into him, he had shivered against you, thrust into your hand. You had him like that, pressed together under the warm water, massaging the spot inside of him that made him see stars until he all but sobbed at the twin points of pleasure that were your hands.

Then the kitchen, where he had hiked you onto the counter, and you had broken a jar of sugar in his haste to accommodate you, both gasping against each other’s mouths as he fucked into you hard and shallow, leaving marks all along your chest, your neck, that your coworkers had eyed you for the next day.

And then the living room, where he had worshiped you with his fingers and his mouth, his fingers curling inside you harsh and desperate, as if he demanded another orgasm from you, despite the fact that your voice was hoarse and your legs were shaking from the three orgasms he had already pulled from you, each one leaving you breathless.

The hallway was the last frontier for the two of you, and as his eyes met yours, you saw just how blown his pupils were, how much he needed you.

He kissed over your stomach, his fingers already working at your underwear. You wiggled, trying to help him ease you out of them, and he fell to his knees.

“Bo,” you gasped, as the clothing fell to the floor, and his lips only drew lower, biting along your hip, his fingers already sliding between your thighs to spread your legs. Something about that, about him parting your thighs, so he could have access to you, made you weak in the knees, tangling your hands in his hair and tugging harsh.

“Want you like this,” he mumbled, nosing at the junction of your thigh and groan, and you made a pathetic, desperate noise. “Like you had me.”

Your thoughts flashed back to that first day, when you had pressed him against the door and taken him into your mouth, and you moaned, your hips moving of their own accord, and he kissed against you there roughly, wrapping his arms around your legs.

Before you could even comprehend it, he was hooking your thighs over his shoulders, sliding you up the wall as he nuzzled against your heat, licking a long stripe against you as he held you up. You gasped as he held your whole weight on his shoulders, and he smothered himself in you, licking into you deep and desperate. You moaned so loud, your heels digging into his back as you arched, pressing him even closer, his nose rubbing against you just right, so perfect that you couldn’t even believe it.

His thumbs dug into your thighs, and he sucked at you, long and full, punctuated by a flick of his tongue that made you writhe on his shoulders.

“Bo please, please-“ you begged. It was all too much, too hot, and you ached with need for him.

He listened, sucking you harsh, rocking into you, his tongue never leaving the center of your need as you tugged at his hair, earning a low, rumbling moan from him as he pleased you, never letting up. You arched, your nails scraping against his scalp as your orgasm crashed over you, the pleasure leaving you gasping, pulsing against him as he licked you through it, moaning at the feeling of your release.

Your hands and thighs shook when he finally set you down, pulling back to lick his lips and smile at you.

“I think that counts as the whole apartment, now,” you gasped, still shaky on your feet. Bolin raised an eyebrow, then your words caught up to him, and he laughs, nuzzling against your stomach, still on his knees. You pressed his cheek to your skin, once again reminded of just how much you loved living with him.

#bolin x reader #bolin x you #lok bolin #bolin #mine

[babyboiboyega]

Confessions (Wing Beifong x reader)

Pairing: Wing Beifong x reader

Content: angst, major injury

Word Count: 1 .4k

REQUESTED BY ANONYMOUS:  “would live to request a LoK Oneshot (but in an anonymous way, I got the notifications active so you wouldnt have to tag me :D), but I don't know if you're too busy at the moment.. but just in case you'd write sth.. a Oneshot with Wing in the last episode, where the whole team is fighting against Kuvira. The reader, who also is an earthbender or Wing getting hurt really bad (but still surviving it) and both of them confessing their actual feelings??”

I hope you enjoy this! I’m sorry it took me a while! I was thinking of maybe doing a short drabble or a small oneshot as a second part to this where Wing and the reader can talk more! 

Babyboiboyega’s Legend of Korra Masterlist

Babyboiboyega’s Masterlist of Masterlists

********************

Every breath you took coated your throat with a mixture of ash and dust. Every building you ran past was a game of chance, whether it would come crumbling down on top of you. Yours limbs were stiff and with every step they threatened to give out, but you would not let that happen. You couldn’t let that happen, not when you were tasked with finding those who were hurt and who needed help. Despite knowing how important it was to stay focused and alert, you couldn’t help the way your mind wandered to your friends and if they were okay. Specifically, if he was okay.

No. There would be no “if’s”. He would be okay; he had to be, because you had no idea what you would do if he wasn’t.

There were so many words that you had to say to him, and if- when- you made it out of this alive, you would find him and tell him what your heart had revealed to you a long time ago. You couldn’t count how many times you had been close to telling Wing exactly how you felt, but you had never gotten the chance. Between everything going on, Kuvira, the brief time where the world was encompassed in pure evil, the two of you hadn’t really had the time to interact as much as you wanted to. But somehow, the feelings that you harbored for him had only grown over the months. They had grown all the way up until this moment, when you were just about ready to pop and confess everything.

But all of that would have to wait until after the battle was over, whenever that would be. You knew it would have to be over soon, you had just stumbled across the sight of Korra racing after a disheveled Kuvira.

As you raced through the debris ridden streets, you kept your eyes peeled for both enemies and survivors. It proved to be quite difficult as there was a blanket of ash that covered any an everything it could reach. Only when you had lifted enough earth to make a small building and still hadn’t found anyone did you turn on your heel and begin making your way back to Tenzin and the kids.

Your feet caught on a few pieces of debris, but you made it back to them in one piece. You couldn’t say the same for Tenzin as you caught sight of him leaning exhaustedly against Jinora.

“Tenzin! Jinora!” Your voice rang out across the broken street as you approached them. Without hesitation, you quickly walked to Tenzin’s other side, taking some of his weight. Jinora threw an appreciative look from the other side of her father before continuing to walk and support her father.

“Y/N, you’re here! We’re glad you’re okay.” Meelo exclaimed from your other side, prompting a small, reassuring smile to be thrown his way. You could say the exact same for them; the sight of them in good shape, for better or worse in Tenzin’s case, made the smallest sliver of hope appear in your chest. Something that told you everything would be okay.

“I’m okay, Meelo. I’m glad you all are okay!” Your eyes trailed to Tenzin’s hunched figure beside you, “Tenzin…is it over?”

Before a word could be uttered, the ground beneath your feet began to rumble. Your teeth knocked against each other as if the ground was threatening to either swallow you all whole or laugh you into the sky. Jinora’s look of appreciativeness changed into one of unbelief and fear. Your eyes followed her faze over your shoulder where you were met with a sight that, undoubtedly, made your face mirror Jinora’s.

The sight of a tidal wave of pure spiritual energy consuming everything in it’s path was terrifying enough to both freeze you to your sport while making an inner voice yell at you to get out of the way. You didn’t have to choose between the two actions, for you were already being pulled towards an alley.

Despite being pulled by two people, your feet still couldn’t move fast enough to escape the incoming cloud of energy and dust.

You felt the heat of the energy licking at your neck and without a second thought, your arms shot forward, pushing Tenzin with all of your might into the alley. Your view of him and the kids were obscured as the cloud of dust enveloped your body, the pure energy setting every nerve in your body on fire.

Your arms shook with the effort of raising them against the intense winds that pushed against you. You were barely able to raise a slab of earth in front fo you as it all intensifies, however, it proved to be futile.

You couldn’t help the yell that escaped your mouth as the slab gave way against the winds, your body being effortlessly picked up and thrown backwards.  

The panic that you felt was like no other as you floated through the air, your eyes searching for something- anything- that wasn’t dust. However, the search was cut short as you slammed against something that effectively took all of your breath away and made your vision go dark.

*****

The first thing you had expected when gaining an ounce of consciousness was to choke on a mouth full of dust. Well, to be honest, you were surprised that you had even gained an ounce of consciousness in the first place. You remember every detail that had happened and you knew that it hadn’t been good. You didn’t need your memories to know that much; the pain that radiated through your body said enough.

The first sense that came back was your hearing. You heard nothing at first, but then you heard what sounded like footsteps. They were muffled due to the sound of your own blood rushing in your ears, but you could hear them nonetheless. You had no idea how long it had been before voices accompanied those footsteps, but with every second that passed, your hearing threatened to go back out…and it scared you.

“Y/N! Say something, let us know where you are!”

You tried with everything that you had to reply, to call out to him, but your mouth felt as if it were filled with cotton.

The air around you was charged with electricity, giving off a heat that would have normally made you uncomfortable; but your limbs felt ice cold and like they were being weighed down by something relentless. You couldn’t move or say anything if you wanted to, and you wanted to; so badly.

“Y/N! Please say some-“

“She’s over here!”

Through your hearing that continued to fade in and out, you could hear the sound of footsteps quickly making their way over to you and the sound of debris being pushed over.

“Oh no. No, no, no. Y/N!”

You couldn’t see him, but you could hear him. You could hear a rathe large piece of debris being dropped somewhere and then you could feel him.

His thumbs gently rubbed at your eyes, removing the ash that blocked your vision…and then you could see him. The sight was enough to bring tears to your eyes, Wing unharmed and here, right before you.

“Hey! Can you hear me?”

With all the strength you could muster, you moved your mouth, hoping that sound was actually coming out.

You knew that you should have been worried at the look his face as he looked at the state you were in, but all you could feel was relief at the sight of his face. He was okay. Nevermind the tears that trekked down his face, cutting paths in the thin layer of dust that covered his features.

“You’re going to be okay. I’m going to get you help, I got you.”

The feeling of his hands picking you up was masked by the intense waves of pain that wracked your body. The only thing keeping you from crying out was the sound of his voice reassuring you as he ran quickly.

“You’re safe now, Y/N. You keep your eyes open for me, okay? You have to keep your eyes open for me, please. I need you- I love you. You can’t leave me.”

The sound of his voice cracking as he spoke made tears appear in your eyes. You never knew that you could hate a sound so much until you heard the sound of Wing crying. It made your chest swell with sobs.

You could feel your mouth moving once more and this time, you could feel both and hear your voice as it came out of your mouth. The sound of your voice made Wing stop and look down at you, his eyes wide and filled with tears.

“W-what’d you say?” He lowered his head closer to you as your mouth opened once more.

“I love you too…more than you know.”

****************

Once again! I hope you enjoyed this! I’m still taking requests for LoK and the other fandoms I write for! Don’t hesitate to send them in!

#legend of korra #avatar the legend of korra #korra #avatar korra #wing beifong #wing beifong x reader #wing beifong imagines #wing beifong drabbles #wing beifong oneshots #requests #babyboiboyega

[softsalome]

Bruises.

Repost from my old account, @/softperfuma.

It was like a rubber band had snapped. One that left Asami breathless and her ass pressed so hard into the gas tank of her motorcycle she knew she’d wake up to a bruise in the morning.

But the gas tank wasn’t at the forefront of her mind right now.

That space was completely reserved for Korra Ayek, the only child of Tonraq and Senna Ayek, the chieftain and head herbalist of the Southern Water Tribe, respectively. Two of some of the most important people in the world, both of which calling Republic City their home for the next few weeks in the face of the United Republic of Nations Summit, a meeting of notable government figures that occurs once every three years. Indeed, two important people with an equally important purpose.

And their daughter was currently pressing Asami hard into her motorcycle, hands deep in her hair as she stuck her tongue past Asami’s sparkling new lip gloss and straight into her mouth.

“Someone’s a little eager,” Asami breathed, finally taking a break from Korra’s hungry lips. She leaned back to catch blue eyes and furrowed brows as Korra lowered her hands to Asami’s neck and ground her hips close.

“Shut the fuck up, Sato.”

Asami threw her head back in a laugh that bounced off the walls of the empty garage. She kept laughing, eyes up at the concrete ceiling, hoping that no one would catch them this late on the fourth floor. But her laughter quickly melted into a moan once Korra found her way to her neck.

“Never said I was complaining Korra-ah,” Asami whined as Korra sucked hard, and she reached out for the girls hips, her hands brushing against the engraved whale bone belt buckle that silently announced Korra’s status to the world. Latching onto her waist, Asami pulled her close, as if leaving any space between them was truly blasphemous.

Korra finally made her way back to Asami’s mouth, which the pretty ex-heiress would’ve adored if it didn’t absolutely ruin her train of thought.

Because it’s been three years. Three years since they met at the last summit, when Asami had a different life, a different purpose. When she still had a father worth mentioning in conversation. Back then, she and Korra had been rivals: two girls who fell into bed with the same guy at different times and just generally rubbed each other the wrong way. But then, in the middle of the summit, Asami’s entire life had been ripped out from right beneath her feet. And as she lay in the ground, feeling as though she were drowning, Korra was there to- well, she was just there.

She probably harassed and harangued and pulled however many strings she needed to pull to get Asami’s number, and from then on, she was always present. They never talked about the multi-felony elephant in the room, but they teased and joked and talked until the time difference put a strain on both their voices. And then, a few months before the next summit, something changed. The conversations were more… charged. And Korra’s teasing began to border on something a lot more suggestive. They both knew of the other’s interest in women, but Asami knew from past experiences that just because a girl likes girls, didn’t mean they’d like her.

So Asami brushed it off, and then when the summit was set to start, Korra suggested they meet as soon as her plane landed. Asami’s schedule was full and difficult to maneuver, but she was more than grateful that Korra was able to work with her, able to meet her so late in the garage of the engineering building. She was so excited, happy to see her accidental friend again, expecting to spend time with the girl and pretend that she didn’t still have feelings for her.

What she wasn’t expecting was for Korra to smell so good, or her arms to be so strong. She wasn’t expecting Korra to finally release her from their hug, take a breath, take one good look at her lips, and lean in for a kiss.

Asami could feel her hesitation, could tell that Korra was worried that she had made a mistake. So she tried her best to kiss that worry away, smiling into the kiss before sucking on her bottom lip and wrapping her arms around Korra’s shoulders. And by the way she reacted, Asami did a pretty good job.

But after kissing and moaning finding out that Korra quite liked the feeling of fingers in her hair, Asami’s doubts began to creep in. Because this time around, she had nothing to offer. Korra was one of the most sought after women in the world; a quick online search would yield fan pages across several platforms dedicated to her looks, some even solely for specific parts of her body (Asami didn’t know that though. And she definitely wasn’t following a Twitter account dedicated to Korra’s hands.) She had graduated from one of the best colleges in the south, and was considering grad school while several universities practically begged her to enroll.

A few years ago, Asami felt like her equal (maybe more, considering their tumultuous first meeting). But now she felt like she was barely scraping by, lucky to get enough scholarships to finish school but still wandering about like some lonely spectre, hoping nobody spotted her, or the old news cycles trailing behind her.

How was she supposed to feel pretty, how was she supposed to feel confident, how was she supposed to feel worthy, when she cut apart, seam by seam, and still felt like she was stitching herself back together?

“Korra, wait, I- maybe… I think maybe we should stop.”

Korra quickly separated herself, and suddenly Asami’s neck felt far too cold for the spring air. She swallowed hard, hoping Korra would say something in response, only to curse herself when she didn’t.

“Korra, I- I just don’t think we should be doing this.” Asami was looking at the ground, worried that her resolve would crumble if she looked Korra in the eyes. So she kept looking down, only catching the tips of her shoes, the asphalt, and Korra’s tightening fists.

“Why?”

“It’s just… you’re their daughter, Korra. And I’m… I don’t want people to talk shit about you just because you’re with me.” Korra huffed at that, and if Asami didn’t know any better, she’d say she was a short ways away from stamping her feet to match.

“Stop it. Stop doing that.”

Asami finally looked up at Korra again, and if she weren’t so distressed she’d laugh at Korra’s deeply furrowed brows. “Stop doing what, Korra?”

Korra threw her hands up at the question, as if it were an impossible one to answer. “I don’t know! Being mean to yourself! Feeling bad for yourself! Asami, I’ve thought about this already, I really have!”

“You have?”

Korra ran her hands through her hair, and Asami wished her fingers could follow. “Yeah, ‘Sami… I know I can be impulsive as fuck sometimes but… I’ve really thought about this. About us.” Asami dug her hands deep into her palm, wondering if her acrylics would snap before she broke skin. “Korra, I-”

“We can talk about it. About everything. But I don’t want you to feel like you shouldn’t date me because of other people saying awful shit about me because I only care if you say awful shit about me and you don’t even do that anymore-”

“You want to date me?”

Korra sighed, a dopey grin spreading across her face. “Of course I do.”

Asami grinned right back, hiding her smile behind her mouth. “Um, okay. Yeah, we can talk… maybe later though. Is that okay?” She let her question drift into the space between them, Korra nodding sharply in response. A heavy silence soon fell at their feet as they stared at each other, only to be broken by Korra’s voice and a frown.

“Can I please kiss you now?! I wanna kiss you again.”

Asami laughed, leaning forward to catch her breath at the surprise. After righting herself, she leaned back against her motorcycle again, opening her arms wide for the girl before her.

“Fine, Miss Grumpypants, I’ll kiss you again.”

Korra frowned once more, stepping fast to rid themselves of the distance between them. “I wouldn’t be so grumpy if I was tasting you right now.”

“Fuck.”

Asami was right. When she woke up in the morning, there was a small bruise on her backside from being pressed up against the gas tank for so long.

But it was nothing compared to the bruises littering the skin between her legs.

#korrasami #lok #legend of korra #msww

[nicnacsnonsense]

Been thinking about my hypothetical live action remake of Korra (seriously Netflix, call me, I have so many amazing ideas) and how I would tackle season two since it’s definitely the season that needs the most work, specifically and especially the Unalaq & Raava-Vaatu plotline. I kind of got carried away, like I do, but I’m very excited about it; a lot of good strong themes here. I’m going to start by talking about the changes to the first half, pre-Beginnings interlude, then the Beginnings episodes, then the back half. For the most part, all of the major plot beats still stay the same, at least until the climax, but the way those beats are contextualized are going to get pretty different building up to a radically different climax (no spirit being kaiju fight, yay!).

With Unalaq in the front half, the one major change is I want the religious fundamentalism vibes that come on so strong when he’s introduced to ramp up after the Northern Tribe soldiers show up and especially after Korra finally realizes he’s a bad guy, rather than petering out like happens in canon. I want to actually see him impose strict expectations of behavior in accordance with what he feels honors the spirits on the people of Southern Water Tribe. Let’s get some misogyny and restrictive gender roles up in here. That’s going to be great (from a storytelling perspective, obviously) because it’s relatively low-hanging fruit to communicate that the bad guy is bad, it fits in well thematically with where we’re going and the religious fundamentalism, and there is canon precedent in The Last Airbender that restrictive gender roles are a traditional value in the Northern Water Tribe.

A quick sidebar related to themes, in whatever episode where we first have Unalaq really cracking down on those gender roles, I want a B or possibly C plot with the Tenzin family vacation, where Jinora comes out to Tenzin as nonbinary. She is questioning with regards to the exact nature of her gender, but does say its some combination of both masculine and feminine, though other nonbinary identities – including agender, genderfluid, and a gender that is completely divorced from male-female – are floated. Tenzin is supportive and affirming and also suggests Jinora talk with her Aunt Kya, who he identifies as being a transwoman. (Kya is a trans lesbian in my version; you gotta deal with it.) This obviously serves to contrast Unalaq with his strict gender roles, and continues to build our theme.

For Korra in the first half, I do want to drag her emotional volatility down just a tad as compared to where she’s at in canon for these episodes. I still want her getting emotional and acting rash – that’s a huge part of her character – but I want her anger to feel sympathetic to the audience. Though I do also want at least one moment where Korra gets angry for good reason and starts yelling at Unalaq and he chides her for being emotional and irrational and he’s not going to discuss this with her if she can’t behave calmly and logically, blah, blah, blah, misogyny.

The final and biggest change that we’re making in the first half is Korra does not yet have her bending back. Season one does still end with her talking with Aang and learning energybending, which she uses to restore everyone else’s bending and restore her own connection to the other three elements, but in the opening episode of season two, we learn that she still can only airbend. She says that as far as she can tell everything should be alright and she should be able to bend fire, water, and earth, but obviously she can’t. She also mentioned that while it looks like it should, she feels like there is something missing, or maybe something there that she can’t see. Which my clever readers of course realize is a reference to Raava. After her flashback coma, Korra gains the other elements back, explaining that what she was missing was her connection to Raava had been damaged. Not broken, which is why she could still airbend and do all the other Avatar stuff she was doing, but damaged enough that Raava could no longer switch elements for her or give her access to multiple elements at once.

Moving on to Beginnings, right off the bat, I’m getting rid of the notion that all humans have to huddle on the backs of lion turtles out of fear of the spirits. The two worlds are connected, but humans and spirits co-exist peacefully for the most part. The lion turtles instead act as mediators when necessary, and do sometimes give out bending for humans to defend themselves with, but not as a regular thing every time they need to leave their city. We’ll have to switch up the stealing fire and Chin plot a little to accommodate this change, but somehow or other it happens and Wan gets banished with firebending.

Eventually he comes across Raava and Vaatu fighting and these two characters are getting some major shake ups. First off, in canon Raava identifies as being peace to counter Vaatu’s chaos, but peace is not the opposite of chaos; order is. Now, looking into yin & yang, chaos & order are not aspects that traditionally apply to them, but we’re going to let that addition of order to yang and light and chaos to yin and dark stand. Not everything has to be perfectly aligned. That said, one way in which we are going to switch things to make them fit better is yang is the masculine energy with yin as feminine. We’re switching the voices.

So Wan sees them fighting, and Vaatu calls out for help. And Wan is like, oh no, a damsel in distress; I’ll help you, milady! So, he helps, giving Vaatu the advantage. She beats up Raava, then flies off. Raava chastises Wan, explaining that he is the spirit of light and order, and he has been trying since the beginning of time to defeat Vaatu, but their battles have always ended in a draw. But now Wan has given Vaatu the advantage and if they don’t fix this, she’ll be victorious at the upcoming Harmonic Convergence, sending the worlds into ten thousand years of darkness. To which Wan is like, oh no, that sounds horrible. Well, Mr. Masculine Manly Spirit-Man Raava, I like light and order and you seem like a logical rational person; I’ll for sure help you put that emotional crazy spirit lady in her place. (Have I made the irony here clear enough? I don’t think I can get much more blatant. Though obviously in the show version it would be a little more subtle.)

After that we get Raava & Wan’s training and learning the elements montage, with some encounters with “corrupted” spirits along the way. Corrupted being Raava’s word, and he elaborates to say that all spirits fall under either Raava or Vaatu’s domain, all with varying inherent levels of light & order and dark & chaos to them. Vaatu gaining in power is causing the levels of dark& chaos in these spirits to rise, throwing them out of balance. Eventually comes time for Harmonic Convergence, Raava & Wan vs. Vaatu, and Vaatu wins. Ten thousand years of chaos, baby. With the last of the spirit energy as Harmonic Convergence ends, Wan fuses with Raava, then unleashes a crazy, amazing spirit attack, imprisoning Vaatu, banishing all the spirits from the physical world to the spirit world, and sealing the portals, all as an attempt to mitigate the fall out from chaos ascendent. Since then, the Avatar, imbued with the spirit of order, has fought back against the chaos to try to restore balance to the world.

Korra wakes up and panics. They have to stop Unalaq who is trying to free Vaatu, probably because he wants to destroy the world or something. But when she next has a chance to confront Unalaq, he’s like, not you stupid girl. I’m not trying to destroy the world; I’m trying to save it. Wan was right to side with order, but wrong to think he could stop chaos by teaming up with Raava and destroying it from without. No chaos is inside all of us, the evil infesting every human heart (Unalaq’s words, not mine) and it can only be dominated through one’s own strong force of will and conviction. So his plan is to fuse with Vaatu and then dominate her, destroy her chaos and using her power to allow him to bring his order across all of existence, both in the physical and spirit worlds. Korra’s not too keen on that plan either. She’s still going to stop him.

Korra fails to stop him. Harmonic Convergence begins, Vaatu is freed, she goes inside of Unalaq, and she immediately subsumes him. Turns out you can’t eliminate all the chaos in the world just by willpower, you absolute looney toon. Vaatu explains that even as Unalaq was planning to use her, she was using him to get free and now is going to use him as a meat puppet to help her fight Raava & the Avatar.

So, they fight, and for a bit it’s evenly matched, then Vaatu gains the upper hand. Just as Vaatu appears she’s about to deal the finishing blow, Unalaq briefly regains control and interrupts her – to be clear, he manages this because of his desperate need for order and control, not out of any affection for Korra. While he’s in control he says something in defiance of Vaatu that coming from Unalaq we can hear is clearly some fascist bullshit, but also echoes something that Wan/Raava said back in their battle with Vaatu. And Korra’s like, wait, hold up a second.

Lightbulb turns on for Korra at that moment, and by the time Vaatu has resecure control, Korra has dropped her offensive stance. She tells Vaatu she doesn’t want to fight her; she wants her to fuse with her and Raava. Neither Vaatu nor Raava like this idea. Korra has to go on the defensive holding off Vaatu’s attacks, and has to internally fight against Raava wanting to attack Vaatu all while trying to sell them both on this idea. She explains that too much chaos has been bad for the world, but too much order would be bad too – case in point, Unalaq. Both chaos and order, both Raava and Vaatu are needed for balance. And yeah, they can achieve balance by constantly fighting each other, with every encounter ending as a draw, or they could achieve balance through harmony together. Because even as they are opposites, they are one and the same, a part of a greater whole. A bunch of stuff to that effect, including mentions of the Northern Water Tribe upsetting the balance by trying to dominate the Southern Water Tribe, and also a shout out to Tui and La in there somewhere, the original Yin/Yang Avatar couple. Eventually Korra convinces them, she fuses with Vaatu, and Harmonic Convergence ends in a tie, returning the world to balance once again.

And of course, now that balance has been achieved, Korra leaves the spirit portals open. Remember in this version spirits and humans got along fine, and the separation was only necessary because the world had fallen out of balance. And yes, the rejoining of the physical and spirit worlds was probably something Unalaq wanted too, but we’re not giving him credit for it, because for every good idea a fascist ever had, there’s someone else who isn’t a fascist who had the same idea, but better, because it wasn’t coming from a fascist.

#the legend of korra #atlok #unalaq #raava #vaatu #long post

[cheetahsprints]

All good things now come from you

Summary: Wu visits Mako. 

What have I done to fall so hard for you? 

The first time is a total surprise. Mako flops out of bed, kicking away the tangled sheet as he grunts with frustration. Many nights he experiences nightmares, and he reaches for another body. He doesn’t know who he expects to be there or why. But there’s no one there. It’s just him in his lonesome apartment. 

He’s grown tired of Korra and Asami trying to include him in things out of pity. Of course, there’s offers to hang out separately, but in his patheticness he still feels awkward being alone with either of them. He’s also grown tired of Bolin’s attempts to set him up. Nothing seems to click, and he can’t help comparing them to… to… he doesn’t know who, except he does, and it hurts. It’s not Korra or Asami, he’s not quite that bad. Any lingering feelings have turned platonic.

He gets ready for the day, opens the door, and he’s there. Mako abruptly remembers that he doesn’t have work today. Now, he’s not sure whether that’s a positive.

Wu.

Mako intones, “What are you doing here.”

He’s supposed to be on some kind of tour with his… music career. Mako likes many of Wu’s traits that he’d never admit, but his singing leaves a lot to be desired. Nonetheless, something about Wu’s alluring voice attempting to hold a note always makes his heart jump into his throat.

“Is that any way to talk to your old friend?” Wu spreads his arms. Mako is surprised he doesn’t go in for a hug. Perhaps, he’s learned some boundaries.

“Old employer, you mean.”  Mako is semi-aware that he’s trying too hard to distance himself. He tried and tried to drop hints about his feelings, and he’s lost hope that Wu will ever see him that way, that he even could.

“Aw come on, after all we’ve been through?” Wu frowns. “I thought I meant a little more to you.”

Mako raises an eyebrow and crosses his arms. “Did you want something or did you just come by to say hello?”

“I thought we could just… talk. I don’t know. I’m bored.”

So, Mako lets him inside. Wu looks around a bit, then shuffles over by a wall where he stands there staring at Mako. He offers, “Are you going to… sit down?”

“No, I’m good.”

“Um… okay.”

They talk. Hours fly by that Mako scarcely notices at first. He has plenty of input in the beginning, but eventually he lays on the bed. He places his hands behind his head, closes his eyes and just listens to his voice, his unexpected insights. Wu speaks of his travels, with plenty of humorous stories. 

He vanishes as suddenly as he came. Mako must have fallen asleep, because when he opens his eyes Wu is gone with no sign that he was there.

You are my everything… My head, my heart, my mind, my wing

It takes the second time to hear the edge in Wu’s voice, his deliberate leaning on the light-hearted. Whenever the serious side of his stories seems like it will thicken, he changes course.

This time, he has visited Mako at work. Mako has some backed up paperwork to take care of. A few pages in, he’s slacking and trying to play Pai Sho with himself; it’s not going well. He’s not a keen player to begin with, never as interested in it as Bolin. A hand reaches out and moves a piece. Mako looks up, and there’s Wu.

Mako actually hasn’t noticed the station is empty except for him until this moment. 

“Wu… it’s been a few weeks hasn’t it? How are you?”

Wu waves a hand. “Oh you know. Seeing things, meeting people. Did I tell you that time I ran into the swamp chasing that -”

“Right. If you like the swamp so much, maybe you should live there.”

Wu stares at him. His gaze is searching, but Mako is uncertain what he’s looking for. 

“Do you want to play?”

“Oh I’m terrible!”

“Well, I’m so great either…”

Wu reaches up to run his fingers through his own hair. He pauses and drops his hand. “I guess we can be terrible… together…”

There’s a twitch of a smile, and Mako realizes his smiles haven’t reached his eyes, not even the last time he saw him.

The past, the present, tomorrow too... 

The third time, part of Mako is expecting it. He’s at a spa after all, in a steam room. It was Asami’s suggestion, and it was just going to be them hanging out. Then, somehow everyone else got wind of it and showed up. And by everyone, he means: Korra, Bolin, Opal, Wing and Wei, Tu, Jinora, Kai, even Lin. Not every single person he knows fairly well, but it might as well have been. 

He managed to ditch them all at one point. He got a little… overwhelmed when they started talking about Kuvira. He definitely did not start sweating and run out of there like a chickendeer with its head cut off. 

Mako’s eyes snap open when he feels a brief and slightly damp sensation on his forehead. Wu grins at him, but his eyes are unfocused. It’s unsettling.

“Did you just… kiss me?”

“Haha sure… oh buddy, the heat must be getting to ya.”

Mako glares at him. He knows what he felt, and there’s no other explanation. He decides not to press the issue. Then, his eyes wander to Wu’s bare torso and his throat tightens. Wu lowers himself to sit beside him. It’s close but not so close as to be brushing against each other. Mako squints. It seems deliberate. Does Wu know about his feelings? Is he grossed out or just trying to spare him the rejection? Mako’s head gets kind of spinny.

This time is mostly silent. Mako - to his own surprise - is the one who tries to start conversation. Wu seems lost in thought though, and his responses are too monosyllabic to work into more. Occasionally, Wu catches Mako’s eye when Mako glances at him. Every time, Mako looks down at his own lap, cheeks heated and not from the steam. 

I’ll spend my final day with you

The fourth time, Mako is so shocked it angers him.

It’s a bust gone wrong. He’s tied up, definitely not expecting any visitors. That sonorous voice calls to him, “Heyy Mako. Looks like you’re all tied up, am I interrupting?”

Mako’s face aches where he was punched, one of his eyes is swollen shut, and he’s pretty sure a few ribs are cracked, if not broken. Somehow, he manages to glare at Wu. Then, he panics.

“What are you doing here?!”  Mako squirms, but it’s no good. “Get out of here!”

“Nah, I’m good. Can’t stay long though, but I got you a present.” Wu tosses him a knife. There are jewels in the hilt. “Nothing extravagant, but I think you can take it from here? The guard was asleep… they hired a kid, poor thing. He looks to be about… twelve? Maybe you should I dunno, adopt him or something.”

Mako stares at the knife. This has to be one messed up dream resulting from head trauma. “I - I feel too young to be a… a dad to a pre-teen and… I don’t think I’d make a good one.”

“Nonsense! You have just the kind of experience to relate to the kid. Big brother then?”

Because that went so well with Kai, though that was more Bolin’s mission than his. “He’d probably just see me as condescending.”

Wu shrugs. “Well, see you later Mako. I - I hope I can see you again soon.”

He walks out. Not long after, Mako escapes by managing to cut the ropes with his limited range of movement. It helps that the obviously expensive dagger, though probably meant to be decorative, is incredibly sharp. He hoists the kid over his shoulder kicking and screaming, then leaves it up to Lin to sort out. He has too many of his own issues. 

Later, when he’s giving his statement, he’s at a loss explaining his escape. 

He decides to loosely suggest that the kid helped him out. He’s adopted to a nice family within the week, and Mako sends him an encouraging letter with Bolin’s assistance with the wording. He doesn’t tell a single soul about seeing Wu.

I hope you feel the way I do, I hope you give yourself up too

The fifth time, he gets the immediate sense something is very wrong, and he’s been blind this whole time. He’s walking through the spirit wilds of Republic City, just to clear his head. Wu stumbles out from a tangle of vines. He’s disheveled, a complete wreck. His eyes are wild.

“Mako… Mako…”

“Wu?” For the first time, Mako reaches out to him as though to cradle him.

His hands pass right through him. Mako gasps, his eyes widening. “What - how -”

Wu gives him a pleading look and whispers, “You have to save me Mako… please… if I mean even a quarter to you what you - what you mean to me.”

“Save you…? What do you mean? From what? Are you projecting your spirit or something? Since when can you -”

Wu puts his hand up. “Enough questions. I’ve officially run out of time, Mako. I - I love -”

Then, he fades, just as Mako chokes, “You -”

 Mako can’t breathe. He sprints to the station and barges in on Lin.

“Mako? What do you think you’re -”

Mako slams his palms flat on the desk. “It’s Wu!”

Minutes feel like hours. Korra isn’t able to sense him, claiming to Mako’s horror that it means his life force is weak. Eventually, they’ve gathered everyone who has remotely associated with Wu in the last few months. His location is tracked to somewhere in the swamp… which ended up being the result of Mako’s gut feeling based on circumstantial evidence.

The evidence being that Wu somehow brought up the swamp in every conversation. Something that he only vaguely recollects after thinking about it really hard. 

Mako finds him first, of course. He’s laying in a muddy ditch, as disheveled as when his spirit most recently appeared. There are scrapes on every inch of skin he can see, and an especially deep wound somewhere in the abdomen. He’s wrapped in glowing vines that may or may not be keeping him on the cusp of life. The blood is difficult to see amongst the mud and vines, but Mako can smell it. He rushes to Wu and kneels down. He gently scoops him up, even though he knows he shouldn’t move him.

It’s probably too late. The vines retreat.

“Wu, please. Please don’t leave me. You were wrong okay? I care about you so, so much.” Mako finally releases his stranglehold on his deepest emotions, and the tears flow. “You need to pull through this, you need to fight so I can - so I can - tell you that I-”

He can’t say the words, not like this, not when he can’t even hear them.

Soon, the others appear. Korra and Kya quickly rush to his side and take over. He stays close. His vision blurring. Someone pulls him away, rambling something. Someone else puts a blanket around his shoulders. Someone says, “It’ll be alright.”

Mako can see the doubt in their eyes.

Mako and Wu are carted in different directions. It feels wrong, to be pulled away from him. However, he doesn’t think he can take it if the worst scenario is true. 

How could he miss it? 

Mako is numb and quiet as hours or maybe days pass. It’s discovered that Wu met someone claiming to be a scouting agent. Apparently, he had worked with Varrick and Bolin at one point, and that was all that was needed for Wu to trust him.

Mako should’ve never left his side.

It went very south. Wu was innocent in everything, but of course he somehow ended up in the crossfire of a scandal involving spirit vines, former Kuvira followers, and big, big debts. He was nothing but a puppet for some fiend to hide behind.

“I’m in love with him,” Mako says out loud, just so the universe at least can hear it. Of course, he’s overhead by several people. He distantly registers he’s in the air temple. He doesn’t know when that happened. 

“...You’re kidding,” Bolin remarks, staring. 

“You didn’t know?”

“Dude… I thought you were straight. Everyone knew Wu was into you, but we thought it was an epically tragic case of unreciprocated affection!”

“There’s nothing epic about that,” Mako grumpily mutters. He’d thought himself in that position once, and Bolin is making it sound like fun mover material.

When he explains how he guessed Wu’s location, Lin of all people says, “He was about as obvious as you were with how you felt. That is, too subtle… by the spirits, how could you two be such idiots?”

“I know right? They’re made for each other,”  Asami says. 

And…

Oh.

“He didn’t know.”

“Probably not, Mako.”

Mako slaps his forehead. “I’m such a moron.”

No one responds to that, but they don’t refute it either. He doesn’t blame them.

I’m damned to feel the way I do

Mako is going to visit Wu. It feels strange the other way around. He carefully crosses the threshold, flowers clutched in his hand. It feels weird, but it also didn’t feel right not to bring anything. This is it, after all; an end and a beginning.

“When I saw you, hurt and lifeless… there are just so many things I wish I had said,” Mako murmurs. “Despite the time I’ve had to think about, I still don’t know what words to choose. I couldn’t even say it to your face, but this is catharsis, I suppose.”

He goes on, “I’m sure you know, when we first met I thought you were one of the most obnoxious people on the planet. Okay, maybe you didn’t know - or if you did, you hid it well. Somewhere along the line I started to see… what a truly amazing and strong person you are.”

“You really impressed me with how you had grown,” Mako continues. His chest aches. He’s not sure what he’s doing. He takes a few steps closer and drops to his knees. “I can’t imagine a world without you in it. I couldn’t even bring myself to tell you goodbye. Every stupid little thing you would do became so endearing, it made me so - so stupid. A stupid fool in l-”

He still can’t get the word out, not when addressing Wu without him being there. Silence falls as Mako loses the strength to talk. He wipes at his dampened cheek feebly with his sleeve. 

“What happened to my big tough guy? Not that there’s an -” A pause and a weak cough. “Anything wrong with being touchy-feely. Good for you.”

Mako drops the flowers, and he rushes so fast to stand that his knee rams into the metal bed frame. He winces, then he looks at Wu, and his minor pain evaporates. Wu’s eyes are half-lidded, his knuckles pale where he’s clutching the sheet. He’s clearly struggling to stay awake. However, he gives Mako a lopsided smile, his beautiful eyes twinkling. 

“It’s a  good thing you don’t have to, huh? Be in a world without me that is,” Wu mutters.

Mako reaches to brush his hair to the side. 

“Sure scared me though. You should rest.”

“I’m just excited you’ve come to see me,” Wu admits. “Stay with me?”

Without hesitation, Mako squeezes himself onto the cot. “Of course. I’m here. I love you.”

Wu grins wide enough that it doesn’t really look comfortable. “Mako I -”

Wu breaks away to cough again. “I love you too, big guy.”

“I wonder, do you remember visiting me?” Mako murmurs, “Do you remember coming to me when you were unconscious? How did you do that?”

“Whaaat? I’m not exactly Mr. Spiritual Guru. How would I do that?” Wu adds, “Also, I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“Huh. Maybe I had cracked and hallucinated it.”

“Or, or, your spirit was the one reaching out and pulling me to you! Because we’re deeply connected.”

“Pfft. It was probably the spirit vines.”

“Yeah... probably.”

Wu cracks a yawn, and his eyelids droop. Mako kisses him on the forehead. His lip has a bad split, so this will do. Wu snuggles into him, and Mako knows the meaning of true peace.

#wuko #lok #my fic #spooktober #obe #character injury / #5+1 bc why not #not very confident with writing these two but ooh well #here it is #canon divergence #because I need to re-read the comics someday #I don't remember anything #so there isn't really references to those

[cerezsis]

A Growing Family

Chapter Five: Mei-Lien Beifong

Summary: Kuvira goes into labor.

--

           The sound of metal clanking echoed through Zaofu as the domes closed for the night. Kuvira turned off the faucet just as the sound stopped, reaching for a towel to dry her hands and face. Despite it still being somewhat early, she was eager to go to bed. As she’d learned over the months, pregnancy was surprisingly tiring, especially now that she was in her ninth month. In addition, she figured she should enjoy the uninterrupted sleep while she still could. Once the baby arrived, there would be a long string of sleepless nights ahead of her.

           As she put the towel back, a dull pain began to radiate through the lower half of her swollen abdomen. Leaning forward against the countertop, she took in a long, deep breath. The pains had been coming on and off for a few days – coincidentally, starting on the day she got word that Korra had had her baby – so while she’d grown somewhat used to them, they were still unpleasant. Whether these pains were false labor or the early stages of true labor, Kuvira couldn’t say. It was frustrating not knowing. Despite Su’s assurance that she’d know when it was the real thing, she wished her daughter would be more direct about whether she was coming or not.

           After a minute, the pain began to subside. Kuvira let out a sigh of relief as she stood up straight, before walking out of the bathroom. Once she reached her room, she turned off the lights and got into bed. Regardless of whether tonight was the night, it would do her good to get some sleep.

           It wasn’t immediately clear how many hours had passed when she awoke. It clearly wasn’t morning yet, judging by the darkness. She rolled over, attempting to go back to sleep, but it quickly became clear that more sleep wasn’t in the cards for her. An intense pain rippled through her lower abdomen, causing all remnants of tiredness to leave her. Her breath hitched, and her fists desperately grasped the blankets. As soon as she could fully comprehend the situation, only one thought went through her head; This is it. She’s coming!

           Like before, the pain only lasted about a minute. Letting out a long exhale as the contracted ended, she threw the blankets to the side and pulled herself to her feet. She left her room and began her walk down the hall, heading straight for the master bedroom.

           As she expected, the married couple were fast asleep when she got to their room. She almost felt bad having to wake them so late, but she didn’t exactly have a choice. Walking over to the bed, she nudged the metalbender’s shoulder as she tried to wake her.

           “Su,” Kuvira said, quietly.

           Still not quite awake, Suyin groaned as she reluctantly peered her eyes open. Seeing Kuvira’s face, she snapped awake instantly, and began to nudge her husband.

           “Dear, wake up!” she said, already getting out of bed, “Call the doctor, Kuvira’s having the baby!”

           The elder Baatar shot out of bed as quickly as his wife. Grabbing her robe, Su placed a hand on Kuvira’s shoulder and led her back to her room.

           Kuvira sat down on her bed as Su turned on the lights. Almost as soon as she did, Kuvira felt the twinges of another contraction.

           “Su,” Kuvira half-grunted.

           The older woman turned around and quickly went to her side. “Remember what we practiced,” she said, taking hold of her hand, “Slow, deep breath in through the nose.” She paused as Kuvira did as she was instructed. “Now a slow, deep breath out through the mouth… Relax your shoulders… A little faster now. Deep breath in… Deep breath out…”

           They continued with this until the contraction ended. Kuvira breathed a sigh of relief, and Su gently rubbed her back.

           “That was great, Kuvira.”

           About a half hour later, there was a knock at the bedroom door. Dr. Zan came in, carrying his doctor bag, as well as wheeling in a cart of additional equipment. He nodded at the two women in greeting.

           “Hello. How are we doing, Kuvira?” he asked.

           Kuvira grunted. “I’m having a baby,” she stated matter-of-factly.

           Dr. Zan chuckled. “Well, yes. Has your water broken, or your mucus plug passed?”

           “Not that I know of.”

           “Alright, then.” He opened his bag and began putting on gloves. “I’m going to need you to remove your bottoms and lay on your back. I need to check your dilation.”

           Kuvira hesitated. Su and Dr. Zan looked away, giving her some privacy as she did as she was told. Dr. Zan then approached her, and she suppressed a shutter as he checked her.

           “Hm… not quite six centimeters. About five and a half.” He stood up and took of his gloves. “Still have a little ways to go, but not too much.”

           Kuvira nodded. She pulled her nightshirt down as much as she could before Su turned back around.

           “Let’s try walking a little,” she suggested, grabbing Kuvira’s robe, “It’ll help you progress.”

           Kuvira nodded again, taking her robe, and putting it on. She stood up out of bed, and Su wrapped an arm around her as they paced the room.

--

           The sun was high in the sky over Zaofu. Baatar Jr sat in his workroom, twisting bolts and screws on whatever chunks of machinery were on his desk. He’d sat there, “tinkering,” for several hours now. His father had been the one to wake him, informing him that Kuvira was in labor. Baatar had tried to go back to sleep after that but found himself too restless. Instead, he headed to the workroom, thankfully located on the other side of the estate. His mind was a million miles away, yet painfully present at the same time. He didn’t even know if what he was “tinkering” with was important or not. Reality felt like a dream, or, more accurately, a nightmare.

           A light knock suddenly came from behind him. Reluctantly, Baatar turned his head, seeing his father in the doorway.

           “Kuvira’s almost ready. The baby will be here soon.”

           The younger Baatar didn’t respond, just turned back around. He hoped his father would get the hint, but unfortunately for him, the older man wouldn’t leave.  

           “Son, please,” his father pleaded, “This is the birth of your child. You’ll never get this moment back. If you’re not there, you’ll regret it.”

           Once again, Baatar didn’t respond. He wished this “moment” would just be over already.

--

           Kuvira let out a cry of pain as she squeezed Su’s hand. With her free hand, the older woman stroked Kuvira’s hair.

           “You’re doing great, Kuvira. Just keep pushing.”

           Kuvira inhaled sharply before pushing again, and subsequently falling back against the pillows. Her hair stuck to her face from the sweat, and she struggled to catch her breath between pushes. She longed to verbalize just how much she hated this, but the pain was clouding her mind too much to speak.

           Another contraction started, and she was instructed to push again. The pain was so intense, the worst she’d ever felt, and Kuvira cried out again. She vaguely heard something about “crowning” before falling back again.

           Time ticked by slowly. Far, far too slowly. As far as Kuvira knew, it could’ve been an hour, or it could’ve been five minutes. Finally, the words “one more” registered in her mind, and after one last push, a screeching cry pierced the air, followed by an obligatory – yet in this case, unnecessary – “It’s a girl!” from Dr. Zan.

           The baby’s cry ringing in her ears, Kuvira lifted her head. In that same moment, the baby girl was placed on her chest. Kuvira’s eyes widened as she tried to catch her breath. By all accounts, she was very gross in appearance, but even still, in Kuvira’s eyes she was beautiful. She was so, so beautiful. Her eyes matched Kuvira’s in their fern green color, and her black hair, though damp with blood and amniotic fluid, was obviously the same curly texture as Suyin’s. Her skin looked to be on the lighter side, but that could very well change over time.

           Staring into her daughter’s eyes, Kuvira felt a wave of different emotions crash over her all at once: relief, elation, fear, and love. Relief that the hours of labor were finally over. Elation that the baby she waited all these months for was finally here. Fear of the future – would she be a good mother? Was she making the right choice to keep her, considering her indefinite house arrest? The love, though, the feeling of love trumped all. Perhaps it was a cliché, but the love she felt for her was instantaneous, truly the definition of love at first sight. Nothing, absolutely nothing this child could do would make her not love her. And she would see to it that her daughter knew that, that no matter what, she would always have her mother’s love.

           A hand touched Kuvira’s shoulder, bringing her out of her thoughts. Reluctantly taking her eyes off her daughter, she looked up to see Su smiling and whipping tears from her eyes.

           “What’s her name?”

           Kuvira grinned as she looked back to her daughter, holding the baby’s tiny hand in her own. “Mei-Lien.”

           Su wiped away more tears and placed a hand over her heart. “Oh, that’s beautiful.”

--

           How many hours passed since his father last came knocking at the door, Baatar couldn’t say. He hadn’t moved even an inch, still sat at the desk, “tinkering.”  

           Suddenly, another knock came from behind him, forcing him out of the secluding depts he’d made for himself in his mind.

“Son?” his mother’s voice beckoned him.

           Against his better judgement, Baatar looked over his shoulder. Seeing the bundle in his mother’s arms, he quickly turned back around, trying to appear busy.

           Su sighed. “I know this has been difficult for you. And I know you’re still in pain. But this is you’re daughter, Baatar. She is your daughter.”

           He still didn’t respond. His hands trembled as he continued to “tinker.” Not taking his silence for an answer, Su walked over to him. With his mother now at his side, he quickly turned his head in the opposite direction.

           “Just hold her. Just once,” Su pleaded, “If you still want nothing to do with her, I’ll never bring it up again. Just hold her once… please, Baatar.”  

           Baatar hesitated. “You’ll never bring it up again?”

           Su nodded. “I won’t.”

           Seconds ticked by, perhaps even minutes. Reluctantly, Baatar turned towards his mother, though he didn’t meet her eye or look at the baby. He held out his arms, and Su grinned as she handed him the baby.

           Baatar closed his eyes. He needed a minute to build up the courage. When his eyes finally opened – when he finally looked down at the baby – something unexpected happened; he found himself unable to look away. Eyes widening, he was quiet as he studied her features. There was some of Kuvira there, of course, but also him. He saw himself, his mother, and even his grandmother in her face. It was… freeing.

           Without realizing it, Baatar smiled. “She’s definitely a Beifong,” he said, the tension in his body seeming to melt away.

           Su smiled as well. “Her name’s Mei-Lien. Mei-Lien Beifong.”

           As if in confirmation, Mei-Lien let out a gurgling noise. Baatar couldn’t help but chuckle.

           “Mei-Lien… I like that.” His eyes stayed glued to her. He never wanted to look away. “Welcome to the world, Mei-Lien.”

#avatar #the legend of korra #lok #tlok #kuvira #suyin beifong #baatar jr #baatar sr #korra #toph #baavira #my writing #fan fiction #family fluff #a growing family au

[captain-azoren]

Legend of Korra books 3 & 4

Finished rewatching books 3 and 4 of Korra. Here on my thoughts on them and the series as a whole after seeing it again after so many years.

I think books 3 and 4 are pretty solid. Aside from a few flaws, I think 3 is the overall best with the best pacing. I think a big issue with book 2 was that it was trying and failing to juggle a very big cast and multiple subplots that made it feel like a mess. That’s not an issue with 3 or 4, where every character has a relevant purpose and plot threads come together more naturally. 

4 does this a little bit worse as I think the plot kind of starts and stops a couple of times, but it’s not terrible. Kuvira’s build up as a villain is very shaky when compared to Amon and Zaheer, but still better than Unalaq’s arc going down the drain. It really does seem like the worst parts of her villainy are told and not shown (those being the reeducation camps and slave labor). I think they could have shown at least one of these camps instead of just seeing the escapees that Varrick and Bolin meet.

I still think the Red Lotus are the best antagonists in LoK just for having the best arc overall. They had Amon’s intrigue, stayed consistent in their motivations like Kuvira, and they have the most dimensions overall just from the little bits of interaction we see of them. What’s more, they didn’t disappoint me in the end.

The Colossus I didn’t mind or find out of place. It just doesn’t bother me when the show has had Koizilla and giant drills in AtLA. I can understand how the mechanics of it work as well. I didn’t feel like my suspension of disbelief was broken considering everything else. I think fans who dislike it are more bothered by it breaking the setting further away from fantasy and into sci-fi.One question though, why does a spirit energy canon need a rifled barrel?

Mako is a much better character in 3 and 4 because he’s finally allowed to be someone other than a love interest. His interactions with Bolin can be really fun and it’s kind of a shame how often they’re separated. I also noticed on a rewatch that he does make a good detective, having good perception and coming up with ideas. It’s better than the pro-bender he started out as and probably his best strength. 

I think I actually like Mako now whereas before he was the most forgettable, and I think he deserves some looking into. A lot of the hate comes from him being put into really tough spots where he just can’t win. Mako goes from being extremely aloof to being a loyal but beleaguered straight man to the group.

Raiko I feel similarly to Mako. I think he’s another guy who keeps getting put into tough spots with no easy solution. He doesn’t really deserve hate either, and honestly probably made the best decisions he could as a president (I know from experience how bad they can be...) Him being hated and voted out in the comics seem like Bryke was over correcting, something they seem to do a lot.

Suyin I have mixed feelings on. She really does seem like someone Bryke really wanted fans to like and agree with, but they shilled her a bit too much and at the expense of Lin. Su’s apology to Lin at the end of their dispute felt kind of half-hearted, and despite being justified, the whole thing is framed as Lin being the one in the wrong, stuck in the past, unable to move on after Su had changed. We don’t see Su change though, and Su keeps acting like what she did wasn’t that big a deal, so it falls flat.

What’s more, Su continues being a big presence into book 4, and I think I have to agree with Kuvira that Su should have at least done something to help the EK out. It really does make Su come off as kind of a cowardly hypocrite who’s so afraid of looking like a dictator that she doesn’t even try to help. She doesn’t want to be treated like royalty or an authoritarian, but if you look at Zaofu the place is already set up like a small kingdom, with the Beifongs being the divine bloodline descended from Toph, the strongest bender to ever live. Su is a queen in all but name, and if she was so afraid of looking like a dictator she could have just given up the power like Kuvira was supposed to have done. Su just rubs me the wrong way from start to finish, and it’s partly because the show doesn’t challenge her or make her change. It just expects us to see her as being right, and she just isn’t.

Bolin being a lava bender I remember being really excited for, because it was something I predicted when I first saw it years ago. I don’t have a problem with how he discovered it. It’s not the best way I’d like see someone discover a new power, but I think it’s better than when Korra finally got airbending (though that didn’t bother me too much either). It just kind of made sense to me and finally gave something else to stand out besides comic relief.

The air kids got better in 3 and 4 too. Meelo got less annoying, Jinora was more fleshed out, and I actually really like Ikki in book 4.

Now Korra and Asami. I think Korra is maybe at her most static in book 3, but her arc in book 4 is the most interesting as she had to build herself back up. I don’t agree with some of the things that are just told to the viewer, like how she needed to learn from her enemies. At the finale Korra says she had to suffer to learn compassion, but it’s not like Korra wasn’t a compassionate person already. Korra’s arc seemed more centered on dealing with trauma and finding her purpose in a world that seemed hellbent on telling her she wasn’t needed. I don’t know if that was some kind of meta commentary, but it does work.

I do like Korra’s overall development from where she was in book 1. If I had to put it into words, I think her story is about trying to fulfill a role that she’s been groomed for her whole life, trying to live up to expectations, pushed into doing what others want her to do, failing those things, then finding the strength and resolve to achieve success on her own terms, even if it’s not what everyone wants. Korra gradually learns to stop being a tool for world leaders to use to keep order or power. It’s not always done well, but it’s there.

It’s nice to see her and Asami be friends after the love triangle stuff. It’s kind of surprising, but they didn’t really interact all that much in the first two books all things considered. Asami doesn’t change a whole lot throughout the series, but her reconnecting with her dad at the end felt satisfying.

I’ll be honest, I never really saw Korrasami happening and didn’t view much of their interactions as being romantic in nature. I think only the letter writing and their reunion seems a little shippy, but not very obvious. That said, I can buy the two of them finally realizing they might be attracted to each other at the finale, as a beginning to their relationship. The real problem is that shippers and even Bryke overhyped this moment up as it being ENDGAME rather than treating it as what is was, a spark of attraction. Korra and Asami aren’t in love yet, they’re just going on their first official date.

I do like them being together though. It seems a lot healthier than other potential relationships, and let’s be real here; Asami NEEDED something to make her happy because holy shit has she be through a lot by the end of the series. Dumped by Mako twice, almost lost her company and lost her dad after she forgave him. Give the poor rich girl a break.

So, final thoughts on the series as a whole; it’s not as good as AtLA, but that’s mostly on the execution. LoK was messy and had issues, but it did eventually smooth things out after a lot of course correcting. There are things I don’t like, but not enough for me to write it off, and it has plenty of strengths that make it deserving of a watch if you keep an open mind. 

I remember ThunderCats 2011 getting a lot of flak too, and that’s one of my favorite shows ever despite its glaring flaws, so I really can’t work up the energy to trash LoK. I know plenty of people can connect to it even if I don’t, at least not fully, and I honestly do believe that overall LoK’s strengths outweigh its flaws, even if it can be inconsistent and unpolished.

LoK may take place in the same world as AtLA, but it is a very fundamentally different series, and beyond a few very core basics of storytelling I think it’s a little unfair to compare the two. It’s not the masterpiece it could have been, but at the end I still enjoyed it. I might have more thoughts later, but these are what I have for now.

#Legend of Korra #The Legend of Korra #lok #tlok #korra #mako #bolin #asami #asami sato #korrasami

[kingofterrors]

I was tagged in this ask by @inktog - thank you!

I’m not great at tagging other folk, but if you see this and you fancy doing it, consider yourself tagged! Also, by the way, if anyone seeing this really likes being tagged in these kind of things, let me know! I will tag you in future!

This was hard. At first I was like, “I’m not sure I can even name ten relationships I ship”, and then had far too many as soon as I thought about it for more than ten seconds. So here we are. :)

First, list your top 10 ships without reading the questions below.

1.      Luz Noceda / Amity Blight – The Owl House

2.      Harrowhark Nonagesimus / Gideon Nav – The Locked Tomb Series

3.      Sabran / Eadaz du Zāla uq-Nāra – The Priory of the Orange Tree

4.      Caleb Widogast / Essek Theyless – Critical Role Campaign 2

5.      Beauregard Lionett / Jester Lavorre – Critical Role Campaign 2

6.      Harrowhark Nonagesimus / Ianthe Tridentarius – The Locked Tomb Series

7.      Kara Danvers / Lena Luthor – Supergirl

8.      Amity Blight / Boscha – The Owl House

9.      Korra / Asami – The Legend of Korra

10.  Percy / Vexahlia – Critical Role Campaign 1

Then answer the questions.

Do you remember the episode/scene/chapter that you first started shipping 6?

I’m going to be honest, it was from the very beginning of Harrow the Ninth – the Prologue, where we get that amazing moment of Ianthe kneeling down and taking Harrow by the chin. I’m going to quote, because this scene just marched up to my house, kicked my door down and stole my entire mind.

You were shocked into opening your eyes when you felt the girl opposite cup your chin in her hands – her fingers febrile compared to the chilly shock of her gilded metacarpal – and put her meat thumb at the corner of your jaw. For a moment you assumed that you were hallucinating, but that assumption was startled away by the cool nearness of her, of Ianthe Tridentarius on her knees before you in unmistakable supplication. Her pallid hair fell around her face like a veil, and her stolen eyes looked at you with half-beseeching, half-contemptuous despair: blue eyes with deep splotches of light brown, like agate.

Looking deep into the eyes of the cavalier she murdered, you realised, not for the first time, and not willingly, that Ianthe Tridenatrius was beautiful.

Dude.

Have you ever read a fic about 2?

Yup! More than one! I don’t generally seek out smut for my ships, for whatever reason, but I freely admit that I sought out smut for these two. And found it. Found it with quality in spades. Praise be. Is this a good spot for recs? If so:

Sleepless by pugoata

Like a Lullaby by SweetScentences

Has a picture of 4 ever been your screensaver/profile pic/tumblr?

Nope. I tend not to change my pics very much, and they tend to focus on single characters rather than ships, again for whatever reason.

If 7 were to suddenly break up today, what would your reaction be?

Yeah… Well of course they’re not together in canon. I ship supercorp foolishly, helplessly, knowing all the while that the chances of it becoming reality are vanishingly small. That said, we don’t ship purely for canon, do we? So if Kara and Lena were together and then were to break up I’d be disappointed, but I suspect they’d find their way back to each other. These two have a history of being separated, then rediscovering their love and coming back together. I give it a couple of weeks. :)

Why is 1 so important?

Man, I don’t know! It snuck up on me! I think there’s something here about firstly, the context for Lumity. Amity’s crush on Luz was just presented as normal, as something fine and good and natural, and that meant so much to me. There’s a softness here that I love so much. I also heavily empathise with Amity – the trying to live up to expectations and feeling that you have to hide yourself behind emotional walls – and the thought of her finding love with someone like Luz who is so open and emotionally giving does my heart good. I want Amity to find acceptance and openness with Luz. I want Luz to find herself seen and valued for exactly who she is by Amity. I want to see them finding strength and security in each other. I just love them, you guys.

There’s a bit in this wonderful YouTube video essay, which I recommend to the moon and back – watch it if you haven’t! (“The Owl House is Great and Here’s Why, by Film Freak”) Where the essayist concludes their section on Lumity by saying: “I don’t know if Disney will chicken out in the future with regards to Lumity or any other queer rep, but for now I’m cautiously optimistic. Maybe I just have rose-tinted goggles for how soft this ship is, but whatever, let me stan just once.”

And… yeah. That.

Which one has the strongest bond?

Wow, tough one. Probably Sabran and Ead. They’ve gone through everything together, and are prepared to wait for each other in the end. Their bond is strong enough to take that and more.

Which ship has lasted the longest?

For me or the ship itself? For me of all of these probably Korra / Asami. Shipped ‘em first time I saw LoK, and haven’t stopped.

How many times, if ever, has 6 broken up?

Have they ever gotten together? If they ever did get together they’d break up every couple of days. These two are a mess, and their relationship is a toxic trainwreck. Still ship ‘em though. Can’t help it. Sometimes ships are just fascinating. If this was real life I’d want them to not come within shouting distance of each other. In fiction I’m riveted.

If the world was suddenly thrust into a zombie apocalypse, which ship would make it out alive: 2 or 8?

Definitely Harrow and Gideon. Those two have fought through apocalyptic situations before, and my money would be on them to do it again. Plus they are the quintessential battle couple. Can you imagine Harrow’s bone magic and Gideon’s martial expertise being unleashed on zombies? Those two would save the whole damn world.

Amity and Boscha would put up a good fight, I think, but I can see them disagreeing on key decisions which might hurt their chances.

Did 7 ever have to hide their relationship for any reason?

Given that Kara is a whole secret identity, we could say they are continually hiding their relationship when Kara is out there as Supergirl? I could also see them hiding their relationship at Lena’s insistence to protect Kara from Lex before she realised Kara was actually Supergirl. She might even want to do that afterwards as well, on reflection. Lena is very protective of Kara, ironically enough. :)

Is 4 still together?

Right now? This is another non-canon ship. That said, this is one I’m genuinely hoping for a canon appearance from. Their relationship might be put under strain from the fact that they’re both mages, and mages tend to get selfish and power hungry (or at least these two claim that’s how it goes). I think they’d work through it though. These two talk big about their own selfishness a lot, and then in practice are very caring and protective of others. I can see that extending to each other. Just kiss already.

Is 10 canon?

Yup! My token het ship are still very much together, growing old and having babies.Good for them. :)

If all 10 ships were put into a couple’s Hunger Games, which couple would win?

This is an invitation to go into huge depth, but my initial feeling is that Harrow and Gideon would again have it hands down. Those two are world-endingly powerful. Although that said, Kara and Lena might give them a run for their money. Pure power ranking? Let’s see…

1.      Harrow / Gideon

2.      Kara / Lena

3.      Korra / Asami

4.      Beau / Jester

5.      Caleb / Essek

6.      Percy / Vex

7.      Harrow / Ianthe

8.      Sabran / Ead

9.      Amity / Luz (no shade, but these guys are literal children. Grown up they’d put up a better showing, I’d bet)

10.  Amity / Boscha

Has anyone ever tried to sabotage 5?

I mean… Fjord? I wonder sometimes what would have happened if Beau had genuinely put in a play for Jester, rather than stepping back to let Fjord make his move. She very obviously decided that Fjord should have a free shot, and I wonder how it would have worked if she actually decided to compete. Would Fjord have stepped back to let Beau make a try for Jester if he was aware of her feelings? I don’t know. A genuine competition would have been heartbreaking but oh so interesting to see.

Do you spend hours a day going through 3’s tumblr tag?

Not hours, but I have put some good time into finding fanart for these two. There is some good work out there!

If an evil witch descended from the sky and told you that you had to pick one of the ten ships to break up forever or else she’d break them all up, which ship would you SINK?

Amity / Boscha. Sorry you two! I wrote myself into shipping Amity and Boscha, when I fell in love with Boscha and decided she could actually be good for Amity in a snarky, take no shit kind of a way. I would still love to see more of them. (Halfway through that one-shot btw.) But if it was them or everyone else? Sorry guys. :(

#ask games #shipping asks #this was fun! #thanks for tagging me! #long post

[zwritestuff]

Some Things Are Bound To Be (Chapter Six) - Kyara

A/N: WE'RE ENTERING THE FINAL CURB FOLKS. I've decided to make this 9 chapters instead, for practicity more than anything. But also that means these two dumbasses will be hurt, a lot. That being said, this chapter sure has some feelings, I am not responsible for how you may react to them. Thanks to emerald ( @fromthenorthernskies​ ) for screaming aggressively beta-ing 💓 

Read on AO3.

“I have good news and bad news,” Kiara starts, trying to not let the nerves show in her voice. Kyne turns to look at her, drifting her attention to the intricately designed cupcakes, cocking a brow.

“Well, that explains why you kept your hands to yourself so far,” she teases, cleaning the edges of her mouth with her index finger. Kiara absolutely doesn't follow the trail her finger makes without blinking once. “C'mon, rip the bandaid off at once and tell me the bad news first,” Kyne says, leaning back in her chair, curiously eyeing her up.

Shit. She was hoping she'd ask for the good news first.

Kiara fidgets with her rings, trying to remember the rehearsed speech she'd gone over with Rita and Tynomi before coming to Kyne's office like she always did; of course, now there was a slight change of plans. She chews the inside of her cheek, thinking. 

When asking for her friends’ advice on how to bring the bad news up, Tynomi had straight up told her that she had to stop acting so awkward—why start now if she was acting perfectly fine before realizing she was head over heels for Kyne? Rita had swatted her, but by her expression Kiara could tell she somewhat agreed with her. 

They both had said the same thing as Kyne, to rip the bandaid without thinking much. But over-thinking is Kiara's second nature, and all she wants to do is turn it off. 

So she does the next logical thing and unceremoniously drops the bomb.

“I am appalled to inform you my mom’s birthday party is this Sunday, and she has threatened to disown me if I don't bring you,” she announces, her tone far too solemn and sorrowful for Kyne to take seriously. So she laughs. The bitch actually laughs, before she realizes Kiara is for real. 

“Fuck, you’re serious, aren’t you?” she whispers, eyes blown wide as her hands tremble. “Shit, I thought it was a one-time thing?” Her voice is full of fear and concern, and Kiara can't honestly blame her. That was the deal—one time it's good enough, and then they'll figure out when they're going to break up without making it suspicious.

But they've been postponing it a lot. Kiara's not sure why, but everytime she tries to bring it up things just take a different turn; they end up watching movies with homemade popcorn at Kyne's place, talking about shitty movies over coffee on the weekends, modelling the clothes Kyne tweaked after thrifting them—one way or another they've avoided the elephant in the room. And now, three weeks after the ball, soon to be a month, they have no intention of stopping this scheme, and Kiara feels somehow guilty.

She's indulging a lot on the fakeness of it all, running her hand through Kyne's hair when she falls asleep in the middle of the movies, walking around the company with her hand firmly placed on her waist, showing Kyne off in all of her social media—Kiara would like to think it's real, that her feelings are reciprocated, but she prefers to think that the sneaky smiles and the stares are a product of her imagination.

Tynomi had told her to stop dancing around it like a moron and actually tell Kyne about her feelings, that she wants a real relationship and not just pretend. Rita had more or less agreed with Tynomi, without all the bluntness Tynomi was known for, that is.

“I thought that would be it, too, but— well, it seems that they liked you. Like, a lot,” she stammers out, cheeks blushing under Kyne’s inquisitive gaze. They’re not the only ones that like you, Kiara thinks, but she leaves it unsaid.

Kyne chews on her lower lip, fidgeting with a pen as she stares right past Kiara. She hasn’t seen her this spaced out since, well, the day before the ball in which she confided that she was scared to meet her parents. She wouldn’t be surprised if some of those nerves are still there, looming at the back of her mind.

She finally meets her gaze, and Kiara certainly doesn’t expect what comes next.

“I’m not doing it.”

She blinks repeatedly, not fully processing what Kyne just said.

“What? But—”

“I said no,” Kyne sternly cuts her off, and Kiara wants to shrink on her seat and hide away, not only from the embarrassment but also because of Kyne’s fiery gaze. It’s the first time she’s seen her this angry, but she knows she doesn’t like it. “You said it was a one-time thing, I’ve already done my part of the deal. I’m really risking my job here, y’know? I’m not sure I’d keep it if your parents find out their little girl got her heart broken by a bitchy accountant.” Her tone is cold and cutthroat, like a knife straight to Kiara’s heart.

She doesn’t know where all of this comes from—the expressionless stare and pointed glare, icy as a crude Canadian winter, where there used to be the warmth of a late summer night.

Kiara is still speechless when Kyne mumbles something she can’t quite catch. “What did you say?” She asks, tilting her head slightly. Kyne just dismisses it with a wave of her hand, saying it was nothing; but by her flustered expression Kiara can tell it’s something.

She doesn’t push for an answer. She’s already on Kyne’s bad side; the last thing she wants to do is fight with her.

“You’re right, your part of the deal is done. I’ll make up an excuse, I'm sure my mom will believe it.” Kiara shrugs, not giving much away in her expression, because she doesn't want Kyne to see how much it affects her—because it shouldn't affect her at all. 

Their deal is over, for all she knows. And it's probably the thing she hates the most. 

“I believe you still have good news to tell me, though,” Kyne muses quietly, meekly meeting Kiara's gaze. The anger is gone, a tinge of regret replacing it, and Kiara bites back a sigh of relief.

Then, she remembers the good news she had to tell her—good news with a lot of air commas.

She bites her lower lip, all her confidence gone out the window now that she barely avoided an argument with Kyne.

I guess Tynomi was right, she thinks, I should've done this over a nice dinner instead of our morning hangout. 

Kiara barely scrambles to think of fake good news to give her, which, in the end, it's not so fake. “I succumb, we can watch Legend of Korra together next time we have movie night at your place,” she says, and the smile that blooms on Kyne's face makes her heart tug—both because she never gets tired of the sight of her eyes crinkling at the corners, and because she just threw Rita and Tynomi's motivational speeches to the trash.

Kyne chatters away about how excited she is that she finally relented, and that they'll spend all night long watching the show if it's necessary. But Kiara can only think of all of the conversations she had with her friends over the past few days, psyching her up and giving her motivation to come clean to Kyne about her feelings.

God, Tynomi sure would love to slap some sense into her if she were there. 

She sighs internally; if only Kyne had chosen the good news first.

***

“I completely fucked up whatever chances I had with her,” Kiara laments, unceremoniously draping herself all over Rita's couch. “Fuck, I should have had a back-up plan instead of thinking everything would go like I thought it would. Calisse de tabarnak, j'ai fait n'importe quoi.”

“I’m not sure what you said, but it’s probably nothing lady-like,” Tynomi quips, settling on the other couch. Rita just sighs and stands on her tip-toes to grab her nice alcohol; it’s barely Wednesday, but when has that stopped them?

It’s not unusual for them to crash Rita’s place for a drink whenever they’re having a shitty day—Rita has an extensive collection of liquor (“Not because I’m an alcoholic,” she says when you ask her, “I just like to be ready in case of anything.” Then she shrugs, because it just makes sense that Rita is that kind of person) and a really cozy apartment. Rita’s place is heaven for all they know.

“No, it’s not lady-like at all,” Rita replies after a moment, fetching three glasses, “but then again, that’s not the point; Kiki, would you like to walk us through what happened?” She asks kindly, sitting cross-legged on the ground as she pours generous amounts of red wine in their glasses.

Kiara rolls over on the couch, groaning against the pillows, but she figures there's no use holding it all in. She rolls over once again, staring at the ceiling as Rita sets the glass of wine near her, but she doesn't even reach for it.

She tells them of Kyne's icy glare as she said no, putting her foot down with a tone so determined, so void of any emotion but anger—how she didn't say it, but Kiara could distinguish in the turmoil of her eyes that she thought about calling off their deal right there and then. After all, they were done, weren't they?

At some point she sits upwards, grabbing the glass and taking a big swig. Rita and Tynomi say nothing, but they're probably thinking of something useful to say—all of the other times she's come to them for advice, it had been over mundane things such as how to not choke the annoying men at work, how to make her heart stop beating like crazy whenever Kyne was around, and ultimately how to gather up the courage to confess her feelings.

Of course, this is uncharted territory and they're going in completely clueless as to how to aid their friend.

So Tynomi just reaches for the bottle, pours herself another drink, and looks at Kiara with a tired expression.

“Break up and get over her,” she says, like it's the easiest thing ever, but Kiara shakes her head right away. “I’m just saying Kyne’s right, your deal is over, and y’know, she has a point. Don’t you remember what happened with Abril?” Tynomi asks, cocking a skeptical brow.

Almost instantly a cushion flies directly to Tynomi’s face, courtesy of Rita, who doesn’t waste a second in scolding her—they’re not supposed to say her name, or talk about her, or reference her, or anything really, she says, slipping into French from time to time, and Tynomi is quick to reply, voices overlapping.

“It’s fine, whatever, I get the point you’re trying to make, Nono,” Kiara says over the noise, dismissing it with a wave of her hand, slightly annoyed at the mention of her— not ex-girlfriend precisely, but something along those lines. Well, we’re making progress, she thinks, mind going back to all the times she had either teared up or broken something at the mention of her. 

Perhaps it has to do with the fact Kyne has her wrapped around her finger—yeah, that’s probably it. Which isn’t all that good in these circumstances.

“Either way,” Kiara follows, tucking her legs under her body, “I’m not sure if I want to break up with Kyne yet,” she muses quietly, lowering her voice like she’s telling them a secret.

Rita sighs, Tynomi rolls her eyes, and their gazes meet for a split second before Rita speaks again, much calmer now.

“But you won’t tell her you like her either, won’t you?” She asks, tilting her head slightly, with that careful tone she always uses when she knows she’s bound to touch a sensitive spot. Kiara huffs, but she begrudgingly replies I suppose not between gritted teeth. “Then I guess it makes no sense to drag this further, don’t you think? Kyne does have a point, like it or not.” Rita, ever the voice of reason, stares at Kiara as she takes a sip from her drink, and Kiara groans like a child that’s just been scolded, plastering her face against the cushions again.

She hates when Rita is right, because she always ends up doing whatever she suggests she does, and while Kiara does avoid many conflicts and problems by following her advice, it’s never been about relationships or feelings—well, romantic feelings; she feels like throwing her heels at every straight white man at company meetings, and Rita has to take her outside to cool down and drill into her brain that, even if it would be funny knocking out one of these men, it wouldn’t be as funny once they retrieve their economic support for her father’s projects. And then Kiara begrudgingly adjusts her heels back, counts until ten and returns. Because she knows she’s a damn smart businesswoman, capable of sealing any kind of deal.

But it seems like her ability for negotiating prices and contracts doesn’t translate well when it comes to negotiating relationships.

Kiara finally shifts her head, looks at the expectant pair, and sighs in a dramatic manner.

“I suppose I can consider it,” she gives in in a long suffering tone, and Rita chuckles alongside Tynomi.

***

On Sunday, Kiara struggles to give her mom an excuse as to why Kyne’s not there to meet the rest of their extended family, and once she finally stammers out an answer she knows for a fact her mom didn’t believe a single word. She spares her, either way, and keeps on greeting the family that keeps arriving.

Although she gets the eerie feeling that her mom spared her for the sole fact that, as soon as she settles down at the table, one of her aunts asks about her girlfriend, a faux sweet tone she’s all familiar with, and freezes for a second.

Shit, she should’ve known her parents would run their mouth.

Well, there’s nothing she can do about it now; so she just answers questions without going into the details, lies through gritted teeth when she says her girlfriend doesn’t like pictures—even though she posts dumb selfies every other minute to her close friends story. The kids ask about her girlfriend, too, mostly her nephews; they want to know if it’s true their auntie has a partner, and if she’s more forgiving when they break things around the house. Kiara just laughs, something tightening in her chest when she thinks of Kyne covering up for the kids when they break a vase or something like that in family gatherings, a wicked grin on her face as she ushers them out and tries to convince Kiara it was just a silly little accident.

And on god the image is tempting, making her insides churn and a warm feeling spread through her chest, at the same time it leaves to be replaced for a hollowness she can’t quite shake.

There’s no way to make that image come true, for Kyne would have to reciprocate her feelings first. That’s harder than actually getting the guts to tell her how she feels.

So she does the next logical thing once she’s a little tipsy; she sends Kyne the classic we have to talk text, adding a hey at the beginning and a please at the end to not seem so dry. If it works she doesn’t know, but she does get a response within a few minutes.

Kyne: i’ll come by your office tomorrow, want anything from the starbucks around the block?

Kiara half smiles, typing out her reply and hitting send before she chickens out.

She hears a loud crash coming from the hallway, and she sighs heavily when she perches one of her youngest nephews to her hip, softly scolding him before handing it to his mom without saying anything, and goes to fetch a broom and a stick to clean out the mess. The image fights its way back into her head, but Kiara tries to push it aside for all that’s holy.

#rpdr fanfiction #my fanfiction #some things are bound to be fic #fake dating au #kyara #kyne #online kyne #kiara schatzi #tynomi banks #rita baga

[guiltysecretpasttime]

The Airbender’s Wife (Chapter 4)

Fic update :)

Summary: Korra arrives in Republic City to reside at Air Temple Island to begin her Airbending training. As excited as she was to leave the compound in the South Pole, she was wary of living with her Airbending Master and his mysterious wife. The airbender's wife, who, Korra realized, she has never met before.

OR

The one where Tenzin throws caution to the wind and chooses Lin over repopulating the Air Nation.

==

Other chapters:

Prologue (Contentment) | 1 | 2 | 3

Tenzin found himself quietly finishing up work in his study one evening.

It was unusually peaceful.

Well, the airbender reconsidered, his evenings used to be peaceful until Korra’s arrival at Air Temple Island.

Korra stayed out late the other night, excitedly spending time practicing with the pro-benders and, to Tenzin’s consternation, had forgotten about the last trip of the ferry. Upon arriving at the arena to fetch her, he was stupefied to realize that it was the Avatar herself on the battle platform.

After a few stern words, he was surprised to see that Korra integrated airbending forms into the match.

It was brought to his recollection then how former Fire Lord Zuko had used airbending forms in an Agni Kai years ago and how his own metalbending wife incorporated airbending in the use of metal cables.

There was something to using modern techniques indeed, he had acquiesced – only to be dumbfounded when the Avatar-in-training cheerily informed him that she had joined the Fire Ferrets to compete in the championship.

I’m getting too old for this.

Tenzin kept looking at the item that his wife left earlier on their bedside drawer.

Figuring that he was too distracted to be productive, he finally cleared off his desk and examined Lin’s betrothal necklace. He got a piece of cloth and went to the living room, intending to wait there while polishing the pendant.

It was a sign they agreed on early in their marriage. He knew enough not to press Lin about the specific details of her work. He wondered if it were related to the Fire Lord’s call on her day off.

----

“Hello, Air Temple Island – Tenzin speaking.”

“Ah, Master Tenzin,” A familiar well-modulated voice responded from the other side of the line. “This is Fire Lord Izumi. May I please talk to Chief Beifong?”

He looked towards the direction of the kitchen, where he knew his wife was currently bottling some fruit preserves (who knew what other preservation techniques she learned from his mother).

“I’m afraid Chief Beifong isn’t here, Fire Lord.” Tenzin ran his fingers through his beard. “Is there any message you’d like to leave?”

“Don’t lie to me, Arrowboy.” He could almost hear his childhood friend rolling her eyes from an ocean away. “I’ve reached the police headquarters earlier and her very efficient deputy said Lin is home today.”

“Ah, he’s not wrong – Lin is here but Chief Beifong is off-duty until her next workday.”

“Damn, Tenzin. Living with Lin for years probably made you a little bit sassier. I’m proud of you.” Izumi laughed then deadpanned. “Now, go get Lin Beifong.”

He made a sound which was a cross between sputtering and disbelief before proceeding to the kitchen to get his wife. “Lin, it’s the Fire Lord.”

Lin wiped her hands on the clean towel she had tucked on her waist.

Tenzin took several jars, intending to bring it to storage but with the other intention of eavesdropping on the call.

“Fire Lord Izumi.” A pause. “Yes, thank you. I’m fine – the Avatar is continuing her training here – mmhmm – Tenzin, I know you’re there, this is a private conversation - the United Forces, yes. That would be helpful. No, you need not be involved – not if I can help it. Tenzin, leave me be, this doesn’t concern you – Izumi says Arrowboy quit fluttering about unless – no Izumi, I’m not discussing my bedroom activities with you – what is wrong with you and Su? Why are you both so interested in that.”

---

Leaving the betrothal necklace by their bedside meant Lin was out on an undercover assignment (Tenzin’s sky bison whistle on the bedside meant he would be working late and sleeping over in their city house).

Tenzin hated those. He never knew when she was leaving, where she went, who she was with and when she was coming back (“That’s the point of going undercover,” His wife had rolled her eyes at him. “No one else is supposed to know anything.”).

Now, Agni knows where Korra was (“Maybe that’s why I’m not able to airbend! I thought Air was the element of freedom – why wouldn’t you let me go?”).

Lin’s words about the Avatar being capable of defending herself echoed in his mind. Heck, his brother Bumi’s voice was also echoing in his subconscious.

And so, the airbending master let the Avatar go take the time off, no further questions asked.

Tenzin inspected the pendant against the light, satisfied with its sheen.

“Tenzin!”

As if conjured by his imaginings, the bedraggled Avatar manifested at the doorway, looking worse for wear and breathless.

“Where have you been?” The airbender approached her, worry lacing his voice.

“I was at an Equalist rally,” Korra opened up, words tumbling one after the other. “I saw Amon. He can take bending away permanently.”

============

Tenzin had been skeptical and Korra would not have believed it herself had she not seen it with her own eyes.

Try as she might, the Avatar could not forget the horror etched on Zolt’s face as his bending was taken away. His devastated expression and Bolin’s terrified eyes kept her from falling asleep.

Sliding her bedroom door gently, she tiptoed her way (she figured the airbender was already deep in slumber due to the lateness of the hour) to the kitchen.

Maybe a cup of chamomile tea would calm her down.

To Korra’s astonishment, there was a woman in the kitchen going through the cabinets in the dark.  She covered her mouth in shock, eyes darting to look for possible weapons.

The woman was in a nondescript peacoat with ebony hair tucked in a bun with some chopsticks, back turned to the Avatar, as she methodically went through the shelves in the cabinets.

Korra saw a flower vase with water near the windowsill. She slowly bent the water out of it, and in the process dragging the vase closer to the edge, forming a water whip.

“Don’t even think about it.” A familiar annoyed voice (a very familiar and very annoyed voice) snapped at her.

“Lin?” Korra lost control of the vase and the water in surprise. The vase fell onto the floor with a loud shatter.

“Korra?” Tenzin’s voice called out. Sounds of doors sliding were heard. “Where are you? What’s going on?” Footsteps from the bedrooms raced towards the women.

Lin Beifong moved to flick the light switch as the airbender arrived at the kitchen.

The Avatar blinked at the sudden brightness, taking in the police chief’s unusual getup. It was no wonder that she did not recognize the woman in the dark because even under direct light, Lin did not look like Lin. Her black hair and blemish-free face made her look more youthful and her plain clothes did not give away any trace of Beifong-ness (Korra was pleased of herself when she made the word up).

“The Avatar decided to try to attack me in the middle of the night.” Lin said scowling at the broken vase and wet mess on the floor (her kitchen floor). “Next time, don’t breathe too loud. You lose the element of surprise.”

“I do not breathe too loud.” Korra huffed petulantly as Tenzin rushed to his wife’s side.

“Lin,” He placed a corner of his sleeve under running water at the sink. “You’re home.” He tenderly took her face in his hand and began to wipe off the rouge and make-up. “Where have you been?”

Lin looked over his shoulder to Korra, appearing to ponder whether she should share the details of going undercover. The teenager briefly wondered if the chief had her suspicions about what went down tonight.

Tenzin finished clearing her face, revealing each imperfection that marred his wife’s face. He feathered a kiss on her lips. “If you can’t say, it’s fine. At least, you’re home safe now.”

The metalbender met Korra’s eyes. “I was at an Equalist rally, Tenzin.”

Ah, so she probably does have an idea. Korra bit her lip.

“What.” Disbelief was apparent in his tone. The airbender held Lin’s shoulders, drawing her attention to him. “You too?”

“I’m the Chief of Police – I was perfectly safe.” Lin plucked Tenzin’s hand off her shoulder and held it, running circles with her thumb.

“That’s just it - you’re the Chief of Police. You weren’t expected to be there.”

“And, that’s the entire point: they don’t expect the metalbending Chief of Police to be at some Equalist rally. It was all good, really. We got enough intel.” The chief ignored the airbender’s scoff. “It all turned to hell when steam spread into the venue.”

“Chief, Tenzin.” Before the exchange could escalate into a full-blown argument, Korra thought to intervene. “That was me.”

“What were you – the earthbender!” Realization and concern dawned on the older woman’s face.

“His name is Bolin.”

“Korra, he could have taken your bending away!”

“But we got away.” The teenager reasoned out stubbornly. “We’re safe now.” Korra was not about to admit that she had trouble sleeping because of the experience.

“That was with luck thrown in.” Beifong had her hands on her hips now, stance challenging. “Don’t be reckless, Avatar.”

“Pot meet kettle.” Her husband interjected mildly; he caught her hand which was ready to slap his arm, bringing it to his lips, kissing her fingers.

Tenzin shook his head as both women glared at him. “If the two of you have any self-preservation instincts, you should both stop running headfirst into this Amon’s gatherings,” He ignored Korra’s reply of “Not a chance!” and Lin’s snort. “Specially since he could, apparently, remove bending.”

Deftly, he reached over to the drawer beside Lin. “In recent history, only my father can do that.” He brought out the canister of chamomile tea, correctly guessing that was the item that drew the women to the kitchen. “But that’s something to think about for another day, why don’t I make some tea then we all go and rest for the night?”

============

Chamomile tea would not have been enough to eliminate the tension at the next council meeting.

City security, order and defense were part of the council’s agenda that day. The most pressing issue was about the rise of the Equality movement. The floor was open for the discussion regarding the apparent impending insurgency due to the rift between benders and non-benders.

Chief Beifong presented the findings from their stakeouts and investigations regarding the organized anti-bender movement. She ended it with the city’s updated safety and security plan.

Nonetheless, the other councilmembers expressed their usual panic, nitpicking at every aspect of the security plan. Chief Beifong was able to refute each concern. Tenzin knew that the police force did not simply come up with plan overnight (oh Spirits he knew how many hours the chief clocked in at headquarters). They had tried to exhaust every possible security threat when coming up with the plan.

It soon became apparent to the Air Nation’s councilman that there was an undercurrent among the jabs of the other councilmembers. They were relentless in their attack of the Chief of Police.

His eyebrows furrowed.

It was almost as if it were planned.

Tenzin waited for the other shoe to drop.

“May I propose obtaining additional support for our defense by hosting members from Zaofu’s elite security team?” Tarrlok banged the gavel.

There it was.

Chief Beifong immediately countered the proposal. “Doing so would be an unnecessary show of force. It would also present the city as being incapable of handling our own defenses, which I assure you is not the case.”

“Ah, that was not the intent, Chief Beifong.” The water tribe representative steepled his fingers. “But, ah, I only desire to make our citizens feel safe during this trying times.”

From Tenzin’s seat at the table, he recognized that the other councilmembers reacted positively to this.

“Bringing in the Metal Clan would send the wrong message.” The head of the city’s law enforcement was adamant at this, voice steady and clear. “Zaofu is an independent city state and with Republic City engaging their defense, it could possibly impact the relations between Republic City and the other nations.”

“That is a valid point,” The Fire Nation councilwoman spoke up. “I for one would think that Fire Lord Izumi and possibly the Earth Queen would not take too kindly to this.”

Everyone knew that the Earth Queen Hou-Ting still denies the sovereignty of the United Republic, bringing in Zaofu forces would definitely result in international backlash.

Even Tarrlok would know that, Tenzin absent-mindedly tapped his pen on his notepad. What could this weasel-snake be up to?

Tarrlok hummed in agreement, considering the implications. “Well then, let me modify my proposal – instead of bringing in Zaofu guards, why don’t we invite them under the agreement of joint training exercises? There are regular joint exercises anyway; let’s just move it up this year and offer Republic City as the host.” He angled himself to face the metalbender. “After all, who better lead the defense exercises than the Beifong sisters, first line descended from the inventor of metalbending herself.”

Only Tenzin perceived the change in posture of the police chief, back straightening and jaw tightening.

“Strengthening the Metalbending police force is not the answer to our Equalist issues.” The eldest Beifong sister responded evenly.

Tenzin understood what the police chief was saying and sought to support it. “This will further widen the gap between benders and non-benders. This is going to fuel the anti-bending sentiment more because it would seem like we are tamping down their rights.”

He could almost hear their thoughts on his stand.

“We might still need additional manpower to beef up our defenses though.” The Earth Kingdom councilmember frowned at him.

The Southern Water Tribe representative added. “I propose we tap the United Forces then.”

“Again, I assure the city council that the Republic City Police Department is well-equipped and we have enough manpower to handle the peace and order situation in the city.” The metalbender’s clipped voice rang in the hall. “I go back to my proposal earlier on the security measures in place that would enable safety for both benders and non-benders but will not cause unprovoked alarm.” She looked at each councilmember in the eye. “We are working on the defense of the city. Just as the RCPD is the law enforcement agency of both benders and non-benders alike, so is the city council. Siding with benders at this point would only exacerbate the situation.”

“I admire the tenacity, Chief Beifong.” Tarrlok nonchalantly flipped through the RCPD proposal. “But let me refresh everyone’s memory – isn’t it the same tenacity that brought down the end of an entire Nation?” The man’s eyes flashed, voice laden with malice.

“Now see here, Tarrlok, that is uncalled for!” Tenzin of the Air Nation interjected angrily, standing up abruptly, his chair falling. The sleaze crossed the line and last airbender or not, he will not let this slide.

There was no mistaking what the Northern Water Tribe councilman was insinuating.

Tarrlok ignored the outburst. “What’s to say that this,” He pointed on the document “Will not bring down an entire state because of your misplaced dedication of placing everything on the shoulders of the police force?”

A ripple of unease was almost tangible amongst the members of the council.

Tenzin chanced a glance at his wife.

As he expected, her face did not betray any emotion - her stare unflinching, her hands clasped behind her.

“We cannot simply place all our eggs in one basket. We cannot take the risk of you going rogue – there may be questions of your loyalty to the state, Lady Lin Beifong.” Saccharine tone belied the message.

Tenzin could feel his face burn.

This skunk-rat has gone too far and the personal attacks on Lin are too much. Questioning her dedication to the United Republic amidst all her sacrifices? Well, I ought to -.

But his wife beat him to it. “With all due respect, Councilman Tarrlok,” None then, Tenzin snidely thought, listening closely. “I am a Beifong. I was born and raised in Republic City. My citizenship is to the United Republic. My mother is from Gaoling in the Earth Kingdom, my husband is of the Air Nation, my mother-in-law is of the Southern Water Tribe and my father is of Fire Nation descent.”

There were shocked faces around. Tarrlok’s face showed surprise. Apparently, he had intended that nugget of information as an ace up his sleeve.

“Yes, Tarrlok, I am a detective after all.” Chief Beifong rolled her eyes; Tenzin could feel a smirk crossing his face. “I know my father is from the Fire Nation.”

“In all my years in the force, have I in any way showed any preferential treatment to any single group because of my connections and heritage?” She jutted her chin forward, indignantly. Her scars made more prominent in the harsh light, a stark reminder that even blood did not stop her from performing her duties.

The other councilmembers looked away.

“So Councilman, there is nothing that you can use against me. Everyone knows everything about me and my family. Make sure you don’t have any skeletons in your closet, Tarrlok of the Northern Water Tribe.”

“Are you threatening me, Chief Beifong?” Tarrlok’s voice rose in volume. Tenzin thought he heard a tinge of fear.

Lin shrugged delicately. “No, take this as a friendly suggestion from Lady Lin Beifong. I don’t have the time nor the interest to dig in your past but, so help me, if you continue to bring up my family, I will dig deep.”

An uncomfortable silence descended in the hall.

“So on the subject of family, since Councilman Tarrlok brought it up – my father-in-law, the Avatar Aang,” By now, Tenzin recognized that Lin was laying heavily on the familial connections, which she hated, so this meant that she was at the end of her tether, tapping on her clout to sway the council. “Had established Republic City as a place of equal opportunity: for people of all nations, for benders and non-benders alike.”

And, just like that, any talk of dragging in foreign military presence and suppressing non-bender rights ended.

The airbender eased back into his seat. But the tension was still radiating from the only metalbender in the room.

The rest of the council continued to assess the security plans brought forth by Chief Beifong, voting where necessary (all of her measures were reluctantly approved).

However, Tenzin could not discount Tarrlok’s superficial calmness – if the man’s stormy eyes were any indication, he meant to cause trouble.

“Well, seems like we have all security measures in place – the police force would be suitably occupied in defending Republic City.” There was a hint of a triumphant grin on the braided man's face. “With that, may I propose the creation of a joint task force – specifically targeting this blight; a task force targeting suspected non-bender sympathizers who have the intent, motive and capability to harm benders.” Tarrlok stood up, walking around the room, stating his points empathically.

There were murmurs of agreement from the council and silence from the airbender and metalbender.

“And who will head it?” The Fire Nation councilwoman asked, leaning forward with interest.

“You’re looking at him and her.” The councilman paused behind one of the seated individuals.

Tenzin almost bolted from his seat when Tarrlok laid his hands on Chief Beifong's shoulders.

==

Notes:

…Because I enjoyed writing council-lashing out Lin, hope it wasn’t out-of-character for you. Will be cutting this chapter here in the spirit of... maintaining the flow of the story. Hope this works. Next up: what goes down during Tarrlok’s gala.

- The story is mostly a reimagined POV of scenes outside of the series. So, I’m going the route of not doing a blow-by-blow of what happens in the series – does that work? Or would it be better if there were more pointed references? Thoughts and feedback are always welcome 😊

#linzin #lin beifong #tenzin #linzin fanfic #legend of korra #cross-posted on ao3 #toccatina's fanfics #toccatina wip #toccatina airbender

[itscalledbisexualcrisis]

Scrap Metal - Chapter 6

Summary: Hiro broke off her engagement to Kuvira three years ago and left Zaofu. All she wants is to live her quiet life in Republic City, away from her haunting past. Kuvira's catching up to her, but is she going to find what she's looking for? Or is she only going to reveal the secrets Hiro kept hidden from her all these years?

Read on AO3

“We have been informed that there are dissenters in the western city of Omashu. They are requesting assistance to take down the rebels,” relays the scout. Kuvira is leaning on the table, flipping through the detailed report in front of her. Omashu had been one of the later acquired cities. She found them to be quite irritating to negotiate with and spent many months going back and forth with the old king about their treaty. It was easy to assume that rebel groups would pop up within it.

“We can send Commander Guan, he’s the closest in proximity and has the troops to take care of any dissenters,” Baatar suggests. “It’s about time we reel in Omashu, once and for all. Who better than our Southern Commander?”

Kuvira continues reading the report, letting the rest of her inner circle pipe up with suggestions and requests. Even though it does make sense for Commander Guan to go, due to the location of Omashu, it was hard keeping a stronghold of the mountainous city. They needed a consistent leader for the mountainous region in general. Especially since their plan to take Republic City was fast approaching, Kuvira needed to be at headquarters focusing on the Spirit Canon and Colossal. Her eyes scan across the table, eyeing her inner circle carefully.

She limited the amount of people allowed in her highest ranks. Various men and women of the sergeant and commanding rank sat around the circular table, all capable and willing to fight for their country. She needed someone unrelenting and dominant to maintain balance in the mountains. Most of all someone who she trusted, and the list was few and far between.

“Well, from previous reports, Commander Guan is already struggling to hold together the South East and coastal regions. Do you think it’d be wise for him to take on a new battle when he’s in the middle of one?” Kuvira turns her attention to a voice with sharpness that cuts through the room’s ardent dialogue. Sergeant Anjij was one of Kuvira’s oldest friends from Zaofu who joined her when she first began uniting the nation. She was a talented water bender, a rarity for the Metal Clan, but nonetheless accepted for her talent. She was an expert in combat and one of the front line soldiers during the first siege on Ba Sing Se. Her thick dark hair was held back in a high ponytail and eyes a dark sea foam color. She was known for being a serious no-nonsense woman by her colleagues, a quality Kuvira admired. “We cannot possibly let him leave the Southern coast unguarded.”

“I agree,” Kuvira speaks up finally. Any conversation left was shut down immediately. She turns her head slightly to face the woman. “Commander Guan is occupied with the coastal regions. We need to maintain order within the entire empire. Which is why it is important we have trusted leaders to ensure that the empire is united. Sergeant Anjij, how would you like to be the new Commander for the Southern Mountainous region?” It was an on the spot decision by Kuvira, but seeing Anjij’s cocky smirk only reassured her of her choice.

“It would be an honor, Kuvira.”

“It’s settled then. We will head to Omashu tomorrow afternoon,” Kuvira instructs, standing from her seat to regard the rest of the room. She turns to Baatar sitting directly to her left. “Send word to Commander Guan to send a small battalion to meet us there. We will be taking a few rations with us for Omashu. Bringing in supplies will be better for negotiations and to reassure the people that we are not their enemy. Baatar, I want you to keep working on the Spirit Canon. I expect you to have it done by the time I come back.”

“Yes, Kuvira.”

“With that, this meeting is adjourned.”

---

“Oh thank Spirits!” Hiro threw her arms around Kuvira, not even getting a chance for the woman to take off her helmet. She inhaled the scent of metal and filth, taking in her lover for the first time in what felt like the longest week of her life. All week she’d been sitting near the control center, awaiting news on a mission from Suyin and the Metal Clan Guards to rescue the Air Nomads. This wasn’t something that happened often, but the few times Suyin took the special task force outside the domes was always a big mission. Especially ones that involve the Avatar. Kuvira usually went on these missions and even though Hiro should be used to it, she wasn’t. It didn’t make her feel any more reassured that they would be facing the Red Lotus again. She still gets shivers thinking about their attempt to kidnap Avatar Korra in Zaofu. 

Kuvira smiled and stroked Hiro’s back, hands gripping on to the material of the shirt. She exhaled and made sure to squeeze Hiro a little tighter. The smell of clean laundry and lavender shampoo filled her senses and she could rest easy now, taking in the heavenly scent of her fiance. 

“I’ve missed you too, darling,” Kuvira muttered with her face buried into Hiro’s hair. She could tell that Kuvira was exhausted. They had just stepped off the airship, most of the other guards visibly wounded. She spotted Anjij limping out of the ship with a fellow guard towards the infirmary. Hiro cupped Kuvira’s face and started to examine it for any noticeable damages. It made Kuvira chuckle at the silly face her fiance was making. “Are you broken? I don’t want to send this one back for a refund because of brain damage.”

Kuvira swats Hiro’s hands away, but it only seems to make Hiro even more clingy, draping her arms comfortably around her neck. The reassurance she got back were calloused hands caressing circles on to her hips.

“I’m fine, no brain damage,” she teased. Humor danced behind the irritation in her eyes. After hours of being stranded in the mountains, all Kuvira wanted was a bath and a long sleep with her lover.

“What happened out there?” Hiro’s eyes glaze across the rest of the injured team. “Everyone looks shaken.”

“The Red Lotus were difficult opponents, but the mission was a success: Avatar Korra and the Air Nomads are safe, and the Red Lotus has been apprehended,” Kuvira reported.

“No bruises or new scars for you?” Hiro asked. She wanted to try to keep the air light between them, but her concern showed through brightly. It made Kuvira feel proud, in a way. It was the way Hiro was so openly worried about her that made her want to tuck woman away in her arms, away from all of the dangers in the world. When she was in the mountains with no real indication of when Suyin would return for them, Hiro didn’t leave her thoughts. There was no doubt in Kuvira’s mind that Suyin would come back, but the slight possibility of losing to the Red Lotus also came up. She vowed that she would make it out and return to Hiro just as she promised. Even when she saw the flying bison coming over the tops of the snow capped mountains, she still wasn’t satisfied until she saw the Zaofu domes come up from the horizon. It was only when she had Hiro back in her arms, did Kuvira feel that her mission had been complete. 

“A couple of bruises, sore muscles,” she said offhandedly. “My shoulder in particular. I had to catch and heave a grown man from falling off the side of a cliff, but it’s nothing compared to the injuries everyone else sustained.” The thought of Kuvira carrying the weight of a man twice her size made Hiro blush and her jaw drop. Sometimes she forgot how strong Kuvira was and how intense those gentle green eyes could be.

“You’re incredible, you know that?” Hiro wanted to laugh, but could only muster a smile. This week had been very difficult and upon seeing everyone else’s current roughed up state, she didn’t let her guard down when Kuvira said she wasn’t injured. She definitely will be looking into that shoulder later.

Hiro held her face, this time gentler. Kuvira let a quiet moan escape her lips as she let her head be cradled. Hiro thought the tired pout on her lips and scrunch of skin between her eyebrows made Kuvira look unusually vulnerable. It must’ve taken a lot out of her for her to be sharing such a tender look with her in such a public area. It wasn’t easy for Kuvira to communicate her emotions, and Hiro never pushed her to do more than what she was comfortable with. At most, Hiro could get a short squeeze of her hand letting her know that she was okay or a hug that meant she just needed something to ground her. But it seemed that at the end of the day, her strong Captain was still a human who craved affection. And she was so honored to have the privilege to take care of such a powerful and beautiful woman.

She left a careful kiss on her lips before pulling her to go home, promising to draw a hot bath and warm spicy curry for dinner. 

---

Hiro tapped the pencil on the table as she looked over her notes again. Zhu Li gently set the cup next to her. 

The two of them had been pretty silent this morning, going about an easy routine with an ease they’ve created. Hiro spreads out the notes on the table to be examined. Truly she was getting down to having nothing left to share. She had drawn up an updated map of the city. Due to the renovations, some streets were shut off and new buildings erected in previous vacant lots. Most of it was resource centers for impoverished citizens amongst other government buildings. There was a network of phone wires that had been cleaned up to maximize contact for the police force radio communications. A more linear pipeline system replaced old lines that appeared to not have been changed since their existence. It was all in actuality mostly maintenance stuff, and if any of it could be of use to the Empire, she had no idea what for.

“You ever thought about working in urban development Zhu Li?” Hiro asked offhandedly. She was seated at the table with her feet kicked up on the metal surface and leaning on the back two legs of her chair. Zhu Li set down the teapot and quietly examined the new documents handed to her.

“No ma'am.”

Zhu Li was a quiet woman. She limited most of what she said to short questions and nods. Hiro didn’t mind her, but she noticed with the addition of Zhu Li that Kuvira wasn’t coming around anymore. It definitely made things harder for her because how could she take down the Great Uniter if she can’t even see her. As much as Hiro wanted to ask Zhu Li, she kept the small woman at arms length. It was too soon to let down her guard and start asking her questions about Kuvira. She needed to feel out the situation before making her next move.

Hiro realized soon after Zhu Li’s appearance as her ‘assistant’, that the air changed around the maglev. The guards watching over her were more lax, probably because they realized the Great Uniter wouldn’t be paying them as frequent visits. Occasionally Zhu Li would leave and deliver the completed workbooks to an unknown receiver.

This was disadvantageous. She needed to get Kuvira’s attention. She was running out of time before they deemed her as unusable and sent her off to a reeducation camp. I mean, she used to know what would get Kuvira’s attention back at Zaofu. The thought was quickly erased from Hiro’s mind and she let out a small cough. Zhu Li glanced up briefly in suspicion.

Honestly, the thought did cross her mind to potentially seduce the Great Uniter, but even she had to laugh at that idea. She hadn’t forgotten about the interaction she witnessed between Baatar and Kuvira the other night, but ever since then she hasn’t seen either of them. This isn’t working. She needed to think of something else. Hiro gnawed on the inside of her cheek, looking at the map of Republic City in front of her. I won’t run away again. But I can’t do this alone-

“This is quite the setup you have here.” Hiro turned her head to see a familiar dark haired woman coming down the steps. “It’s been a long time, stranger.”

“Anjij? I didn’t realize you were here.” Before all of the nonsense with the Earth Empire and Kuvira taking control, Anjij had been one of the few people Kuvira considered a friend. It wasn’t atypical for Hiro to find them engaged in a thoughtful conversation while waiting at the transport station or grabbing a casual lunch on their break together. When Hiro was stationed in Ba Sing Se, Anjij was occupied on the front lines and Hiro only saw her in quick glimpses and at meetings. Now it was clear that Anjij was doing very well for herself. Even after years apart, Hiro still remembered the higher pitch and smooth melody in the way she spoke.

Anjij definitely broke enough hearts in her life and will definitely break more. There was an intimidating aura to this woman and it certainly attracted people. This harsh demeanor was accentuated greatly with her crisp Earth Empire uniform and sly smile.

“Well not for much longer. Kuvira and I are headed to Omashu tomorrow,” Anjij explained. She looked around at all of the scattered maps and diagrams. “Looks like the same old Hiro. Tell me, are you still a pro Pai Sho player?” Hiro smiled slightly. Although it was comforting having someone so friendly and familiar, she still felt out of place. Afterall, the armbands indicated on Anjij’s armband had moved up to be a Commander now.

“I’m a little rusty,” she admitted. Zhu Li was silently setting up an additional teacup, but Hiro couldn’t help but feel that the other set of ears was taking in this interaction carefully.

Honestly Zhu Li was very hard to read. When she first started coming a few days ago, Hiro was very cautious. They talked minimally, only when Hiro showed her what she had written down or drawn up. If Zhu Li asked a question or implored Hiro to explain further, it felt like a business transaction. She gave no indication of her personal opinions or thoughts about what Hiro was sharing to aide in Kuvira’s empire. As someone quite reserved herself, Hiro knew better than to underestimate her. “You said you were headed to Omashu?”

“Correct. Have to whip those mountaineers into shape, you know?” Anjij chuckled at her own light heartedness and Hiro tried to match it. “Your name came up in today’s meeting. I wanted to see for myself, Hiro Zhao, returned in the flesh.”

Hiro tried to keep the surprise from her face.

“Well, in case you don’t know, this isn’t a willing return.” Anjij raised an eyebrow. “From the looks of it, you’re anything but a prisoner right now.” Anjij glanced over at Zhu Li placing the delicate teacup on Hiro’s desk. “But, regardless of the reason, I’m glad I got to see you.”

Hiro’s face faltered. Hiro wanted to reciprocate Anjij’s honest admission, but she couldn’t let their current standings overcome that. In the end, Anjij was a Commander for her enemy that kept her prisoner. And the reality was also that they were no longer young women in Zaofu inviting one another over for dinner or sparring together. 

“You too, Anjij.” Anjij’s gaze shifted as she carefully took in Hiro’s tense expression. She lifted a hand to gently rest it on her shoulder, and Hiro had to resist wincing. She had been touch starved this past week, mainly keeping to herself and shying away from guards when they escort her to her room. She would be lying to herself if the little human contact didn’t comfort her. If Anjij noticed any of this, she didn’t show it.

“Let me know if you need anything. I’m your friend, Hiro, prisoner or not, and I mean that.”

Hiro wanted to believe her. She wanted to believe Anjij when she shot her a determined look of comfort. She wanted to trust Zhu Li as a possible ally to her mission. She wanted to believe that she had someone on this damned maglev to help her. But no matter what Anjij said, she had no one.

---

Most nights Kuvira ate alone. She always opted to eat alone in her office so she can work simultaneously. It was efficient and productive on her part. Sometimes Baatar would join her, but with his dedication to the Spirit Canon, he would be in the lab all night. So when she heard a knock on the door she was surprised.

“Kuvira, mind some company?” Anjij asked through the door. Kuvira called for her to enter. Anjij walked in confidently and shut the door behind her. “I don’t mean to intrude, but there are a few more things I want to go over before we leave tomorrow.”

Kuvira nodded, putting down her current work and giving Anjij her full attention. The taller woman took a seat at the chair facing her desk. 

“The dissenters seem to come from civilians, mostly destroying incoming Earth Empire rations and supply lines,” Anjij reported. “We should be safe passing through on our own as no one will be expecting our arrival. We have suspicions as to the exact perpetrators, but if you ask me, I think the previous king and his council are calling the shots.”

“As far as we know, they’ve been complicit in their surrender of Omashu,” Kuvira answered back. “But you’re correct, they’ve given us the most resistance since their acquisition. We must approach this with discipline. No one is above my mercy. Not even a former king and his court.”

They continued like this, exchanging knowledge and strategies to finding the dissenters to crush their uprising. It was easy to get people to do what you want, it was harder to keep them in line once you had them. If anyone were capable enough to be her commander, Anjij had shown her worth.

As they wrapped up their conversation, Anjij shifted as if weighing her next statement.

“Before I leave, I wanted to mention...I saw Hiro today. She seems off .”

“What do you mean?”

“Nothing obvious! I know from today’s meeting she was regarded as a recaptured Earth Kingdom citizen seeking redemption, but don’t you think that’s a bit brash?” Anjij asked. She quickly followed up upon seeing Kuvira’s gaze harden. “With all due respect of course! I am not trying to question your course of action, but have you thought of a smoother way to transition her to the Empire?”

Kuvira eyed her commander carefully.

“Continue,” she demanded. She saw Anjij’s shoulders relax as she patiently waited.

“Well I was thinking, if you made her a corporal and gave her more leniency, she might be more willing to be of service to the Empire.”

Kuvira scoffed. “I didn’t take you to being so keen to Hiro before? What, an afternoon rekindling old memories made you soft?”

Anjij didn’t react.

“She doesn’t have to know that she’s still being closely watched,” Anjij calculated. A growing smirk danced on her lips. It was one Kuvira was familiar with. It brought her back to days in the Metal Clan. It mirrored the look of success and satisfaction every time Anjij would get the upper hand in sparring matches. Their subtle rivalry was what drove them to excel in their field. As time went, Kuvira turned out to be the stronger opponent, but she never forgot that when she saw that smirk appear, there was a deceptive move coming next. “The false comfort to do what she’s good at, will make her let down her guard. Meanwhile, we keep a close eye on her, make sure she doesn’t slip up. And when she inevitably does, we let her think she has the control-”

“When in reality, she’ll play right into our cards,” Kuvira finished. Her calculating gaze never wavered from Anjij. Her blue eyes were piercing with deceit and Kuvira could see how she was enjoying the idea of this. “What do you mean we?”

She shrugged.

“A first step could be bringing her with us to Omashu. Keep a close eye on her and away from the rest of the troops. The more you let her open up to you and see the work of the Earth Empire helping people, the more she’ll be inclined to help us,” Anjij said simply as if it was the easiest thing in the world. She leaned back comfortably in the chair across from Kuvira. “C’mon Ku, this is Hiro we’re talking about. She’s practically a genius with her technology and can learn any new skill like it’s nothing, but what she doesn’t have is a backbone or awareness.”

Kuvira clenched her fists on the table.

“Fine. You’ve made your points. She will be joining us on our mission to Omashu,” Kuvira concluded. Anjij nodded with the cocky smirk still on her face and got up to leave. “But Commander, I do need you to keep your guard up. Like you say, she’s a genius. We cannot let ourselves be underestimated by her.”

Kuvira didn’t like how her words came out like she was defending Hiro rather than warning Anjij.

“Of course, Kuvira.” The words were empty and it was clear Anjij didn’t see Hiro as a threat. She left Kuvira to eat her now cold meal.

“Commander,” Kuvira piped up, stopping Anjij as the door was halfway shut. “This was your idea. So if anything is to go wrong, I am holding you accountable.” Anjij studied Kuvira carefully once over before nodding once and leaving Kuvira with her thoughts.

The thought of manipulating Hiro into the guise of comfort had crossed Kuvira’s mind. And Anjij was right, Hiro isn’t aware enough of her surroundings to judge twice. But something in her gut told her it wasn’t a good idea to play this game. If she were to do this, Hiro would be moved up the ranks and would be working a lot closer with Kuvira, something she just told Baatar she would be doing the opposite of.

The more she thought about it though, she didn’t mind having Hiro around her. As annoying as she was, she was useful. And that’s what mattered. She was useful.

---

“Have you been to Omashu before?” Anjij asked.

“Never,” Hiro answered. She stole a glance from the Pai Sho game in front of her to look out the window of the maglev. A thick fog coated the outside as they traveled to a higher altitude and through the mountain range. She was never a fan of heights, but what made her more uncomfortable was sitting at the meeting table with Anjij across from her and Kuvira to her left, examining documents. Kuvira had been studying them as soon as she stepped in the room, not even acknowledging Hiro’s presence or the fact that they were playing a Pai Sho game in what was supposed to be the meeting room. Anjij called her in for a friendly game and a debrief of their current mission.

“We’re providing extra aid to the people of Omashu. Due to their location, it’s hard to get supplies out there so we try to deliver big bouches at a time,” Anjij explained, moving another piece of the game. “We’ll be here for about a day or so, but I’ll be staying behind to make sure the rations are properly distributed.”

Hiro anxiously glanced over at Kuvira for any reaction or addition, but the woman seemed very engrossed in the designs she was looking at. If Hiro had a better angle she could see what had all of Kuvira’s attention. Quickly she drew her eyes back forward and Anjij was giving her a kind smile that didn’t reach her eyes. Hiro moved a piece in the game, not thinking much of it.

“And that's the game,” Anjij boasted. With her final piece moved, Anjij had successfully completed her Pai Sho board. Hiro folded her hands on her lap, accepting her defeat.

“I told you I was rusty,” she shyly admitted. “It’s been a while since I’ve played an actual game.”

“No one in the big city plays Pai Sho?” Anjij questioned.

“Not really, not like how we played in Zaofu. Most people played fast Pai Sho,” she explained. Asami was the only people she knew in Republic City who still played the traditional form of Pai Sho with slow methodical moves. It had been a while since Hiro played against someone new.

Anjij stole a glance at Kuvira before getting up.

“I’m going to check on the conductor and the other guards. We should be arriving within the next hour. Zhu Li, if you will come with me please, I’d love for you to make more of that jasmine tea,” Anjij flirted. Kuvira resisted rolling her eyes and a clipped warning. Zhu Li simply nodded and followed. Anjij, a flirt as always , Hiro thought.

It left Hiro and Kuvira in an awkward train car alone with cold porridge and documents stacked on the table. Hiro started packing up the Pai Sho game, letting her thoughts take her away from this maglev. As this was only one of the few train cars taken for their mission, it was very quiet. This was the first time she’s seen Kuvira in almost a week. It was almost unnerving how stoic the woman was.

“Do you still play?” The question stuttered out hung in the air, but Hiro couldn’t back out now that the words were already spoken.

“Are you asking for a game?” Kuvira asked carefully. She glanced down at the neatly set up Pai Sho board in front of her. Hiro shifted uncomfortably under her gaze and took a big gulp of the scorching tea to calm her nerves. She was surprised when Kuvira set the papers down and moved to sit across from her in Anjij’s previous seat. Hiro noticed how she placed them face down so she wouldn’t be able to sneak a glance at what she was looking at. “I’ll go first.”

The first few moves were done in silence. Hiro tries to focus on the game and not how this game brought back nostalgia. They’ve played plenty of Pai Sho games in the past, and Hiro knew Kuvira's strategies. Even though it was just a game, something told her that she had to win this one. So she maneuvered her pieces with deft and purpose, different from how she played with Anjij.

“Why did you let Anjij win?” The question caught her off guard and Hiro hesitated while picking up her next piece.

“What do you mean?” She placed the tile down, realizing now that Kuvira was already going in for an attack strategy to win. 

“You had her cornered for most of the game. All of a sudden it was like you stopped playing,” Kuvira observed, moving her tile to another space. “So tell me, why would you let her have the upper hand? Most of all, why make her think she got it in the first place?”

Hiro wasn’t surprised by Kuvira’s observation. In fact she knew the whole time that even though the other woman was engrossed with paperwork, she was acutely aware of her surroundings. Nothing could get past Kuvira...which is exactly what Hiro wanted. Her lip quirked up in a half smile.

“Still being very attentive of me, I see. I’m flattered,” she taunted. Her eyes conveyed that she knew what kind of dangerous game she was playing alongside the Pai Sho game. She smoothly transitioned her next piece over by the one Kuvira just moved. “Anjij was always a challenging player. She moved her pieces seemingly sporadically without thought, when in reality she’s trying to out maneuver her opponent as quick as she can, that way she can finish her board. If you play against her the way she wants you to, she won’t even realize you’re the one winning. Pai Sho when played quickly can be fun and exciting and Anjij has found a way to mix the two.

But I’d argue that careful and thoughtful movements with purpose allows you to see your opponent clearly than going fast can. I could’ve slowed Anjij’s gameplay down and ended it sooner, but she’s the type of woman who likes the thrill of the game.

And once she’s won, she’ll utilize the same strategy until she realizes too late that she’s used up all of her cards and tricks… and you as her opponent have bested her at everything she can give.”

Hiro had been studying Kuvira’s body movements this whole time as the woman played with the piece in her hand, eyes drifting up to meet Hiro’s in what looked like surprise. Hiro bit the inside of her cheek as her face broke out in a smile and crossed her arms.

“I believe it is your move.”

While speaking, Kuvira didn’t even notice that Hiro had successfully cornered her, one move away from winning.

---

Kuvira narrowed her eyes. Her keen ears perked up and she turned her head from the game abruptly to the windows. She squints, no longer paying attention to Hiro. Somewhere within the fog, a shadow moved. It was swift and if anyone else had seen it they would’ve waved it off as a mirage. But Kuvira knew better. She knew to trust her own instincts.

Without another thought, she gets up and grabs on to Hiro’s arm, pulling the other woman up with her. Some of the Pai Sho pieces jerked across the table, messing up their almost completed game.

“H-Hey!” Hiro stuttered, surprised at the sudden jerking movement.

Kuvira shoved Hiro to the floor with her falling on top. Soon after, the window that was previously next to them exploded in a flurry of shards and the train car lurched. Hiro gasped, her next words choked in shock. Kuvira felt the rest of the metal churn and jerk as the rest of the windows blew out in the left side of the car. It’s when she feels the train rocking to the side that she feels panic bubble up. But Kuvira wasn’t paying attention to that; not the way her body was being thrown around or the ringing she felt in her ears. 

Kuvira closes her eyes and lets her senses take over on the metal around her. That’s her default, she centers on what feels familiar and how she can regain control. Her awareness focused on the metal lining of the train, the plates of metal on the floor, the armor attached to her body. It felt like time slowed down as the train tipped over the edge. Hiro’s screams were only vaguely in the background of the ringing of metal hitting metal and the creaking of the maglev as it tipped over the mountainside, completely detaching from the tracks.

“Hold on.” She felt two arms wrap around her shoulders tightly and bury her face into Kuvira’s collarbone. The car tipped on its side and the rest of the windows shattered underneath them. By now the once pristine meeting room was trashed as furniture, documents, and weapons were tousled to the side of the train. Hiro grunted as they tipped alongside with it, their bodies crashing into a nearby table as the train began sliding off the mountain. Kuvira opened her eyes and inspected the shattered window now above them. The train began skidding down the mountain and slowly building momentum, tumbling further into unknown depths.

I have one shot. One move. Only one split second to get this right.

Fluidly, her arm shot out and with it a thin metal cable attached to her belt. The end of it escaped into the white abyss of the train car empty window. It all depended on the angle, the speed and most of all, luck. Kuvira searched aimlessly for something sturdy to hold on to, but the panic was settling in her bones as they skid further and further down the mountain. Hiro clung to her crying helplessly. She clenched her teeth. C’mon. There has to be something-

There

The green in her eyes sparked to life and the tug from her cable told her to hold on tight. With a flick of her wrist, she latched on to whatever support she found. And the next, she was hoisting both her and Hiro out of the train car and into the white chasm. They flew through, suspended in the air at a fast speed. 

Kuvira twisted her body, feeling the ache in her arms and back as she was trying to control her momentum while carrying both of them through the air. Hiro gasped and Kuvira felt her grip loosen slightly. Kuvira was quick and with her free arm, and held Hiro tight to her. In response, Hiro wrapped her legs around Kuvira’s waist, holding on as tight as she could.

She couldn’t see more than a few feet in front of her, but the dark mass of rock was a breath of relief. It came a lot faster than she intended and her body harshly crashed against the side as they bounced off.

“Do not let go,” she grunted, seeing the mountain coming up again as they swung back towards it. With another grunt and contortion, she managed to get one foot settled firmly on the mountain. All it took was for her to feel the familiar rock underneath her feet, for her to finally let go of the breath she was holding. Her chest heaved and she heard a large thud from far below. She couldn’t completely relax yet, because she still had Hiro clung tightly to her chest. With her bending and pure physics on her side, her metal cable was holding on to something far above them, keeping them from tumbling with the fallen train car. The sweat poured from her forehead. “Hiro, I’m going to pull us up.”

Hiro blinked a couple times, her small body still shaking. Kuvira feels the woman nod against her chest and clench her body even closer. With the reassurance that Hiro wasn’t going to fly off, Kuvira’s attention settled on the metal and slowly they began moving up. Hiro unconsciously gnawed on her bottom lip as they ascended, careful not to make too many movements to disturb their rise. Meanwhile Kuvira focused on keeping supporting both of their weights as they ascended through the misty mountain air.

It was a gangly looking tree growing out of a shallow cave that saved them. It wasn’t very wide and  it sloped off to only hold enough room for both of them to lay down and catch their breaths. The cave was damp and cold, but all Kuvira could feel was the burning from her muscles ache. She moved on to her hands and knees, the adrenaline still pumping through her as her hair flew out in tangles against her face. Leaning down, she pressed her forehead against the damp ground, thankful to feel the comforting rock beneath her.

Kuvira cursed, letting herself settle and finally picking up to the frantic shouts coming through the radio attached to her hip. It was staticy and hard to hear, but she could just make out Commander Anjij’s shouts.

“Kuvira! Are you there!” She presses the button on the radio, trying to catch her voice. She sits up, letting her elbows fall on to her bent knees. Looking over at Hiro next to her, she sees the other woman has rolled on to her side with her back facing her. She didn’t seem to have any visual injuries, which was a relief. 

“Yes I’m here. Are you hurt? How are the others?” she asked.

“We’re all fine! What about you?” 

“I’m alright. Hiro and I are safe.”

“Thank Spirits you both survived!” Anjij sighs. “Where are you?” “In a cave on the side of the mountain. I can’t tell how far we traveled down.” “We’re coming right now! Hang tight!” With that the radio died on the other end. Kuvira gripped it tightly and resisted the urge to crush it or throw it off the ledge. It was her only contact with the rest of the world now. It was the only chance she had to escape this. She looked over at Hiro again, who seemed to finally quake her shaking body.

“Hiro, are you alright?”

“I think so.” The other woman sat up carefully, and despite definite bruises and scrapes, she was safe. The thick material of the Earth Empire uniforms definitely took on most of the impact. Her glasses are gone, and her weary brown eyes fixate on Kuvira. “Thank you.” Kuvira doesn’t respond, but lets out another sigh and leans back against the wall of the cave. Her eyes fall on the empty whiteness outside the cave.

“Don’t thank me. I should’ve taken more safety precautions,” she muttered bitterly to herself. It was a mistake to go into Omashu blind. At this point she knows it was the previous king of Omashu who attacked her. No one else had known that they were arriving. The thought of being crossed made her jaw clench. They would not be getting away with this blatant terrorist attack on her train.

“Kuvira? Are you okay?” the voice cut through her negative thoughts. It was the genuine concern in Hiro’s voice that made Kuvira look up. She didn’t even realize that her hands had balled into fists and the small sliver of earth beneath them was shaking. Looking over, Hiro sat on her knees with a tentative gaze. She kept her hands firmly on her thighs, but she wrestled back and forth reaching out and holding Kuvira’s hand.

One side broke over and Kuvira felt the warmth of Hiro’s hand settle atop her clenched ones.

“I’m alright,” she let out a long shaky breath through her nose, slowly easing her nerves. The feeling of Hiro’s hand touching hers all at once put her at ease and made her nervous. “They are coming to rescue us now.”

Hiro shivered and wrapped her arms around herself, taking away the contact between them. It was quite cold and the harsh wind that occasionally passed made it worse. The adrenaline was wearing off now and Kuvira realized just how much of a dangerous predicament they were in. It was still the morning so there was plenty of light out, but if they weren’t found before sunset, they wouldn’t survive the night. Kuvira stood up abruptly, trying to peer up through the fog at anything. Even if she could launch herself up there, there was no way she could carry both of them all the way back up by herself. And there was to guarantee that there’d be another ledge stable enough to hold them. Right now she could only hope to be found.

---

Hours passed. Even though dusk was still many hours away, their ledge had become freezing. This whole time they were silent and sitting apart with what little space they could find between them. Hiro tried to keep her shaking to a minimum, not wanting to set off the other woman in any way. Hiro’s mind had been racing. Ever since the attack, she couldn’t ease her mind. Did that happen often? Kuvira seemed to be fairly calm about it. It didn’t occur to her before how dangerous being a leader of an empire could be.

“You’re going to get sick.” Kuvira reached out and offered a hand, making Hiro flush. When she didn’t move, Kuvira rolled her eyes. “You either come here and we try to salvage body heat or we both lose a few toes.”

Hesitantly Hiro obliged and pressed her body next to Kuvira’s, making them shoulder to shoulder. She resisted the way her body wanted to sink into the other woman’s unusually warm body as they leaned against the cave wall together. Kuvira’s hair had been let out completely now, and she felt it tickle against her skin.

She felt a shaky breath brush across her neck and she shivered, but this time not from the cold. Kuvira instinctively tucked in closer, making Hiro tense up. If it wasn’t awkward before, it was now with Kuvira’s face practically buried in her neck. Despite the warmth admitted from her, Kuvira’s face was freezing against Hiro’s skin.

“Please,” the word whispered past her ear. “If we’re going to survive this, we’re going to need each other.”

She sounded so sure of herself that they were going to be okay. It was the confidence that made Hiro finally relax into Kuvira’s body and let herself rest. She felt Kuvira’s body slouch as the woman drifted off to sleep. It was clear that carrying them up the precarious mountain had taken a lot out of Kuvira, and Hiro had mixed feelings about the situation they were in now.

She took a risk and reached out to hold Kuvira’s hand in hers as she let the exhaustion take her.

#kuvira #kuvira x oc #kuvira fic #tlok #tlok fanfic #legend of korra fic