#gotta stew in it a minute before I can go back to thirsting | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

sxypigeon · 7 years

Text

Chapter 16: Trouble Brewing

Book 5 Absolution

A/N: The villain gets some back story, the old people plan, Jinora gets an eyeful, and Mako and Bolin do some policing.

Chapter 1 starts just after Kuvira’s surrender. Korrasami fluffiness with a plot if you’re into that sort of thing.

Chapter 1, 15

“Would you look at that - the boy can dance,” the furious trader quipped as he lunged for the thief again. “There’s nowhere to go, kid. Save us all the trouble and stop running around!”

Shit, they got me boxed in. I might be able to lose ‘em in the cantina. Faking left, the boy threw himself right, just out of reach of his pursuer. Kicking up a cloud of sand, he slipped into the crowded bar.

Laughter and hazy smoke masked his arrival as he stayed along the perimeter. The traders he’d provoked burst into the room and paused, scanning for him in the dim lighting. Staying low, he made his way to the back of the bar.

“Anyone seen a kid in wraps come through here?!” a trader shouted. The patrons paused for moment before ignoring the new arrivals. “Split up, someone cover the back exit.”

Crap, gotta move, the boy thought. He scurried through the drape covering the kitchen doorway and took off running, pushing aside the staff in his way. Almost there . . .

“Oi! You little shit - who’d you piss off today?” the angry butcher bellowed as he picked the boy up by the scruff of his shirt.

“No one! Hey, put me down!”

“You know, I’ve had enough of you - this is what, the seventh time I’ve caught you back here and now you’re assaulting my staff?” He made to grab the boy’s arm, but the thief slipped out of his shirt and took off running. “Where you gonna go, kid? There’s nowhere to hide!”

Jerk, we’ll see who’s laughing when his food shipment goes missing tomorrow, he vowed as he eyed the exit. Might still be able to make it out of here-

Lifted off his feet again, the thief found himself pinned to the wall next to him, just steps from the exit. “I didn’t do anything!” he yelled as he struggled against the metal cuffs pinning him by his upper arms.

“I sincerely doubt that,” the old man said as he emerged from his office. “Ghashiun, I think we both know what’s about to happen now.”

“Please let me go, Qin,” he pleaded. “I promise this is the last time-”

“Yes, it will be.” He marched the boy silently to the front of the bar.

“There’s the thief!” the trader yelled as the old man approached with the boy in his metallic grasp.

“What has he stolen?”

“Our strong box,” the man said as he took a step toward them.

Qin raised a hand. “He doesn’t have it on him. Ghashiun, where is the box?”

“I don’t know anything about a box,” he pleaded.

“Son, I am the only thing standing between you and a well earned beating. Where did you stash it?”

The thief struggled to get away until a patron spoke up, “Hey, is this what you’re after?”

“Yeah,” the trader said as he walked to the man’s table. “Give it here.”

“I do believe a finder’s fee is in order,” the patron said with a an attempt at a winning smile.

“Five gold pieces.”

“Twenty.”

“I think the man will be more than happy with ten,” the old man said sternly. The patron cowed under the man’s gaze and handed the box over. “Is everything accounted for?”

“Except for the ten gold pieces,” he said bitterly as he rejoined the old man and the boy.

“Where are you headed?”

“Ba Sing Se.”

“I have a proposition for you,” Qin said shaking the boy violently to still his fidgeting. “To make up for the loss of gold and the theft you were victim to, I recommend taking the boy with you.”

“No, no! Qin, you can’t do this!” the boy begged.

“I’m failing to see how that would be beneficial to me,” the trader said drily.

“I believe the Dai Li are always looking for young boys to buy.”

“Oh, no! I’m not a slaver, old man,” he said angrily. “I’ve heard enough stories about what happens to the ones they reject. I don’t want that on my conscience.”

“Whether the boy is rejected or not is up to young Ghashiun Jr. He is without a home or family and, after today, will be exiled from the oasis. Without a tribe, he will die of thirst in the desert he retreats to when he has nowhere else to go. Taking him to Ba Sing Se is the only thing that will save him.”

“You crazy old mother-”

“Fifty gold.”

“What?”

“Fifty gold to cover transportation and any expenses,” Qin said shortly.

The trader looked to his caravan. “Fine,” he said after receiving their approval.

“Good.” He turned to the terrified child cowering on his knees beside him. “Now listen to me, son. Are you listening?!”

“Y-yes, sir,” he whispered through tears.

“I am saving your life, boy. I will not watch you succumb to the same fate as your father. After he got himself exiled from the Hami tribe with you following after him, I did not enjoy watching him drink himself to death in my bar. I’ll be damned if I let you become little more than a thief and do the same. You will make something of yourself and you will leave this life behind you.” He handed the chains binding the boy to the trader. “The stories are true, Ghashiun. Don’t give the Dai Li a reason to reject you.”

“Sir, another message from the United Forces has arrived. How would you like to respond?”

The Emperor read the message quickly before tossing it into the fire he’d been staring into. “Tell them the United Earth Empire still has no intention of surrendering. We are a legitimate government and they have no right to ask us for entrance into our lands simply because the Great Uniter may or may not be hiding within our borders.”

“Yes, sir.” The messenger quickly exited and left the commander to his thoughts. Soon she will be the least of their worries. He paused and chuckled to himself. I do miss her audacity. I think she’d have approved of our current plans. Her infallible self assurance and stern, but caring demeanor had reminded him so much of the old man from Misty Palms Oasis. Old Qin reincarnated.

“Well that was received about as well as we expected,” Su said as she read over the Empire’s response to their request to pursue Kuvira.

“We had to try,” Tenzin said calmly.

Raiko folded his hands in front of his face as he stewed at his temporary desk. “I’m more worried about these reports of missing advisers. The former Grand Secretariat and several of his ministers have been missing for three days. I think it’s safe to assume the Empire had a hand in it.”

“It’s unfortunate, but I’m not sure why it matters - Wu made it pretty clear he no longer has ambitions to be king,” Su said with a frown as she stared out at the bay. “Without a clear leader to follow after Kuvira, there’s no point in asking the Empire to surrender.”

“I almost believed you for a moment,” Raiko chuckled bleakly, “if not for the bitter humor in your voice. I don’t think I need to remind you Izumi and I will not be able to assist you if you choose to try to take Zaofu by force.”

“Even if I am successful, the full might of the Empire will descend upon my home and result in my capture or worse.” She turned to face them. “Though I am loath to admit it, if we can’t recapture Kuvira, we’d be better off helping her.”

“In what way?” Tenzin asked hesitantly.

“Send in a team to liberate the labor camps, sabotage communications, disrupt their supply chain. She’s just one person - she can’t possibly do everything she told Baatar Jr. she’d do.”

��If she plans on doing any of it at all,” Lin pointed out from her spot near the door.

“I don’t trust her,” Su stated baldly, “but if Korra thinks she’ll keep her word, then I’m inclined to entertain the minute possibility that Kuvira may be out there right now planning a liberation.”

“You value the avatar’s opinion that much?” Raiko asked drily.

“She’s certainly no politician, but I would consider that an advantage. She is painfully honest - something neither of us are - and I don’t have to worry about her having an agenda.”

“But you do with me?”

“I know your agenda, Raiko,” Su laughed as she sat across from him at the desk. “Stabilizing Republic City and your upcoming reelection, but which is your priority, I’m not entirely sure.”

The president laughed humorlessly. “It’s good to know you think so highly of me.”

“Please, could we try to stay on topic?” Tenzin pleaded. “If we consider Su’s idea, we need to decide on targets and who will carry out the strike.”

“Baatar Jr. should be able to provide the targets, but I assume you’ll want Korra to lead the team,” Lin said to her sister.

“Who better? She can pick her team, but I’d assume it would include Bolin and Mako at least. Wing and Wei would be willing, perhaps Bumi and some of your more experienced airbenders, Tenzin?”

He stroked his beard thoughtfully. “I have a few in mind.”

“Wait, wait! Are we actually serious about this?” Raiko asked shortly. “What about Republic City? I can’t just let you take all of the best soldiers in the city. Spirits, if Izumi gets wind of this we’ll be without the Fire Nation Navy, too.”

“You’re missing the big picture,” Su said patiently. “If your assumption that the Empire is responsible for Gun and his ministers’ disappearances, how long do you think it will take for them to target you? I doubt the Empire with give up on taking the city just because Kuvira failed. It’s something Izumi refuses to realize, but we both know it’s only a matter of time.”

Raiko was silent for a moment. “If we liberate the labor camps, then what? We still don’t have a leader.”

“It’s obvious, isn’t it? We start a revolution,” Su said simply.

“The last revolution left the kingdom in a state of anarchy. What makes you so sure this time will be different?”

“Because people are angry.” The younger Beifong leaned across the desk toward the president. “People have been victimized worse by the Empire than they ever were by the kingdom. They want justice.”

“Not everyone, some are better off now than before.”

“Most aren’t.”

“We still won’t have a leader,” Tenzin pointed out to set them back on track.

“We’ll need to find someone in the labor camps, someone who knows first hand how cruel the Empire can be, someone who the people already trust.”

“In one camp maybe, but will other provinces follow?” Lin asked skeptically.

“I think it’s clear we won’t be able to plan every detail,” Su shot back.

“These are people’s lives we’re upending,” Tenzin said gravely. “We owe it to those people to have a plan.”

“Where is the avatar?” Raiko butted in. “If Su value’s her opinion so much, she should be here.”

Lin and Su both looked at Tenzin blankly. “Korra is in the spirit world,” he said simply.

“With Asami,” Su chuckled under her breath.

“Why are they not in the city!” Raiko fumed, missing Su’s implication. “I thought Miss Sato was designing the new roadway around downtown!”

“She has a team of her best engineers on it as well as my husband,” Su said with an eyeroll. “I don’t think I need to remind you that the woman watched her father die in front of her just over a week ago. I think it’s safe to say, she was in need of a break.”

“She never said anything-”

“Of course she didn’t! That woman is just as much of a workaholic as Lin! She’s the CEO of the biggest company in Republic City - she can’t allow herself to look weak for even a moment.”

“They planned to return in four days,” Lin said with a glare.

Raiko massaged his temples and sighed, “We need the avatar-”

“Her name is Korra,” Su said shortly.

“We need Korra back in the city immediately,” he said tensely. “And I suspect we’ll need Miss Sato as well, if not for rebuilding then for this mission.” All eyes fell on Tenzin.

“I’ll have Jinora contact her,” he said with a sigh.

Morning already? The avatar ran her fingers gently through the hair of the woman sleeping soundly on her chest. Maybe a few more minutes. Asami sighed in her sleep and held her tighter.

Last night had been . . . more intense than they had planned, but amazing nonetheless. The tree of time had seemed like a good place for Asami to visit to find closure for Hiroshi’s death, and it had been, but it had been so much more. They had spent hours there exploring not just Asami’s childhood, but Korra’s too.

So much adorableness. She placed a kiss on her head as she buried her face in her hair.

They’d left vulnerable, but content, closer than they’d been. So it was little surprise that once they’d climbed into the hammock Korra had set up for the night, hands began to roam and soft sighs filled the air. The restraint they’d been trying to hold onto since entering the Spirit World barely held. Just a few more days . . .

“Mmm,” Korra hummed as she felt Asami’s hand slip under the hem of her shirt. “Good morning, sweetie.”

Asami hovered over her and arched an eyebrow. “‘Sweetie?’ We’ve been over this - that’s mine,” she cooed with a lazy grin.

“I have to think of something else?” Warmth flooded her face as the engineer’s hand traveled higher. “Um, what about babe or maybe darling?”

“I think you can do better than that,” she whispered into Korra’s ear before kissing her way down her neck.

“I- Okay, yeah.” Words were getting harder to come by as Asami’s nimble fingers worked her breast. “How a-about love or . . . beautiful?”

“Getting better,” she said before meeting her lips. “What else do you have?”

“Ah-h,” Korra trailed off. The hand under her shirt wandered again. “You’re not making this e-easy on me, you know.”

“You can do it. Focus, Korra.”

The avatar laughed and bit back a moan. “Cuddlebug? Gorgeous?”

The engineer leaned in close enough to brush her lips against hers as she spoke, “So many choices, how will I-”

“Korra? I- Oh, sorry!”

The women froze and turned to see a transparent Jinora covering her eyes with an apologetic cring.

A flurry of movement caught the avatar off guard as Asami attempted to vault off of her, ending in a surprised yelp as the engineer fell to the ground in a heap. Korra peaked over the edge of the hammock and admired her sprawled girlfriend before becoming overwhelmed with laughter.

“Um, is it okay to look?”

“Sorry, sorry,” Korra managed between fits of giggles. “What’s happened?”

Jinora slowly lowered her hands as a very red faced Asami climbed to her feet and stood awkwardly by the hammock. “Raiko needs you back to start on a new mission.”

“What mission?” she asked as she sobered up.

“It’s need to know only and I don’t need to know I guess.”

“That doesn’t sound good,” Asami said frowning.

“Probably something borderline illegal or morally questionable. How much time do we have?”

“Raiko wants you back now, but Dad says it can probably wait until tomorrow - they’re still working on a plan.”

Korra exited the hammock a bit more gracefully than her friend and sighed. “Tell him we’ll be there tomorrow morning?” she said looking at Asami who nodded.

“I guess we should be thankful we had as long as we did,” Asami said after Jinora faded away.

“Probably,” the avatar said before pulling her into her arms, “but I’m still not going to like it.”

“No one said you had to.”

“You know what I did like? The way you hopped out of the hammock.”

Asami’s face glowed crimson. “I will remember this next time we spar.”

“I hope you do,” Korra whispered before stealing a kiss, “but for now, we need to get moving if we still want to meet up with Iroh for tea before we go.”

“Are you sure this is the spot?”

Jeong let out a quiet breath to dull her frustration, “Yes, Detective. They always come from the same direction and always walk by the same tents.”

“Do you think they have look-outs?” Bolin asked as the three of them walked casually on.

“If they’re smart they will.” Speak of the devil . . . Just a few tents ahead, a lean man emerged with an arm around a teenage boy.

“Piece of cake - a walk in the park - it’ll be done before you know-” The grin on the man’s face slipped a moment at the sight of Mako. “We’ll talk later. Get going.” He crossed his arms over his chest and laughed. “Ah man, here I thought seeing Mako in that get up was the funniest thing ever! Should have stuck with the Nuktuk get up, Bo!”

“Hey, my girlfriend thinks it’s sexy, so that’s all that matters to me,” Bolin said with confidence.

“I bet she’d prefer Nuktuk to Dudley-Do-Right - you should model both for her tonight,” he said with an eyebrow wiggle.

“Ping, stop giving him relationship advice - he’s doing fine on his own,” Mako said shortly. “What are you doing here?”

The twelve-toed mobster put a hand to his chest dramatically. “Why, I’m just a displaced refugee like everyone else here!”

“And I’m twenty-five story mech.”

“Hey, if that’s how you see yourself-”

“Cut the crap!” Mako interrupted. “I know the gangs are pushing for fresh recruits all over the camps. I want to know why.”

“And I want a date with the avatar - or your other ex, come to think of it - or both . . . together.” A dreamy look passed over his face. “I still can’t believe you screw up with both of them, though . . . hopefully after you screwed them?”

“Alright, Ping, that’s enough!” Boin said as he took a step toward the man.

“Easy, easy! I’m just having a little fun!” He gave Mako a short bow. “I’m sorry you’re shit with the ladies, Mako.”

“The recruits, Ping. Why do the Triple Threat need more manpower?” Mako asked humorlessly.

“What are you a broken record?” He finally noticed Jeong. “Mako, why didn’t you tell me you brought along your girlfriend? I’d have had a more civil tongue if I knew there was a lady in our presence.”

“I’m no one and not with him,” she said with faux-confidence.

Ping looked sympathetically at the detective. “Why don’t I set a brother up? I know this real classy dame that would be just up your alley-”

“This is the last time I’m asking nicely: Why do the gangs need more recruits?” he growled.

“You’re the big shot detective - you tell me.”

Mako narrowed his eyes. “There’s a fight coming. Turf borders are about to be redrawn now that downtown is uninhabitable.”

“Hey, there’s the street smart kid I love!” Ping fished out a pack of hand-rolled cigarettes and lit one. “We’re simple folk, just like the refugees. The city couldn’t give them what they needed so we stepped in. We’re just like you, except that we actually can help these people.”

“By getting these kids killed in a gang war?!” Jeong asked, appalled.

“Sweetie, nothing ventured, nothing gained . . . and these kids have a lot to gain if things go our way.” He checked his pocket watch and grinned. “It’s been great catching up and all, but I’ve got places to be. You all take care now.”

“Are you just going to let him go?!” she whispered to Mako as Ping walked away.

“I have nothing to arrest him for,” he admitted. “But he did confirm my worries. I need to radio the chief-”

“Don’t do it here,” she said quickly. “If I can listen in on police scanners I’m sure the gangs can too.”

“So time to head back to the island?” Bolin asked.

He looked to Jeong before shaking his head. “We can send word with another officer. I think we should stick around a while longer and see if we can figure out where the Triple Threat have set up base.”

“Yes, more important police work,” Bolin said in a voice reminiscent of Nuktuk.

I don’t know how much more of these two I can take, Jeong thought as she led them back to her family’s tent.

A/N: That seems like a good spot to end it. Fun fact: I wrote about eight pages of this chapter while writing chapter 2 or 3. I had to delete about half of it and add five pages, but it was still usable.

I wanted to give a sneak peak at what the Empire is planning, but I just couldn’t fit it into the story. Sigh, next chapter, I guess. Also, Korra and Asami finally get their alone time . . . so it might take me a while to get the next chapter up (planning on writing a teen version and a mature stand alone). Not that either will be SFW, but I don’t want to tack on a mature rating to this story.

Thanks for reading, liking, reviewing, and/or accidentally viewing.

SFW Chapter 17 (plot)

NSFW Chapter 17 (smut)

#korrasami #korra #asami #legend of korra #Book 5 Absolution #mako #bolin #Lin Beifong #suyin beifong #tenzin #president raiko

3 notes · View notes