Fluffcember Day 06: Unbending
My prompt for today was Gingerbread House.
Fandom: The Legend of Korra
Shipping: Kya/Lin
Genre: Fluff with some worldbuilding
Length: 1405 words
[Ao3 Link]
“Tell me the story again,” Rohan demanded, as he was sitting on Lin's lap.
Really, Lin knew why she had never had children. Well, alright, thinking that way was lying to herself. She had never had children, because she had never been in a relationship for long enough for marriage or children to happen. But really, babysitting Tenzin's kids made sure she was not regretting it.
“I've already told you two times,” she said and could not help a sigh.
“But I like the story!” The 6-year-old looked at her from bright eyes. A pleading look, reminding her of Naga's best polarbeardog eyes.
She sighed again, before somehow continuing the task of putting icing on the ginger-bread side. “After the war between the three tribes had ended, there was a big celebration…”
“No, no, no!” Rohan protested. “From the very beginning.”
How often could he listen to the same old story? A story so old, that it really was hard to say how much of it was history and how much was myth. Was it one or the other? “A long time ago, the world was not as we know it today. While most Earthbenders lived on Zhongua, there was no Earth Kingdom yet. For sure, there had been many rulers who had tried to unite the Earthbenders in one nation, but each and everyone of them had failed. At this time the continent of Zhongua had been divided between three mighty tribes. The Diqui Ren to the North, the Yenchen in the East and the Arunima in the South West of it all. Legends told that on the islands in the South there once had been another tribe, but all contact had been lost, until one day Yammenchen appeared. A young and powerful Earthbender, who said he was the prince of the Yenchen tribe. He had come, he said, to unite the different tribes and join them together in peace. At the same time, though, the newest Avatar had been born to the Arunima tribe, a cousin of their king and loyal to the family name…" She really did not understand how the boy was so interested in the history of a nation not his own. But, she figured, Tenzin would probably tell him about airbender history at every waking moment. She had to smile weakly, as she thought of that.
“The story went that after many trials and tribulations the young prince Yammenchen and Avatar Chandran had become brothers in blood and had joined forces, to quell the wars of the kingdoms and unite the Earthbenders under one banner. The birth of the Earth Kingdom, still celebrated to this day two weeks before the winter solstice.
“After the war had ended,” she once more came to the finale of the story, “Avatar Yammenchen, King Chandran and his three advisors build a hall for the tribes to exchange their wisdom and knowledge. A monument to their new found peace. The Great Jia, its beams made out of Arunima wood, the stones sources from the great Diqui quarry and the roof tiles crafted by the tile makers from Yenchen. It should be a monument to unite the new nation.” Incidentallly she finished to put the last tile onto the gingerbread monument, that was supposed to be a recreation of the legendary one.
“And what happened to it?” Rohan asked, as if she had not told him before.
“The Fire Nation destroyed it,” Kya said, making Lin almost jump.
Since when had Kya even been here? A blush burned on Lin's cheeks as she looked to the woman. A blush that really was not befitting the chief of Republic City police. But it could not be helped, after last night.
Rohan looked at the sweet recreation, that frankly did not look quite sturdy. “The Fire Nation really were the bad guys, weren't they?”
“In the 100 years war they were, yes,” Lin said. “But you have to see that the Earth Kingdom had been conquering other nations in the past as well. Or had at least tried to.” Most of the history of their world could be divided in either the Fire Nation or the Earth Kingdom on attack – or in phases where both nations had internal conflicts.
Those eternal conflicts of course had been something to happen to the Water Tribes as well – but at least they had never dragged the rest of the world into it. Well, at least not until Unaluq.
She sighed once more, just before Kya sat down next to her, with the boy quickly switching to the lap of her favorite aunt.
“You really like stories, don't you?” Kya said, leading to a somewhat blank stare.
“Everyone likes stories.”
“I remember your older siblings not being that engaged with them,” Kya said with a smile. “Do you want to study history someday?”
At this the young boy frowned. “Why would I do that?”
Lin could not help a chuckle. “I think he has some years left to decide on that.”
Kya looked at her. “Probably.”
Quickly Lin lowered her gaze, not being able to look into Kya's eyes. Stupid, really. But… Well…
And as if the world had been plotting against her, Pema used just this moment to enter the room. “Dinner is ready,” she announced, with Rohan quickly jumping up. “Yeah!”
Pema looked at the gingerbread monument. “It looks… good.”
The little pause made Lin frown. Really, she was not the most artistic person to graze the world, but it was not looking that bad. Sure, the roof was a bit crooked, but…
Rohan was already with his mother, as Lin wanted to get up as well. But without a word to her, Kya tugged her shirt, before looking at her sister-in-law. “We'll be there shortly.”
Great. Lin knew what that was supposed to mean: Kya wanted to talk.
The last evening had been nothing more than a drunken stupidity. When the airbender kids had been to bed, the adults had reminisced about the old times. Lin had drunken some good rice wine – maybe a bit too much. And after accompanying Kya outside… Things had happened. Things that would not have happened, if she had been sober. Not that it could be changed now.
“Lin,” Kya said, at least being the first one to speak.
“Look, I was drunk, okay?” Lin muttered.
Kya frowned. “Should I take that as an insult?”
This one took Lin aback. “What?”
“Well, what you are saying is, that you would not have slept with me, if you had been sober. That sounds like an insult.”
Lin groaned, even though a part of her knew that Kya was just messing with her. “What I am saying is that I would've not slept with anyone, if I had been sober. Anyone at all.”
Kya gave her a side-eye. “Your loss, really.”
With some effort Lin looked at the woman. “Could you please take this serious?”
“I am taking this serious.”
“Look, Kya, I mean…” Lin groaned again, because really, words were not her forte. “We are old.”
“So?”
“We are basically siblings.”
“Not really, though.”
“And we are…”
“Lin,” Kya interrupted her. “Yes, we are old. But that does not have to mean we are going to have to be celibate for the rest of our lives. Look, I like women. I like you, for that matter. And judging by last night, you actually do like me as well.”
“But…” Lin tried to argue with this, even though there really was no arguing about it. She had had this big crush on Kya when they had been teens – and had been too shy to do anything about that. Then her interest had shifted to Tenzin and they all knew how that had turned out. After that? Well, there had only been a few drunken mistakes. Nothing more. And now she was old. Too old to…
Kya gave a long and drawn-out sigh. “I mean it, Lin. I like you. And maybe you should stop being so…” She stopped as she was trying to find the right word. “… unbending.”
“I am an Earthbender, being unbending is kinda our thing,” Lin muttered, even though it was a weak excuse.
“And I am just saying,” Lin replied. “Maybe you want to change things up for a little. And give good things a chance to happen.” With that she pursed her lips and got up. “Think about it, yeah?”
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