Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

I quietly unfold the tiny piece of paper that my classmate, Bolin, passed to me moments ago. There's a crude picture scribbled on it of a stick-man hanging itself, with crossed-out eyes and a stuck-out tongue, and it's so dumb that I can't help but snort out a laugh.

Unfortunately, this draws the attention of Miss Beifong (not to be confused with Mrs. Beifong, her slightly-younger and infinitely-more-fun sister).

"Is something funny, Avatar?" she grumbles, scowling at me. She looks so damned scary, with that cold-as-stone expression accentuated by the triple scar on her right cheek. Some people say that she got too close to a werewolf one day, though I'm not sure I'm convinced.

I sit upright and force the smile on my lips to flatten out, in an attempt to appear more serious. "Sorry, Miss Beifong. I... just had a tickle in my throat."

"Really? In that case I'm sure you can tell me the weak spot of the giant werebat," she says, raising an eyebrow and pointing her thin wooden stick to a crudely-drawn diagram on the board.

"It's... uhhh," I quickly scan the drawing, finding the beast depicted with thin legs, large wings, and huge pointy teeth. The usual, really. "Erm..."

"Today would be good, Korra," Miss Beifong says, folding her arms and tapping her foot. 

I gulp thickly, knowing that if I don't answer soon, there'll be yet another detention in store for me. "The wing membrane? If you damage it, it can't fly, right?" 

I hope I'm right, I think. I mean, it seems like it's the obvious choice. But then again, they're always obvious, and that's probably why I never pay attention and always get in trouble in this lesson. Put it this way - monster slaying isn't really rocket science. They're bad guys. Burn them. Bury them under rocks. Or stab them. Or all three. Easy stuff. Hell, I could probably even drown one if I wanted to, perks of being the master of all four elements.

"Bah," Miss Beifong purses her lips and makes a sound somewhere between disappointment and disgust. "Lucky guess. You'd better pay attention, all of you. I'm watching," she growls, pointing two fingers towards her eyes and then towards everyone else in the classroom. She does that a lot, and I've never quite worked out why.

She coughs loudly, folds her arms and silently glares at the class for about a minute straight, before she continues her lecture. "Once we have disabled the werebat's primary ability – flight – we deliver a quick, lethal blow. Its heart is located in the same place as our own, but..."

She continues to describe in gory detail how we would finish off the poor, defenceless bat, suggesting we stick to long-ranged bending to avoid its wing talons. I quickly lose concentration, so I extract the piece of paper from my hand, and scribble another face next to the one Bolin drew. I smile to myself at the result – a very badly-drawn cartoon representation of me, wide eyed and fearing for my life.

Making sure that I wait for Miss Beifong to face away again, aggressively scrawling the next monster on her agenda, I fold the paper and very carefully airbend it across to Bolin's desk, two seats behind. I notice Mako, who's sat in-between, roll his eyes at me as I do so. Man, that guy's no fun. So serious, such a stark contrast to his brother. It's hard to believe I ever dated him.

"Bahaha!" Bolin laughs out loud and I jolt my face forwards, eyes open wide. I mean, it wasn't that funny, come on Bo... Maybe we're both just in one of those moods.

"What the hell's gotten into all of you today?" Miss Beifong curses, and stomps across the room to Bolin's desk. And I mean, she stomps. The desks even rattle beneath the shake of her angry boots as they pound the floor. I wonder to myself if she's intentionally adding a touch of earthbending, to try and intimidate us all the more. It wouldn't surprise me.

I turn around and can see that Bolin's turned a shade or two paler than usual.

"Pass it here." The teacher extends a hand, and Bolin glances a quick apologetic expression at me before doing as he's told. I'm not angry at him, it's not like he'd be able to wriggle his way out of this one even if he tried.

I watch, the side of my forehead resting against my palm, as the older woman's face turns slightly red, and a few more frown-lines lines appear above her furrowed brows.

"Korra! Bolin!" she yells, storming back to the front of the class and not even looking at me, "I've told you to cut this shit out before, but since learning how to survive out there is clearly unimportant to you, get out of my class and report to the headmaster, NOW."

I hear Bolin's chair shuffle across the floor, and I quickly push my own stool backwards, shoving my books and pens into my satchel, standing, and following Bolin as he heads out. As I exit through the door, I steal one last glance into the room, seeing both Miss Beifong and Mako shake their heads at me in unison. It's not the first time I've been met with their mutual disapproval, and I'm frankly astounded that they aren't biologically related.

"Phew... I guess we're really in shit now." Bolin says, nervously. He's a good guy, my best friend. I've known him since he started at the academy two years ago, and despite an awkward sort-of-date with wonderful little me upsetting him back then, we've become really close... like family.

"Yeah. I haven't had to see him for months. This won't go well." I refer, of course, to our marvellous headmaster – Unalaq. Nobody's ever quite managed to get into his head, work out what he's about. He seems to be a reasonable guy most of the time, but there's something about him that sends a chill down my spine and I can't quite put my finger on it. It doesn't help that he's a blood relative - my Uncle, to be precise. Thanks to that, it took a long time for the other students to want to know me, since they assumed I had some bullshit advantage due to being family. As if being the Avatar wasn't bad enough...

We walk down the rest of the corridor in silence, Bolin's heavy boots echoing loudly on the marble floor. No expense was spared when they constructed Raava Academy, or so you'd think at first glance. There's hidden defects, crumbling walls, rust and decay; if you know where to look, that is.

I sigh loudly - mainly out of frustration, and Bolin repeats the gesture albeit in a more exaggerated style. Maybe it's somehow mystical, but the corridors here seem to go on forever, and I'm sure new walkways appear to the sides from time to time. Must be my imagination. I check out my reflection in some of the mirror-fronted lockers – reflective, by the way, so that they can act as one of many anti-vampire mechanisms. Yeah, looking good, I think, and I even wink at myself. I should probably put my ego into check, some day.

"We're almost there now," I say, sounding as resigned to my fate as I feel. What I didn't expect is that moments before we reach the intimidatingly large door, it would burst open and the most radiant creature I've ever seen in my life would spring forth.

I stop in my tracks as she gracefully walks past me, flicking her long, ebony hair over her pale-skinned shoulder. I'm not sure if I imagine it, but I'm sure she winks at me, a hint of amusement clear in her jade-green eyes. The last thing I see before she walks past me are her lips, the colour of blood, as they slightly curve into a smirk.

I almost fall over. "W-Who was that?" I stare at Bolin, whispering loudly.

"I dunno," Bolin picks at his ear with his little finger, "She looked cool though! Maybe a new girl?"

"Don't you think she was..." I watch her walk away, the curve of her ass swaying ever so slightly in figure-hugging black jeans, and I wonder if she's doing it on purpose.

"Was what?" Bolin asks, raising an eyebrow quizzically.

"Beautiful..." I whisper. I swear I see her pause in her tracks for half a second, as though she heard me.

Nah, she couldn't have.

Chapter Text

I wrinkle my nose, fending off the urge to sneeze. It’s far too dusty in here, it’s hard to breathe and there’s a distinct odour - like the smell when you open a really old book that’s full of dust. Some people love that kind of thing, but me? I think I’m allergic.

Ugh. I really want to sneeze.

Unalaq won’t even look at me, at us, and instead stands facing the window with his arms folded behind his back. There’s an uneasy silence, during which I stare around the room and study the dark mahogany bookshelves that sprawl across three of the four walls. It’s like Unalaq has his own private library here, though many of the old books and tomes appear to be covered with – yup, you guessed it – dust.

“A-Achoo!” Couldn’t hold it in any longer. I sniffle and wipe my nose on my sleeve, since there’s no tissue to hand. Gross, but oh well. Unalaq doesn’t even flinch at the noise, but Bolin stares at me wide-eyed, clearly worried that I might have invoked some ancient curse with my bold, sneezy adventure.

Unalaq lets out a loud sigh, but says nothing. He’s always been old-fashioned, my Uncle. He even uses an oil lamp on his desk, insisting that he enjoys the scent and feels the light is more natural. And you know what? I can almost understand that part. But using a quill and ink to write with, and those rolls of parchment… it’s just weird. I think if I ever tried to make him use a laptop, he might actually implode, or the world might end.

“I am very disappointed with you, Korra.” Unalaq eventually breaks the silence.

I cough, “It was just a note, Beifong overre-“

“Be quiet. I am not interested in your excuses,” Unalaq says, turning on the spot to face us both with an angry gaze. Bolin’s looking nervously away from the glare, and keeping silent. Maybe that’s a good call.

“Do you know how long this building has been here?” Unalaq starts to pace the room whilst talking, his voice almost monotone, his single, long ponytail swinging down past the centre of his spine. Here we go, history lesson, I think. I have to stifle back a yawn. “Well?” Unalaq hisses the word, and pauses mid-stride to face me.

Why does he always pick on me? Bolin’s here too. “About three hundred years.” I say, and I can’t keep the apathy out of my voice.

“Three hundred and twenty-four to be precise. And do you know how many students have passed through these halls?” He raises an eyebrow, “The answer is thousands. Thousands, of which few if any have had the gall, the stupidity to think they can treat this place like a regular high school.”

Bolin speaks hurriedly, “It was my fault sir, I distracted her…“

“Enough! I have no patience for your attempt at being a martyr. There shall be no further distractions in class, because you are here to learn. You will learn how to defeat the worst horrors, and how to make the world a better place.” Unalaq sighs deeply, and looks between us both, “Is the significance of all of this so lost on you that you think you can ignore monster-slaying lessons of all things?”

“Oh come on, I slay monsters on a weekly basis, and she isn’t teaching us anything new!” I blurt out the words, not pausing to think first.

“That arrogance will get you killed, young avatar. It will get your friends killed. It will get loved ones killed.” Unalaq actually sounds concerned, rather than angry. I really don’t think I’ll ever work him out.

“I do not expect to see you in here again. Pay attention to your lessons, or die in the field. It is that simple.” Unalaq turns away, and walks towards his high-back, leather bound mahogany chair, “You are dismissed.”

Bolin breathes out a huge sigh of relief as we hurry out of the office, and then we quickly march back towards class.

“Well, we survived.” I say, trembling a little after the confrontation.

“Yeah. Although… he seems to pick on you a lot.” Bolin says.

“I know, right? It’s not just me then?” I ask, feeling relieved that I’m not just paranoid.

“It’s probably because you’re uh… you know."

“The Avatar. You can say it… it isn’t a disease, Bo.”

“Well, no. But it does mean you’re stronger than the rest of us. Not to mention you’re his Nei-“

“Now that, I don’t want you to say. Avatar - yes. Family relation to weird headmaster - no.”

“Fiiine. How long until lesson ends?” Bolin asks.

I pull my phone out of my pocket, and the screen glows into life, “It’s twelve. So half an hour.”

“Good, lunch soon. I’m starving!” Bolin grins, patting his belly.

The corridor seems much shorter this time, and I hesitate at the red door. Classroom three, home of the dullest of lessons and my least favourite teacher, but only because she seems to hate me.

“Korra?” Bolin whispers harshly.

“Yeah, sorry. Here we go.” I gingerly knock, and then push open the door.

“Ah, you two. Sit down,” Miss Beifong seems somewhat calmer than earlier, and she gestures her free hand loosely towards the back of the room whilst continuing to scrawl on the board with the other. I head to my desk and almost have to take a double take – the woman from earlier is at a desk in the corner of the room, busy scrawling notes into a journal.

“You may have noticed our new student back there, but you missed the introduction. Too bad,” the teacher turns around, a familiar scowl planted firmly on her face, “And since you missed the rest of the werebat discussion, I’ll need you to stay back.”

I groan loudly whilst sitting down. That’s half of my lunch hour gone, then, and I bet Bolin’s close to tears at the idea.

“Uh, miss?” An unfamiliar voice calls out, and I turn to see it’s the new girl talking. A strand of hair hangs loose over her eyes, and she lowers her raised hand to brush it from her face.

“Yes?”

“I missed that too, and I’d really like to catch up. May I also stay back?”

“You’re asking… to stay back. On purpose.” It’s a statement rather than a question, and Miss Beifongs eyebrow is arched upward in disbelief.

“Yes. Please. If that’s alright?”

“Hah! More than. Korra, Bolin – you could learn a thing or two from this one,” the teacher chuckles, finishing off her newest diagram. This time it looks like a gelatinous mass of eyeballs, which is ridiculous. What the hell can an eyeball monster do – stare me to death?

In either case, I ready my pencil and notepad. I can be a good student. I can. I’ll pay attention, I’ll try harder. And yet I can’t help but steal one glance backwards, only to find the new girl looking right back at me. Her eyes widen in surprise for the briefest of moments, and she immediately refocuses on the teacher.

I chew on the end of my pencil whilst Miss Beifong tells us about the mind-control aspect of the eyeball-blob monster, but my mind drifts again to the girl behind me. She seemed embarrassed just now, like a totally different person from the smirking, confident beauty that passed me by in the corridor.

I can’t help but wonder what her game is.

--

After twenty minutes of learning how to avoid getting our eyes poked out by Mr. bat-wolf, we’re finally dismissed with a disapproving glare from old stone-face. Bolin stands so rapidly from his desk that I worry he’ll trip over, but he manages to right himself, and approaches my seat.

“Come on, I’m starving! What if they don’t have any food left?” he says, with a pleading expression.

“I’m moving as fast as I can, Bo.” Which is actually a half-lie, because I’m spying on Miss. Perfect-hair in the corner, wondering why she’s still scribbling away in her book. Bolin notices this, and curiously raises an eyebrow. Before he can remark on it, no doubt causing me much embarrassment, I throw everything into my satchel, stand up, grab his arm, and lead him out of the classroom.

“So she’s really caught your eye, eh? I didn’t know you swung both ways.”

“Shh!” I say, grimacing since we’re barely out of earshot, “I’m just curious, that’s all. I mean, who is she? Why is she taking so many notes? And I’m sure she winked at me earlier…”

“Yeah, just curious. Suuuure.” Bolin drawls the last word, and I elbow him in the ribs playfully. Still, I have to admit I do want to know more about her, not that I’d tell him.

We arrive at the canteen, and Bolin hurries to the counter, grabbing a tray and looking very much relieved to see there are still plenty of food options available. Me? I just grab a cold ham and cheese sandwich, and a coke. I poke the thick straw through the plastic cover with a loud, dry squeak, and suck at the icy beverage. My parents used to hate that I drink this stuff, they said it’ll rot my teeth, so I always feel some kind of guilt-complex when I drink it.

I hand the correct change to the cashier, and then wander off to find Mako, who’s unsurprisingly sat at the usual table, and with our usual friends.

“Hey Opal, Jinora.” I say, flashing a grin at the two, “How was your Dad’s class?” I ask the young air-bender.

“Korra, I told you not to call him that…” Jinora says, rolling her eyes. She’s recently acquired a massive tattoo all over her body, just like her Dad’s. It’s a long series of bright-blue arrows directed from her core and down her limbs. It’s a representation of the power and flow of chi, or so she says. Personally, I just think it looks bad-ass, more so since she had to shave her head to allow the arrow to be drawn over it, with the tip pointing down on her forehead.

“Yeah, I should know better, Sorry.” I sit down at the table, opposite Jinora, and next to Mako who grunts in greeting without looking up from his book, “I meant to say, how was Mr. Rosenberg’s class?”

That’d be Tenzin Rosenberg. He’s a good guy, kind of like a father figure to most of us, which is nice since we rarely get visits from our folks from all the way out here. His classes are a little on the dull side sometimes, though. I mean, Jinora loves them, really digs all of that crazy spiritual stuff, but I’ve never been very good at it. It frustrates the hell out of Tenzin, since I’m the Avatar, and apparently I should be more attuned to my spiritual energy than anyone. But I’m not. I haven’t even managed to go into the avatar state yet, something that Tenzin not-so-gently reminds me about whenever we’re talking in private.

“Today was mainly meditation,” Opal states, then twists to her left to give Bolin a quick peck on the lips whilst he sits down.

“Needless to say, she had a good nap.” Jinora says, sighing dramatically at the other girl.

“Yes. Yes I did.” Opal giggles, and takes a drink of her apple juice. She pauses mid-suck, staring somewhere behind me. “Who’s that?” she asks, and I turn around to see, then sharply face forwards again.

“It’s her,” I say, trying to whisper between clenched teeth, but failing to speak the words quietly.

“Who? Oh, that’s Asami,” Jinora remarks nonchalantly, “my Dad told me about her, some uber-rich bigshot from the city. Is she in your class?”

“She is, and Korra is verrrry interested in her,” Bolin purrs from across the table, wiggling his eyebrows.

Both Jinora and Opal sound a chorus of “Ooooh!”, and I’m tempted to throw my sandwich at Bolin, but it’d be a waste. I settle for a menacing scowl instead.

“It’s not like that,” I growl, taking a chunk out of my bread, chewing violently, and swallowing so quickly I suffer a little indigestion.

“Really? But look at her - she’s so beautiful…” Jinora sighs dreamily, rests her chin into her palms, and then smirks at me.

“Aren’t you with Kai?” I ask, chuckling when she jokingly shrugs. Kai and Jinora have been dating for a year now, and they might be young – nineteen, actually - but they’re a good match. Ditto Bolin and Opal, though they’re older, both early twenties like me. I guess Mako and I must have drawn the short straws with how things turned out, not that I mind being single. At least… not much.

Everybody watches as the new girl walks on by, and I’m pleased to notice I’m not the only one drawn to her shapely posterior. Jinora turns to face me with a half-grin, and says in a not-so-hushed whisper, “She’s going to sit on her own… Korra, you should go say hello!”

“What? No! Besides, I don’t need more girlfriends, I have you two.”

“Uhuh, but what about a girlfriend girlfriend?” Opal coos.

“I’m not gay, damnit,” I protest, perhaps griping my sandwich a little too tightly, causing some cheese to fall out of the end.

“Yeah, you keep telling yourself that, Korra,” Mako mumbles, though when I turn I can see he’s smirking a little as he continues to read. He pauses, looks up at me, “What? Come on, I lost count of the times I caught you checking out girls whilst we dated.”

“I wasn’t checking them out, I was… I was comparing!” I huff, defensively, and fold my arms. Mako just laughs, shakes his head and returns his attention to his studies.

Opal suddenly twists in her seat to look down the back of the canteen, then faces me, “See – she did sit by herself! I bet she’s lonely. You know. Sat there, all alone. New girl, at a new school. And have I mentioned, alone?”

“Urgh! You guys! Fine!” I exclaim, knowing that I’ll never hear the end of this. I grab my tray and sharply stand to my feet, scowling at them each, in turn. Then I stomp down the walkway to the side of the dining tables, my pace slowing as I realise I’m actually nervous as fuck and have literally no idea what to say to this woman.

Chapter Text

I slowly walk around the table, perhaps a little too quietly, because she doesn’t seem to notice me. It looks like all she has for lunch is a flask of hot coffee, which she’s sipping on whilst studying her notes, oblivious to her surroundings. I have second thoughts, and look back at our table only to see everyone grinning and sticking their thumbs up. Damn them. I’m just being friendly, they don’t get it at all.

I take a deep breath, and gently set my tray down on the table. That’s when she finally glances up at me, and that’s when I feel like I’m drowning in her dazzling green gaze, for just one second.

“Oh, hello… can I help you?” she asks, brushing a strand of black, silky hair past her ear.

“I was wondering if I could sit here. I mean, if you want. Because you’re new. And lonely. I mean not lonely, cos there’d be no way for me to know that, but definitely sat alone, so yeah,” I realise I’m blabbering, and she’s looking at me with a mixture of amusement and confusion, and I forget whatever else I was going to say because she’s actually incredibly beautiful, and I’m an idiot, and I shouldn’t even be here.

“That’s very sweet. I’m not good company though, just so you know,” she says, holding out a hand, “I’m Asami, and you’re Korra, I presume?” she smiles as I accept her hand and lightly shake it.

“Wait, how did you-“ I begin to ask, whilst taking my seat.

“The teacher stated your name, and your friend – Bolin. But that aside, who doesn’t know the Avatar studies here? Your picture is always in the papers back home.” she actually sounds excited at the last part.

“Ugh, don’t remind me,” I groan, taking a bite from my half-finished sandwich, and feeling a lot more relaxed now that we’re talking.

“You don’t like the attention?” she asks, and looks genuinely surprised.

“It’s just… sometimes I want to be like everyone else. Normal powers. Normal responsibilities, or as normal as they can get for benders, anyway,” I say, sighing and slumping my shoulders.

“That makes sense. I have quite a bit of extra nonsense to deal with too, being a Sato and all,” she shakes her head and sips at her flask again.

“Oh, you’re Yasuko Sato’s daughter?” I ask. I know all about her, the CEO of Satotech - the biggest tech company in the world. They develop practically every computer component you can think of, in fact even my laptop is a Satotech.

“Yes. You don’t seem surprised?” she asks, with an eyebrow raised.

“Jinora, uh, one of my friends back there, said you were a… um…” damn, me and my big mouth. Asami looks at me expectantly, and I sigh, “she said you were a rich bigshot from the city. Sato is an uncommon name, so I made an educated guess.”

“Oh, so the mighty avatar is educated as well as powerful?” Asami says, chuckling.

“Don’t tease me, I get enough of that from my so-called friends.”

“I’ll try not to,” Asami says, smirking to herself whilst running a finger over a line in her notes.

“Wow, you wrote a lot,” I say, glancing down and seeing she’s a few pages into the book.

“Yes, I don’t like to miss things,” she explains, “I’ve always believed attention to detail is very important.”

“Makes sense.” I say, at which she nods, and returns to her studies, flicking yet another page over. “So, how come you’ve come to the academy? Did a scout find you?”

I refer to the bender-scouts, teams that scour the world searching for those with the rare ability to bend one element to their will – fire, earth, wind or water. I’m different. I can manipulate all of them, and if I could just figure the avatar state out, I’d be able to use all four at the same time.

“Kind of.” Asami says, bluntly. I wait for an elaboration, but there isn’t one, so I chew on my food in silence whilst she continues to read.

“What bending do you have, anyway?” I finally ask, after finishing the last mouthful of my sandwich.

Asami closes her notebook with a soft thud and looks up at me with what I think is a playful smile, though for some reason it scares me a little, “Do you ask all the girls this many questions, or am I of special interest?”

“I – uh…” I scratch at the back of my neck, nervously.

“Well, I suppose the avatar gets her pick of boyfriends… or girlfriends, right?” She asks, and I’m really not sure what to say since I’ve never had more than one partner nor ever considered being the avatar gives me an advantage in that department. “Just so you know, I didn’t come here looking for romance. Are we clear?” Asami continues, with a very stoic expression.

I grunt in frustration and wave to my so-called friends further down the room, “I was just being nice, okay? They put me up to this.”

“I appreciate the gesture, and I’m definitely interested in becoming friends,” Asami says, her expression softening.

“And for what it’s worth I’ve had one boyfriend and it didn’t work out, thank you very much,” I say, pouting.

Asami chuckles, “Sorry, its just that I get it a lot. I mean… Unwanted attention.”

“Well, that’s not why I’m here. I’m not even into girls that way,” I say, and she looks perplexed for a moment, “but I can be your bodyguard against creeps, if you like,” I continue, noisily slurping the rest of my cola.

“Protected by the avatar? I’m not sure even my mother could afford such a service,” Asami says, gasping sarcastically.

“Just Korra is fine,” I grumble.

“Actually, I think I’ll call you Guns,” she smirks, resting her cheek upon one hand and pointing the other towards my biceps. I glance down to see that they’re half-tensed, because I’m leaning forwards onto my forearms. I always did love wearing sleeveless vests; today’s is a dark blue number, which complements my bonze skin rather well, if I do say so myself.

“Oh really? Then your name is Hair.” I say, puffing my chest out indignantly.

“Well, I’m told it’s one of my best features,” Asami chuckles.

“Yeah, it’s alright, I suppose.” I mutter. I could grow my hair that long too if I wanted to, so it’s nothing special.

“Well, see you in the next class, Guns.” Asami says, standing to her feet, finishing her flask of its contents, and packing away her notebook.

“Laters, Hair.” I laugh, standing to my feet and clearing away my tray, which I almost drop when she flicks a long length of that non-special hair over her shoulder, her ivory neck exposed for the briefest moment.

My mouth feels dry as I return to the others. Weird. Hopefully I’m not getting a cold or anything.

“How did it go?” Opal asks before anyone else can, and I roll my eyes.

“Fine, she’ll probably end up being yet another friend I have to deal with.”

“A close friend,” Jinora purrs, trying to stifle a giggle behind her hand, albeit unsuccessfully.

Thankfully, the school bell rings, interrupting any more bullshit that would have otherwise sprung forth. Seriously, why do they even think I’m into girls?

“Next on the list, Mr. Rosenberg!” Bolin booms, dramatically, whilst hooking his arm with mine and marching alongside me. Mako sticks his hands deeply into his pockets and skulks at the other side, whilst Opal and Jinora head to their next class, waving goodbye. Kai’s apparently not feeling well today, so he’s sleeping off some kind of man-flu in his dorm.

--

Classroom six. A yellow door. A bald, grey-bearded teacher, sporting the same tattoos as Jinora. I quietly groan as we walk in and greet the old air-bender. I wish I could feel even remotely excited about this lesson, but truth be told the only classes I enjoy are the field trips, where we go out in the wild and actually do stuff, kill bad guys, make a difference.

“Please be seated. Today we will resume our studies on the advantages of meditation. Korra, this will benefit you the most, so I hope that you pay attention.”

Great. I’m singled out again, and half the class is staring at me again, including Asami, though she at least looks sympathetic. Yes, meditation would help me reach the avatar state, if I could actually manage to find my so called inner-self and not find sleep instead.

Sadly, today is no different. I’m woken up by a red-faced teacher, with drool hanging out of my mouth and a few giggles from around the room. “Sorry…” I sigh, looking down at my entwined fingers and feeling ashamed. Maybe my body is just over-tired. Maybe I should ease up on the gym a bit, but sometimes even three hours a day doesn’t feel like it’s enough.

“Might I suggest earlier nights, Miss Waters?” the teacher says, and he’s probably right. Tonight, I’ll hit the gym for just two hours, have a bath, and turn in at around ten.

The bell rings, indicating the end of today’s lessons, and it’s time for everyone to head back to their dorms, extra studies in the library, sports, or whatever they want, really. The school is very open-minded when it comes to extracurricular activities.

“See you at the gym later?” Bolin asks on the way out.

“Sure, same bat-time, same bat-channel,” I chuckle. Inside joke, since he’s a massive old-school batman fan.

Once the classroom has emptied, Mr. Rosenberg pulls a chair up opposite me. “Did you want to try a private lesson again? I have time tomorrow night.” He asks, and his voice is gentler now. Sure, the guy can have his occasional little temper tantrums, but he’s good at heart, and I like him. I trust him.

“I don’t know…”

“Korra, we’ve been through this. You mustn’t be afraid of failure, for it is a part of growth.”

“I know… but I’m so tired. I’m supposed to be this all powerful being, and all I can do is fall asleep, I mean come on!” I huff, folding my arms and looking away from his concerned, chalk-blue eyes.

His hand clasps over my forearm and he smiles, “you mustn’t give up, I think you just need to learn to believe in yourself. You managed to master air-bending, right?”

“I suppose.” I agree, with a heavy sigh. Air was by far the toughest thing for me to learn, as the element itself is in direct contrast to my temperament. Water was easy, since I’m from the water-tribe, and came out of the womb with the stuff practically swirling around my head. Fire – perfect fit for my ego, every bit as natural to me as water. Earth, pretty simple. It’s all about projecting strength, which I have in buckets. But air? Air is elegance, air is grace. Air is everything that I’m not, and yet I managed to learn it, eventually.

“So, tomorrow night, after school?”

“Yeah, sure. Can’t hurt to try again,” I say, smiling back at him, and grabbing my satchel. I wave good-bye as I leave the room, and have to take a double-take when I see Asami waiting outside the room, leant against the wall, arms folded and nose-deep in her notes.

“Sato?” I ask.

“I thought it was Hair?” she replies, peering over her book.

“Meh, I can use more than one name, can’t I?”

“I suppose so, Waters,” she chuckles.

“Wait, I never told you tha-“

“You’re the avatar, ergo famous, remember? Not to mention your Dad is Chief Tonraq Waters, married to Senna Waters, leaders of the south.”

“You’ve been doing your homework. Are you spying on me?” I ask, putting my hands on my hips and squinting at her.

“Don’t get your hopes up. It’s all common knowledge, just like the stuff surrounding my family.”

“Actually, I don’t know that much about the Satos,” I murmur, “besides, why’re you here?”

“New girl, remember? Since you’re the only one who’s spoken to me, you’re stuck with me.”

“Oh riiiight, and I just thought you wanted to see these babies again,” I grin, flexing a bicep. I’m sure I see her eyebrow at least twitch a little, but other than that, she seems nonplussed. I’m disappointed.

“As delightful as those ‘babies’ are, I was hoping you could show me around. Also, I’m parched – are there any coffee shops on campus?”

“Two, actually. This place is huge - come on!” I say, running on the spot in front of her.

“I’m not jogging.” She states, walking alongside me and clutching her book to her chest.

“You’ll get fat.”

“Doubtful.”

“Do you even hit the gym?” I ask, raising an eyebrow. Asami’s wearing a loose black jacket over her arms, otherwise I’d know the answer without having to ask. She also has a silver chain with what looks like a gear symbol on the end, it’s dangling just above her cleavage, and her pale breasts are nestled tidily inside a crimson-red vest. I scratch the back of my neck, and sharply face forward.

“If by ‘hit’ it you mean use it, then yes. I practise MMA, too.”

“Oh? Interestiiiing. Fight me!” I say, with a huge grin.

“Perhaps, but not now. I want that coffee.”

I laugh, and lead her the rest of the way. I suppose having another new friend could be fun, after all.

Chapter Text

I stare, my eyes growing wider and wider, whilst Asami pours in one spoon after the other of sugar.  A third, then a fourth, finally a fifth heaped teaspoon, which she stirs vigorously, humming to herself and studying her book yet again.

“You erm... Sure like it sweet,” I laugh, taking the sugar bowl away from her and putting one spoon into my own cardboard cup.

“Are you going to tell me I’ll get fat again?” she asks, cocking an eyebrow, her attention drawn from her study.

“Nope, but you might rot your teeth.”

“My teeth are perfect, thank you very much.”

“I thought your hair was your best feature?” I mumble over my drink, then wince as it touches my lip. Still too hot.

“Why, were you thinking of adding ‘Teeth’ to my nickname list?” she asks, smirking to herself. Then she returns to her book.

“I think two is enough for now.” I chuckle, but she barely even nods to acknowledge me, frowning at a particular passage she has her finger on. Guess she wasn’t kidding about the ‘not good company’ thing, but she seems easy enough to hang around all the same. “Anyway, I’m gonna have to go grab a sandwich, then meet Bo in the gym,” I figure I should excuse myself, since she clearly prefers her own company right now, nose deep in that book of hers. Or so I think, but I’m sure I see an almost sorrowful look flash across her face, just for a second.

“Sure, I’ll see you in class tomorrow,” she says, flipping a page, but not looking up.

I don’t know why, but I feel a certain sense of unease leaving her on her own like this. I glance over my shoulder but she’s still reading, occasionally sipping at her coffee. And… Oh crap, I left my coffee there.

“Sorry, forgot this,” I grimace for interrupting her, grabbing the still-steaming cup, and she looks up, smiling this time.

“Well if you can’t even remember your drink, I guess you should definitely stick to two nicknames.” She laughs, then brushes a few loose hairs behind her ear and carries on reading.

“See you later, Hair,” I chuckle, waving as I head off, feeling it’s a far cooler exit this time, then wondering why I even care about putting on a show.

“Bye, guns.” I hear her say, with a half-laugh.

—

I didn’t keep my promise. I was supposed to only do two hours at the gym, tops, but it ended up being three again, as always. I walk into the shower, my muscles sore and starting to cramp up whilst I turn the faucet handle. The hot water cascades down my body, easing my tired joints, and I take a moment to empty my mind, closing my eyes, enjoying the warmth. Thankfully, the academy installed separate cubicles rather than communal showers, though I suppose that has a lot to do with the rather wide age group we have here. There’s a hard minimum of sixteen for new starters, but people can be here until they’re almost thirty, going on to become teachers themselves, or professional slayers in the city, or beyond. Generally, students leave when they pass their final, though to pass it they first need to be approved by no less than three high ranking officials. I think the youngest ever student to pass was Avatar Aang, my predecessor - he passed at just nineteen years old, and went on to become one of the greatest slayers the world had ever seen, even taking down one of the largest, most corrupt powers in vampire society - the Klandis.

“Hah,” I laugh to myself, lifting my head up and letting the water spill across my face. Vampire societies, who on earth came up with that oxymoron? The few vamps I’ve met were feral, and soon ended up losing their heads. Most common people think you stake them in the heart with a spike of wood, and I’ve honestly no idea where that myth came from. What’s stabbing a cold, dead heart gonna do? And why wood? Decapitation or burning them to a crisp, those are the only two proven ways that we know about, so far. I have three notches on my vamp-killing belt, top in my class, and I’m quite proud of the fact, especially that one time when I used a sharp piece of ice to cut its head clean off...

I massage a glob of pink shampoo into my scalp. It’s a new, cheaper brand I picked up at the campus store, and smells like cherry even though the label says citrus blend. Then I tilt my head forwards under the shower, enjoying the powerful, warm spray at the back of my neck. I like my hair at this length, it’s just so much easier to clean than when I had it long, where it would hang past my shoulders. Now, it rests above them, just long enough to keep my good looks and charm, yet short enough to make hair-styling and monster-fighting easier than ever. Of course, the latter would be even easier if I could actually summon the avatar spirit that’s supposedly residing within me.

“Raava, do you just not like me very much? Is that it?” I mutter to myself, holding a hand to my torso like it’ll help somehow. So yeah - Raava - that’s the name of the avatar spirit, and the same name as the academy. I know enough about the history of this place to know that avatar Kyoshi founded it, over three hundred years ago. And so here I am, with that same power, but completely unable to use it, and in this building of all places. I’m an embarrassment to my name, especially when both Aang and Roku, the avatars born between Kyoshi and I, had little if any trouble controlling it. It’s probably just because I suck at all the spiritual stuff, and I mean like, majorly suck. If I’m honest, I think the reason is I just don’t believe in it, and I know that sounds silly coming from someone who can throw rocks, burp fire and twist and whirlwinds, right? But, it’s just how I feel.

I get out of the shower, with a depressed sigh, wrapping a small towel around my bobbed hair, and a larger towel around my bronze-skinned frame. It’s getting quite late, so I figure I’ll get dressed quickly, head back to my dorm and get as much sleep as possible. Tomorrow, as promised, I’m going to try this whole avatar spirit thing again, though I already kind of feel I’m doomed to failure.

—

No sooner has my head hit the pillow in my small bed, in my tiny shoe-box room, than I’m drifting off to sleep.

--

A hand reaches up from the darkness, frail, shaking, and I take the thin fingers into my own, kissing the tips of them. My heart lurches in my chest, and I despair at the sight before me, though I can’t really see, and I don’t know why it is that I’m so sad.

“Why didn’t you tell me…” I whisper, against her trembling hand. She’s dying.

“I didn’t wish to burden you, my love.” She croaks the words, her voice barely recognisable, and my heart tightens in my chest. I have to save her, there has to be a way…

Then there’s blood, nothing but blood, it’s flooding my vision, choking me, forcing its way down my throat like it has a life of its own, drowning me.

—

I wake up, choking on a taste of iron and salt, my heart pounding in my chest, and I stick a finger in my mouth then pull it back out to look for blood. Thankfully, there’s nothing but saliva, and I sigh, running a hand through my now-drenched hair.

“Great, and I’d just had a shower,” I complain to myself, out loud.

Sometimes, I have strange dreams, dreams that seem to bear no resemblance to anything I’ve seen on TV, or read in books. I told Tenzin about it once, and he got ridiculously excited, telling me it must be a spiritual connection to my past lives, and that I should try to pay more attention to them because there might be a clue on how to unlock my own power.  A clue? In this random mess? I’ve already started to forget this particular dream, though I hold a hand to my chest, feeling an indescribable sense of loss, like it’s my own. And the blood, what the hell was with that?

I lay back down, pressing the power button on my phone and wincing at the screen brightness. It’s half two, and I need to pee. Great, so much for a longer, restful sleep, then. I slide my fuzzy bear-slippers onto my feet, wrap my gown around my pyjamas, and sleepily head toward the toilet cubicles, staring down at my feet the whole time.

“Korra?” Asami’s voice. I look up to see that she’s on her way back from the toilets, and for once, not carrying that otherwise permanently-attached book of hers. I groggily rub at my eyes, and grunt in greeting, before waking past her. I don’t do mornings, though this technically isn’t even a morning. I feel a hand on my shoulder, warm, squeezing lightly. “Hey, are you okay? You look pale.”

“I’m fiiine,” I grumble, pausing in my tracks and squinting through my sleep-filled eyes at her, “Just a stupid, shitty dream, and now I need to pee, and now my sleep is ruined and I’ll fuck up the meditation tonight, and I’ll never get the stupid fucking avatar glow on.”

“That was quite the impressive rant,” she says, looking wide eyed, “Look… since I owe you for the mini-tour earlier, if you don’t have any luck with Tenzin, let me know.” She says, releasing her grip on my shoulder, and turning away, “There are some… alternate meditation techniques that may help,” she says, with a wink, then she saunters away from me, looking far more energetic than anyone should at this time of day. Huh, perfect looks, perfect hair, pale skin, aversion to solid foods so far as I’ve seen. Maybe she’s a vampire. I crane my head to look at the next set of mirror-faced lockers she walks past, feeling relieved to see a normal, healthy reflection. 

Once my inconsiderate bladder is taken care of and my hands dutifully washed, I head straight back in my dorm where I snugly wrap myself in a blanket burrito. I close my eyes, hoping there’ll be no more nasty dreams, but just before I drift off I end up wondering what Asami actually meant about her so-called meditation techniques. Whatever it is, maybe I’ll take her up on the offer, since I’m honestly running out of ideas.

Chapter Text

“Korra!”

Bang!

“KOOORAA!!”

Bang-bang-bang

“Snnnrt, fucking pancakes on… Wednesdays?” I wake up suddenly at the noise, wondering what I’m even saying, smacking my lips together hungrily. The banging continues, and I start to come to my senses, almost falling out of bed, and groggily opening the door.

“The fuuuck, Bo…” I complain, rubbing my eyes. I’d punch him in the face for waking me up, if only I had the energy.

“You’ve slept in again.” He rolls his eyes, and it takes a few moments for his words to register.

“Uuuurgh. What time is it?”

“Half eight,” he sighs, “I’ll wait here.”

“Fuck!” I curse again as I slam the door. I always did swear more in the morning. “Fuck.  Fuck. FUCK!”  I dash around the room, stripping and throwing my pyjamas into a heap, quickly finding fresh underwear, then grabbing my deodorant and spraying under my arms. “Hah, shower in a can!” I declare to myself, sniffing my pits quickly to see if I’ll get away with it. It’s not perfect, thanks to that stupid fucking nightmare making me sweat, but it’s not terrible. Should be okay. Should be. “Clothes, where are you… fucking-hell-shitty-stupid-pants” I grumble, rifling through my drawers. I’m so far behind on my laundry, and I can’t find any fresh jeans. Well, I’ll just have to wear the same ones I wore yesterday. And the day before. They’re not dirty, so it’s fine. Yup. I randomly grab one of my many T-Shirts, this time a black, short sleeved one, with a picture of a red-eyed, stoner giraffe. I don’t even remember where I got that one from, but Miss. Beifong hates it, so it’s perfect.

By the time I’m dressed, I’m more or less awake, but still feeling very pissed off. I need a coffee, and now I won’t have time to grab one. I creak open my door, pouting to myself, and Bolin quickly pops into view.

Good to go?” He asks, smiling sincerely. He’s a good guy, don’t know how he puts up with me sometimes.

“Korrraaa, got you this.  Bo said you’d need it,” Opal pops her head around the corner, holding aloft the most magnificent prize I’ve ever seen. A tall cappuccino, no doubt just the way I like it, one sugar, extra cream.

“I love you guys, so much,” I groan, taking the cup from Opal and limply wrapping my arms around the two of them.

“You should really turn your phone alarm volume up,” Opal chides me as we walk down the corridor.

“It’s at max!” I exclaim, “I just had a rough night, that’s all.”

“Nightmares again?” Bolin asks. I’ve told my friends just a few choice snippets from the wacky dreams, because they’re often so abstract, and so hard to remember. They probably all think I’m nuts, yet they still hang out with me, and they get me coffee too. Truly, I am blessed.

“Yeah, this one was gross,” I sigh, still remembering the overwhelming, metallic taste. I take a swig of my coffee to get rid of the memory, though it’s a little too hot. One of these days I’ll badly burn my tongue.

“Don’t wanna talk about it?” Opal asks, squeezing her arm into mine, “Na-uh, sorry.” I mutter. Neither of them push me on the matter, for which I’m grateful.

“Well, here we are. And on time, somehow!” Bolin chuckles, whilst we stand before the steel double-doors. Classroom eight, an over-sized room in which two cubes study together. This lesson is called Survival. It’s a very broad term, and frankly the teacher seems to make it up as she goes along, yet we do seem to learn a lot from her, and her lessons are usually pretty solid fun.

As for cubes - that’s what they call groups of students here, and it’s a weird name if you ask me. It makes me think of meat. Maybe it’s supposed to? Maybe we’re the meat. We’re grouped by skill level rather than age, each cube houses between fifteen to twenty students, and mine is affectionately called the Upper Cube, or the UC for short. It’s the fifth and final tier, which students must reach in order to be eligible for their finals. Opal, Kai and Jinora are in the next one down; cube four, though Jinora is rumoured to be moving up soon. Lastly, there’s the lower cube, or cube one, where we all start out. Moving between cubes is determined by how good you are, rather than age, though it’s also been known for students to be shifted down. Shit, I hope that doesn’t happen to me. I keep failing at meditation, after all.

“Hurry up, hurry up,” Toph grumbles, idly swinging one leg whilst she sits on the edge of her desk. Believe it or not, she’s also a Beifong, the mother to the other two. She’s old, she’s cranky as shit, but she’s funny. She’s also blind, not that it seems to hinder her any, but she can scare the shit out of people with her white eyes when she wants to. We all have to call her by her first name - Toph - because it’s too damn confusing with her stupid damn daughters being here otherwise. Her words, not mine.

“Right, I want the cubes to split, you know the drill,” she barks, and there’s a quick flurry of activity as we each pick a partner from the opposite group, shuffling to our desks, each of which sits two. I buddy up with Jinora, as always. I’m gonna miss that once she moves up. I glance across the room and catch Asami’s eye, she quickly smiles back. It looks like she’s found Kai, and he’s looking a lot better today - guess the man-flu didn’t kill him off.

“Check it out, your girlfriend has found your boyfriend,” I say, barely concealing a laugh as Jinny elbows me in the ribs. Toph glares in my direction with those soulless eyes, and I quickly silence myself. Toph’s great and all, but the absolute last teacher that you’d ever want to start shit with. There’s a rumour going around that some kid, a nasty piece of work by the name of Jin, was terrorising this girl, threatening sexual assault even. Toph found out. He’s never been seen since.

“Okay, working in pairs, I’m going to shout out some made-up scenarios which may or may not represent crap I’ve had to deal with, and you are going to write the first solutions that come to mind,” Toph bellows out, walking down each aisle, and depositing paper and pens. Yes! I like these ones. We get to make some crazy shit up, though there’s usually quite a lot to learn, too. Toph didn’t get this old by being a bad at slaying, after all.

I grin at Jinora, pen gripped firmly, ready for some quick-fire answers. We’re both really good at this, and perhaps, just subconsciously, I’m looking forwards to showing off in front of a certain new student.

Chapter Text

“You’re in a cave, a feral’s nest. It’s dark, dank, and cooolllld.” Toph drawls out the last word, cuddles herself, and pretends to shiver, “One of you is holding a flashlight, the other, a gun, with two silver bullets,” she pauses, slowly pacing the room. Toph always did like to add in these melodramatic pauses, to build up the tension, “You’ve cornered your target - a lone, starving feral. You aim, you’re about to shoot, but then-”

Toph slams her hand on the nearest desk, which happens to be the one Asami’s at. I hold back a laugh when she nearly falls off her chair, her eyes almost popping out of their socket, Kai grabbing her arm to steady her. “- five more jump down from an unseen ledge, snarling, growling. Hungry.” Toph stretches out her fingers and crouches down as though to mimic a feral. It’s a poor impression, but I’ll give her points for trying. “What… do… you… do? Write it. Go.” She demands, raising a finger into the air.

The classroom erupts into frenzied whispers, though you can pretty much hear Bolin’s every word, and I tilt my head back to see Opal placing a hand across his mouth and rolling her eyes at me. Subtlety really isn’t Bolin’s strong point.

“Korra?” Jinora whispers, “What do you think?”

The answer has to be valid, it has to fit with your group. For example, in Bolin and Opal’s case, they couldn’t use fire bending since they’re earth and air benders, respectively.

“Burn the crap out of them, I guess,” I quietly mutter, chewing the end of my pencil, staring across at Asami. She’s furiously scribbling something down, and Kai is gripping his chin, squinting. Now he’s wide-eyed, nodding with excitement, and I have to wonder what she’s come up with.

“Korra, there’s six of them,” Jinora whispers, grabbing my chin, tilting my head and returning my gaze to the blank sheet of paper.

“Uh, combine your air with my fire, make a fire vortex, take em all down,” I say, whilst writing. We’ve practised combined attacks like that before, and we’re not perfect by any means, but it’s quite effective. It’s kind of how I imagine the avatar state would feel, being able to fuse elemental effects like that, if I could only get my damn glow on. “Once they’re knocked back, finish them off.” I continue. Jinora doesn’t look convinced whilst she reads the two lines I’ve written. Maybe she’s right, I usually come up with something a little more imaginative.

“Times up!” Toph yells, “Bolin, we already know yours since you shouted it across the room,” she folds her arms and sighs, “You’re dead. Magma? You can’t bend lava, you dimwit.” Bolin looks like he’s about to protest, and Opal’s holding her head in her palm, shaking it in disdain.

“Okay, blondie, let’s see yours,” Toph says, grabbing Sen’s paper. Sen is a good guy, and as always, he’s paired with his boyfriend, Yena. They’re kinda cute together; Sen’s blonde, short scruffy hair is a stark contrast to Yena’s intricately platted, silky-black locks. They’re both firebenders, so should be pretty good in this kind of scenario, or so you’d think, but Toph cackles loudly when Sen finishes reading from their paper. Something about flooding the cave with firelight to blind the ferals, then disguising their smell with bat droppings.

“Hahaha, oh you boys. You kill me. Well, actually you killed yourselves in this case,” Toph frowns, slamming her palm on their desk, “A polite reminder, my little minions - ferals can smell and hear pretty much anything, just like a sane can.”

Sanes. That’s what we affectionately call non-feral vampires, humanoid in appearance, and civilised - or so we’re told. Those are the one’s we’re not allowed to kill, now that there’s laws to protect them. I can’t say I’ve ever met one, and given some of the shit I’ve heard, I can’t say I ever want to. I shudder, remembering the recent dream, and the taste of blood. Is that what it’s like when they feed? How can they cope with that? How can they enjoy it?

Toph picks four more desks at random, being sure to laugh and poke fun at each student in turn. So far, we have a lot of dead bodies in the classroom. Then again, this is a much harder scenario than usual, maybe the hardest she’s ever given us, now that I think about it. She wanders to the front of the class, and pauses at our desk, folding her arms.

“Korra. What you and Jinny got this time?” she asks. Jinora picks up our paper, glares in my direction, shaking her head as she reads, “Apparently we’re going to fire-vortex them, and finish them off once they’re down.”

“Finish them off with what? Your fingernails?” Toph raises an eyebrow incredulously.

“Jinora’s got two shots, that’s at least one down. I can make ice blades, or torch them to ashes, or hell, crush the-”

“Do you have a fever today?” Toph interrupts me, “You’re dead, Avatar, and you just killed your friend, too.”

“What? No-” I start to argue but quickly bite my tongue when she slams her palm on the desk.

“Dead people don’t talk,” she growls, “Firstly, you’d use earth bending in a cave? Are you insane or does the thought of being buried alive actually appeal to you?” Toph lets out a long, drawn-out sigh, and shakes her head “You’re letting your power go to your head, Korra. Ferals aren’t that easy... or have you forgotten about Mey?”

I grimace at the name. “That’s a low blow,” I say, my voice barely a whisper, whilst I crumple my piece of paper into a ball. Jinora places a hand above mine, giving it a light squeeze. It doesn’t help. I close my eyes, feeling sick to the pit of my stomach, my mind swirling with visions as stark now as they were back then, five years ago.

—

Meyla Rhodes. My first real friend. Pale skin, long, curly red hair, and freckles. Lots of freckles. Kids would single her out, pick on her for it, but me? I told her they made her look pretty. She’d swat at me and say I was full of shit, but she’d blush all the same, and when she grinned there’d be these deep, cute dimples right above the corners of her mouth.

It was before I’d met Mako. Before I knew Bolin, Opal, Kai or Jinora. We were just seventeen, studying in cube three, and she'd just passed her driving test. We thought it'd be an awesome idea to celebrate by escaping campus for a late night drive, and so we decided to grab some chicken wings from McTucks. We didn't check the news, we didn't know ferals were on the loose that night... not that it's any excuse.

"You going for BBQ or cajun?" she asked, but kept her eyes on the road. She was great at driving, and it was no wonder she passed her test the first time. We were headed down the only road out of campus, a single lane, with tight turns, constantly shrouded in darkness because of the thick overgrowth and tall trees.

We didn’t go all that fast, but she... hit… something. Don't know what, but it sent the car flying, and flipped it right over. I didn’t even have my seatbelt on, neither did she - fucking idiots, the both of us. I tried to get up, only realising then that I couldn’t move, there was a heavy weight holding my legs down, and pain was creeping up, from my thighs to my waist. I tried to sit up, putting my weight onto my elbows, wincing. I could see I was pinned underneath the flipped car, my legs trapped beneath the metal prison. I remember thinking that hopefully I'd survive, but my legs? Probably not.

"You okay?" I coughed the words, spat out a mix of phlegm and blood, and tried not to black out when I felt a sudden, hot streak of pain. My legs, they were hurting real bad, and everything had started to go numb from the waist down.

"I... I think so," I heard her voice, soon found her. She was over by a tree, sat up, rubbing at her bloodied forehead. She groaned, then there was this moment of silence, just for a second, before she screamed, and fuck, it was the most horrific noise I've ever heard.

Ferals don't work like normal vamps. They need blood, sure, but they don't stop there. They're mindless, ravenous, the very definition of a monster. One is bad news. Two? Yeah, you’re fucked. We were fucked.

And so I watched, frozen in horror, as those two... things... literally tore strips of flesh from her, and she was screaming, her arms jerking wildly, whilst blood streamed down her face. I savagely pulled and yanked to try get free, felt my own skin shred beneath the jagged metal cage, and I screamed, screamed until my fucking lungs burned raw, maybe because I was frustrated, maybe cos it was the only way to drown out the wet, horrific noises they made whilst they… chewed at her. I tried so fucking hard to get that shitty chunk of metal off me, but it was useless, all I’d done is make my own injuries worse, and a pool of blood seeped over my clothes just under my waist.

 I started to feel tired. Real tired. I collapsed back, my head tilted to one side, and I looked, not being able to turn away. I just fucking watched as chunk after chunk was ripped away, sucked between their monstrous, savage jaws. The last thing I saw was her hand, shaking, bloodied, reaching out towards me, one eye visible, the rest of her tattered face hidden beneath an oozing, dark-crimson stream.

“Mey…” I croaked her name, my voice as broken as my spirit, my strength gone, my body numb. I’d failed her. I’d failed myself, and it’s some small mercy that I’d be next.

Her screams became wails, desperate sobs, gargling, nightmarish shrieks, and then... nothing. My pain stopped. Everything went black.

I found out later that the Beifongs had followed us, go figure. Just in time to save me, but far, far too late for Meyla. They wouldn’t even let me see her corpse, they couldn’t even fix it for the funeral. If only we had stayed on campus, or checked the news. If only I’d known how to control the Avatar state, then I could have stopped this, I could have saved her.

And now, every time I look at the faint, jagged scars on my thighs, just above the knee, I’m reminded of her. I’m reminded of my failure.

—

I’m suddenly brought back to the present by rough, bony fingers ruffling my hair, and I look up through my tears to see Toph, smiling at me. It’s a rare sight. “It wasn’t your fault, Korra,” Toph’s voice softens at the words, “I was just reminding you how strong they are. And you ALL need to be fully aware,” Toph raises her voice as she walks away from me, “that a single feral can be anywhere between two to ten times faster and stronger than you are. That’s one. You’re facing six, and they’re hungry, which makes them even meaner.” Toph paces the classroom floor a couple more times, hands held behind her back. Then she straightens up and points in Asami’s direction.

“New girl! Kai!” she barks, almost causing Asami to fall off her chair again, “What you got?”

Yes! I’ll finally find out what bending Asami has. It’s about time, the curiosity had been killing me, and my mood lifts a little at the thought. Asami holds the paper out, and Toph must hear it rattle because she tilts her head to the side, raising an eyebrow, whilst Kai slaps himself in the face. There’s a few almost painful seconds of silence before realisation dawns on the poor girls face, she holds her hand to her mouth with a look of pure horror, and I manage a small chuckle at the sight, shaking my head at her when she scowls at me.

“You’ll have to read it out, honey,” Toph says, her voice sounding a little too sweet, and there’s no doubt in my mind that she just singled Asami out for some future classroom bullying. Could be fun. Asami opens her mouth, about to pour out the secrets I so desperately wish to hear.

Suddenly, the school siren sounds. We’re sat right under one of the speakers, and the damn thing nearly deafens me, wailing in a non-stop loop. There’s no way it’s a drill at this time of day, and this isn’t a fire alarm, either. Wrong sound.

It’s a general alert. Someone, or something, is attacking the Academy.

Chapter Text

No sooner has the painfully-loud noise stopped, than Tenzin bursts through the door, red-faced and panting.

“Cube five seniors, with me, hurry!” he exhales. By seniors he means us, the eldest in the group, basically anyone over twenty. Cube five’s relatively young at the moment, so the seniors would include Yena and Sen, then myself, Bolin, Mako, and I guess… Asami? Seems a big ask for a new girl to be involved in a hunt so soon.

“Okay, the rest follow me, we’re off to have ourselves a bunker party,” Toph cackles, shuffling away, “And no pushing, or shoving, and stay double-file, shoulder to shoulder! You know the drill!”

“Be careful honey,” Opal kisses Bolin on his cheek, then moves her lips to his, where she lingers. She’s soon dragged away by Toph, muttering something about how kids can’t stop sticking their lips to each other these days.

“Smash one for me, Korra,” Jinora grins, arm-in-arm with Kai. The rest of them follow Toph, in a tight formation, as instructed. They’ll be headed to the bunker, a protected sub-level of the school where all lower cubes and non-seniors can safely reside. They can stay down there for days at a time, or even weeks, if it comes to it. There’s food, water, air, beds, stuff needed to get through anything short of an apocalypse. I’ve been down there twice myself, and it’s exciting at first, but there was this one time where we were stuck there for two days, back when they had to clear out a mutant hornet nest. Yeah. It started to get dull, real fast.

I nod at Jinora, “Will do, Jinny. Take care.” Of course, what, exactly I’ll be ‘smashing’ remains to be seen. I look across the room to see that Asami looks a little lost, and I realise she’s probably unsure whether to follow the juniors or stay put.

“Hey, Hair! Over here,” I wave her across, and she shrugs, then walks towards me.

“Ah, the new girl, apologies, but I need you to follow the others.” Tenzin says, fiddling with his belt. He’s wearing his scabbard, complete with his sheathed, silver longsword. I’ve seen the blade before, and it’s beautiful, engraved tip to hilt with runes. It’s the same weapon that Aang once wielded, passed down to his son. I don’t think I mentioned it before, but avatar Aang was Tenzin’s Father. Kind of weird to have a teacher act like a father to me when my previous life was a father to him - man, this stuff really hurts my head. 

Asami stays put, doesn’t follow Toph like she’s told, and I hum quietly, a smile curving up my lips at the thought that she may actually be as stubborn as I am. “I’d rather stay, if that’s okay.” She says. Hah, so she is stubborn. Maybe we’ll get along better than I thought, though it depends if she’s going to spend her whole life reading books, eating sugar and ignoring people.

“Asami, wasn’t it? As I said, I need you to-”

“I’ll be fine, Sir. Really.” Asami says, lacing her fingers together, then stretching out her knuckles with a few small pops.

“No, this won’t do. You’ve had barely any training, just do as you are tol-”

A loud crash down the hall, followed be a high-pitched, blood curdling scream, puts a swift end to the argument. For once, I think I agree with Tenzin on this one, but I guess I’ll just have to keep an eye on Asami. It wouldn’t do for her to die on her second day… I can just imagine the tabloid headlines if the daughter of the Satotech CEO died here. It doesn’t even bear thinking about. We race towards the place the sound came from, and there’s a smashed window with chunks of coloured glass scattered everywhere. Come to think of it, we don’t have coloured glass, not down this corridor.

Yeah... it's blood. The glass is stained with blood. I shake my head, wondering which poor bastard was taken here.

“This isn’t good,” Tenzin mutters, peering through the gaping hole of the huge, half-destroyed window.

“So what are we dealing with anyway?” Mako asks, folding his arms whilst I stretch my arms behind my back, limbering up for whatever the hell is next.

“Werebats.” Tenzin says, crouching to the ground, picking up a chunk of glass and running it between his fingers, then sighing and shaking his head, “We’re not sure how many. Su saw two, took one down immediately, but the other flew away,” he stands, and dusts his long, yellow-chequered trousers down, “Let’s hurry to the gates. The others should be there.”

We’re just starting to run when I hear a soft sobbing nearby. “Wait!” I exclaim, then crouch down to see a young, brown-haired girl hiding under a desk, though I don’t recognise her. “Hey, are you okay?” I ask. She shakes her head, and that’s when I notice her arm is cut up pretty bad. “Tenzin, She needs healing.”

“Yena, Sen - take her to the bunker, please.” Tenzin says.

“Of course, sir,” Sen says, polite and courteous as always. Yena is the friendlier of the two, and he has no problem coaxing the terrified girl out. Apparently her name is Lia, she’s only seventeen, from cube one. She seems to instantly trust Yena, but with his baby-blue eyes and soft voice, that’s no real surprise.

After they head off, we run. We pass what may be two more abduction sites, and sadly, from what I know about werebats, the victims are unlikely to have survived. These monsters swoop in, grab their prey, take them somewhere safe and… feed. This is the downside of having benders in one place - we’re delicious, our blood is like a delicacy to most monsters. Even so, attacks against the academy are usually rare - the school has excellent defences, and, delicious or not, we’re just not worth the trouble. I’m surprised werebats got through at all, thinking about it. There should be protective runes and wards around the academy, marks that cause monsters to explode the second they get near. Maybe something more sinister is at play? I make a mental note to ask Mako about it later, and see what he thinks.

We soon arrive at the main school gate, and assemble at the top of the wide staircase, just outdoors. The skies are grey, overcast, threatening rain, and the air is filled with wild screeches and snarls. It’s actually the first time I’ve seen werebats in person. Unlike their smaller, furrier and cuter cousins, these guys don’t use sonar, they’re certainly not silent. If it weren’t for their tiny, beady red eyes, thick pelt of black fur, and the snout, they’d almost look human. Almost. What I don’t see is their wings, and I soon realise it’s because they’re pinned back with metal spikes. The Beifongs must have done that, and it’s an impressive feat to say there’s eleven of the things out here.

So - the Beifong sisters. You've already met Lin - she’s the grumpy, scar-faced one I love to hate, whereas Suyin is her younger sibling. They’re both master metal and earth benders, but Su is a much nicer, and significantly more fun teacher.

“Oh, look at that. Nice!” I grin, watching Su bend a sharp sheet of metal forwards at a super-high velocity, slicing the head clean off one of the monster-bats.

“Huh, you like watching this?” Asami asks, raising an eyebrow.

“Well, if its monsters being killed, what’s not to like? They deserve it,” I grumble, and before she can reply Tenzin coughs loudly, getting our attention.

“Okay - you know how this goes. Be careful with your bending, remember we are a team. Focus on one enemy at a time. Watch each other’s backs,” Tenzin clearly states the orders, leading us quickly into the fray. What’s weird is that I don’t see Uncle Unalaq anywhere - maybe he went to the bunker to make sure everyone else is safe? I hope so.

I usually only get to fight on field trips, and I’m ashamed to say I almost feel happy at the chance to flex my bending muscles on live prey, even if it is in an emergency. No sooner am I down there than a bat dives straight for me, probably because it smells my no-doubt-delicious avatar blood. I thrust an open palm out, condensing a short, superheated blast straight to its face, pretty much blowing the flesh clean off. There’s a red, smoking stump where its head used to be, and the werebat falls over without ever getting a claw near me. ‘Smashed’, as ordered, aaaand - score one to the Avatar.

“Yes!” I cry out loud, and at Asami’s rolling eyes, “Hey, he was gonna eat me!”

“You don’t have to enjoy it so much, though,” she frowns. And that’s when I realise, at last, surely now I will see what this woman has been hiding from me…

Or I would, if the were-bats weren’t losing so badly. Bolin and Mako are making incredibly short work of them, and I guess it must be a brother thing but damn, their combinations are looking better than ever. They’re trapping the bats in an earthen cage, burning them alive - it’s super effective. Hmm. I miss playing Pokemon, maybe I’ll grab the cart soon, dust it off and play it under the covers until the early hours, like old times.

I glance around, looking for another target to flex my bending-muscles against, but alas, they're all taken. I'd just get in the way. Looks like Bolin’s getting good at solo work, he just spiked a chunk of earth up, the tip of it impaling straight into a were-bats chest. Fatality! Oh man, now I want to play Mortal Kombat. They never give us enough free time for important stuff at the academy, like playing games.

There's nothing left for me to slay. We're down to one werebat, which Tenzin is squaring off against, and he dives back from a sudden swipe, taking a nasty cut to his forearm. I almost feel bad for the monster when the old monk retaliates, air-bending his large blade in an upwards arc, slicing the bat clean into two, from crotch to neck.

“Look at that!” I half-grin, half-grimace, clenching my fists, both grossed out and thrilled by the sight of two halves slowly folding to the ground in a blood stained, messy heap. And then, it's over. I only got one kill, and worse of all I didn't see Asami bend, and I place my arms to my hips, grunting in frustration.

Suddenly, my forearms are clenched tightly in a vice-grip, and I cry out in pain as my arms are roughly twisted and pinned behind my back. Turns out there were twelve werebats, not eleven. I guess this one didn't get it's wings pinned, must have flown down undetected, lured in by the chance at a nice bite of Avatar-pie. his teeth are right there, at my neck, wet, dripping, his breath hot, his wings thudding behind, ready to take-off. He’s a second away from taking a chunk out of me, and try as I might I can't break free, can't turn to face him, and I’m strong but fuck, these bastards have some sort of magic juice in their veins, makes them stronger than anyone, almost as strong as a sane.

I'm screwed. 

“Korra!” Mako yells, and Tenzin turns, suddenly pale-faced, whilst I cringe, feeling the tips of its fangs scrape my flesh. I’m the worse fucking avatar ever, and it feels like some kind of sad irony that the last thing I’ll see is Asami, shaking her head at me, pulling something out of her boot, standing upright and casually flicking her wrist. There’s a sudden wet thud, the monster tilts its head away from my neck, screeching, and the vice grip holding me slowly shifts into a dead weight, forcing me to the ground. I slip away beneath the now-still body, crawling on my hands and knees, coating myself in dust and grit. The werebats eyes are rolled back in the sockets, and there’s a single, hilt-deep dagger sticking out of its skull, with a trickle of blood pouring forth.

Asami calmly walks towards her kill, plucks her knife from the skull with a sharp tug, and wipes the blade clean with a white tissue, which she pulls from her jeans pocket. She looks at the red-stained cloth, and grimaces, "God, these things stink."

“That was a… nice throw…” I say, feeling more than a little impressed, but also confused. Why the knife? Surely she can’t be… “Wait! You’re… not a bender?” I say, with a sudden, clear realisation.

“Intuitive as always.” She grins, holding a hand out. I grab her forearm, and she pulls me up, apparently with ease.

“But how can you, why are you…” I’m lost for words, I think I actually have too many questions for my brain to be able to process.

The Beifongs, Tenzin, Mako and Bolin gather around us, though Lin - Miss Beifong - gives me the filthiest look yet. A new record, I’d say.

“Korra, are you,” Bolin pants, “are you okay?”

“That was a little too close.” Mako says, showing clear disdain, shaking his head.

“Love you too, shark-brows,” I mutter. He scowls and rolls his eyes in response. Yeah, we still need to work on our friendship, I guess. Wasn’t the cleanest break up.

“He’s right. You need to be more careful, honey.” Su says, placing a hand on my shoulder and squeezing lightly.

I let out an exasperated sigh, “I’m fine, guys. Really.” I say, though I’m pretty sure everyone realises that I’m only fine because Asami saved my ass. And now I owe her one, that's for sure.

We huddle around the stairs for a while, making arrangements to sort out the mess - Su and Lin will clear the bat corpses with the brothers, and it looks like lessons will be out the rest of the day whilst everyone else tidies up the rest of the damage. Oh, and the abductions? Turns out they were near-misses, and the blood was mainly from the were-bats. No casualties at all, apart from Tenzin. I frown, wondering why he’s still here with that clear triple-gouge in his skin.

“Korra… would you mind if we delayed our exercise tonight? I may need to get patched up,” Tenzin looks genuinely apologetic, whilst gripping onto his bloodied, dripping arm.

“Are you serious? Tenzin, get to Katara! Quickly!” I sigh, shaking my head. At least Katara will take good care of him, though he’ll probably get a telling off from her too, since she’s his Mother.

I’ve been tasked with heading to the bunker to give the all clear, and I figure I might as well take Asami with me, show her a bit more of the Academy, as well as the bunker itself. We leave Mako and Bolin behind so that they can help the Beifongs clear up, and quickly march down the entry hallway.

“So… Katara? Is that the same Katara that Aang married?” Asami asks.

“You sure know your avatar history,” I chuckle, “But yeah… she’s Katara Rosenberg. The one who used to… erm… bang… Aang.”

“You… didn’t just go there.” Asami says, looking mortified.

“I did.”

“Korra, that’s awful. Don’t you have any shame?”

“Oh come on, it was funny!”

“Not really,” Asami says, shaking her head.

“Anyway. You’re a non-bender. Here. How. Why?”

Asami pauses in her tracks, folds her arms and sighs deeply, “I’ll make you a deal. Give my… meditation a try, and I’ll tell you anything you want to know.”

“Well, I suppose Tenzin’s not gonna be able to help for a while…” I muse, “I hope he’ll be okay though. That was a nasty scratch.”

“If Katara is anything like what I’ve heard, he’ll be good as new in no time. So… if you’d rather wait, and try his exercises first, I understand.”

“No, no. It’s fine. I mean, what exactly did you have in mind, anyway?” I ask, whilst we head off walking again.

“You’ll see,” she chuckles, “don’t worry though, okay? It’s nothing horrible.”

The rest of the day goes by in a blur, and I have to admit that for most of it I keep wondering what Asami’s got up her sleeve. After I give the all clear at the bunker, I quickly grab a cheese sandwich and coke, then help to clean up the hallways, reforming earth where walls have been bashed in, water-bending floors clean, that kind of thing. And it turns out Unalaq was down in the bunker all along. He was worried the were-bats might be a decoy for some bigger attack. Strange that he’d think that. Stranger still that he’d tell me about it.

I slump against a wall, yawning loudly, tired from all of today’s physical labour. It’s a quarter-past three, we’re all done, and pretty much everyone’s gone about their business, back to their dorms, to get food or coffee, or maybe even the gym. Asami’s still here with me, resting her hands atop on a broom handle, smirking.

“What’s so funny?” I ask, raising an eyebrow.

“I was wondering if you’re ready for our little… adventure…” she purrs, and I frown, wondering if she’s flirting with me. Well, she can try. I don’t bend that way, and I’m sick of telling people as much.

“Okay, why not. I’ve nothing better to do - but no funny business! And you promised to answer my questions!”

“And I will! Meet me at my dorm - 34b - in an hour,” she smirks, turning and walking away, "Oh, and bring snacks. Lots of snacks."

"Erm, okay…" I’m relieved to hear Asami ask for food, since I’ve not actually seen her eat yet, and after crossing ‘potential vampire’ off the list earlier I’ve been worried she could have an eating disorder.

Once I’m back at my dorm, I quickly shower and get changed into fresh, non-werebat-bloodied clothes. I pause, staring at myself in the mirror, then frantically start to tidy up my hair. I’m nervous. I don’t even know why. Maybe because I have no idea what she has planned? Yeah. That’s probably it. I tidy my hair again. Is this shirt good? It’s dark blue. Blue’s my colour, goes with my eyes. I flex my arm. Yeah, this shirt is good. Maybe I should wear a vest, though. Nope, the T-Shirts is fine. I’m not sure about my hair, though.

“What the hell is wrong with you?” I growl at myself in the mirror, then stand up with a grunt. I look fine. Wait, I don’t even care how I look. What the hell?

It’s time to go find out what little miss non-bender has in store for me.

Chapter Text

I hesitate at Asami’s dorm, one hand clenching the handle of a plastic carrier bag packed full of goodies, the other raised in a fist at the door, ready to knock. I don’t get it, I never hesitate like this with Opal or Jinora. In fact I used to barge their doors down more or less, until that one time I caught Opal and Bolin. Yeesh, I feel a small shudder tremble through me at that memory. Okay, okay. This is ridiculous. I take a deep breath, and lightly tap my knuckles against the wood.

“Korra?” I hear her voice, muffled from within.

“Yup.”

“It’s open, come in.” My heart thuds in my chest at her words. I wasn’t expecting an invite in, I thought we’d be heading straight out, not that it matters. I press the handle down, and ease the door open to find her sat at her dresser, a hair-clip in her mouth, and her hands behind her head holding up a mass of raven locks.

“Ome mimute,” she mumbles, quickly tying a hair-band in her hair and then sliding the clip in, roughly where her side-parting starts. I glance around her room, and there’s honestly nothing out of the ordinary. If anything, it’s unusually bland, her walls bare of the usual stuff that you’d see in a student’s room. Then again I suppose she only got here yesterday.

“Did you want any posters or anything? Spruce the place up a bit?” I ask.

“Is my room not to your satisfaction?” She peers at me from the corner of her eye, smirking.

“Hey, you just got here. I’m trying to be nice.” I mutter.

“If you have anything spare, that would be lovely. Thank you,” she says, quickly placing a metal tin, a lighter, and a large bar of chocolate into a back pack.

“What’s all that?” I ask, raising an eyebrow.

“You’ll see. Let’s get the hell out of here,” she says, standing to her feet, pushing her chair under the dresser, and slinging her backpack across one shoulder. It looks like I’m not the only one who got changed - Asami is wearing a black, loose fitting blouse, with several buttons undone. A few loose strands of her hair cascade across her pale skin, snaking their way over her collarbones, and towards her cleavage. I quickly lower my gaze past her torso, in case she gets the wrong idea. She’s wearing a pair of faded dark-red jeans, with a hole at one knee, a black, leather belt, and the same gothic-style boots she usually wears, complete with straps and thick, metal buckles. I’m glad they only have a short heel, otherwise she’d tower over me, and she’s already tall enough as it is - maybe a good inch or two above me.

“So, where are we going?” I ask, as she locks her door, then slides her key into her back pocket.

“I was hoping I could pick your brain for that,” she smiles, tilting her head slightly, “We need somewhere rather… private. And preferably outdoors.”

“Uh… hmm.” I think on it for a moment, “Well, I do have a spot where I usually chill, out by an oak tree. Nobody really goes there.”

“Sounds great. Lead the way!”

--

Before long, we’re leaving the main building through a side entrance, and I smile when I see that the clouds from earlier have cleared, and the evening sun shines brightly in the sky.

“Ah good, no rain,” Asami says with a wide smile, and maybe it’s because of the sunlight, but her sharp, green eyes look all kinds of amazing right now, “I was worried we’d have to do this indoors. Far from ideal.”

“And what exactly is this?” I ask, tearing my gaze away from her.

“So impatient! Get us to this tree of yours,” she chuckles.

I lead her the rest of the distance - it’s only a short walk from the side door, just over a steep, grassy knot, over the weather-aged perimeter fence.

“Isn’t this out of bounds?” Asami asks, raising an eyebrow.

“You said you wanted somewhere private.”

“Ohhh, Korra the rebel. How exciting,” she chuckles, stepping over the wooden fence one leg at a time, “Don’t they have wards here? Won’t they know?”

“If by they you’re referring to the teachers, then nope. The wards are at the outer perimeter. This is the inner one.”

“So what’s the point of it?”

“I honestly have no idea. Maybe my Uncle just likes imposing dumb-ass rules,” I grumble, “Anyway, we’re here.” I say, pointing to the spot.

“Ah! Perfect!” Asami exclaims, rushing over to the oak tree, and crouching down, opening her bag up. The next thing I know, she’s pulling a thin, red and black chequered blanket out, laying it on the ground, and patting a spot next to her. I head over, and sit, raising an eyebrow questioningly.

“So, we’re here to sunbathe?”

“Well, it is a nice evening, but no, not quite.” She grins, pulling out the stuff she packed earlier. Then she flips open a small, square metal tin, and I peer into it. There’s a tiny plastic bag stuffed full of herbs, some rolling papers, and a few wads of tobacco.

“Wait - you want to get stoned?” I ask, wide-eyed.

“Bingo!” she exclaims, with the biggest shit-faced grin I’ve seen from her so far. Her fingers are nimble, and she’s licking the strip of paper and closing the metal lid in no time, a newly rolled white tube popping out from a slot in the top.

“But… but I don’t…”

“You don’t have to. But it’s your loss,” she grins, sparking up the end, sucking, and then inhaling deeply. She doesn’t exhale, and I watch, waiting for her to, then waiting some more, but she still doesn’t. She smiles at my obvious curiosity, then eventually lets the smoke out, both laughing and coughing, “You look absolutely mortified. Have you really never done this?”

“Well, uh… no.” I say, scratching the hair behind my head. I feel like such a child.

“It’s not as bad as they say, you know. Better than booze,” she says, taking another long drag, holding it in, then blowing it out. I feel myself relax a little, watching as her crimson lips blow out small, perfectly formed rings of smoke, “Besides, this is how my best inventions were thought up. Same for my mother. Same for hers.”

“So, your whole family takes drugs?” I question in disbelief, and she laughs, loudly.

“It’s just weed, Korra. And I suggested it because you clearly have some kind of mental block. Maybe it’ll help you talk to Raava.”

“I don’t know…” I say, and she shrugs.

“Like I said, not gonna force you. Sit there and watch me have all the fun for all I care.”

I tuck my legs under each other, sitting cross legged, watching her whilst she unstraps and then kicks her boots off, lies back, and idly twirls a toe in the air. It’s weird that watching someone smoke is kind of sexy, I mean, it’s a bad habit. It shouldn’t look this good. But her lips, painted in that dark red colour, they look amazing, and my throat goes dry watching her blow out another stream of smoke. Then, those same lips twist into a smirk, and I notice she’s staring at me, her eyes glimmering with what I presume to be amusement.

“See something you like?” she says, chuckling throatily.

“You wish,” I mutter.

“I meant the joint, dear.” She says, her laughter intensifying.

“Ugh, fine. Pass it here,” I say, rolling my eyes and putting my hand out, taking the thin rollup from her outstretched fingers.

“Okay, only suck a tiny bit to start with… ” she says, resting her hand on her palm, her arm crooked at the shoulder, “and keep the smoke in your mouth, okay? Don’t suck it straight down or you’ll choke.”

“Hmm, okay,” I say, placing the paper between my lips, and gently sucking. It’s hotter against my lips than I thought it’d be.

“Now, wait a second to let the smoke cool, then open your mouth and slowly suck it into your lungs,” she purrs the words, and I slowly inhale, as instructed, but immediately start coughing, a lot. Asami sits up, and strokes a palm down my back.

“That happens to everyone, but you get used to it. Let me know if you want to try again.”

“I want to try again,” I say, determined that I’m not going to be defeated by a little bit of smoke. And besides, cough or no cough, that stuff tasted kind of nice.

The next time I manage to inhale it all the way in, and she tells me to hold it there, putting a finger on my closed lips and counting to five.

“Okay, now slowly blow it out,” she says, removing her fingertip from my lips.

“Huh, not as bad as I thought it’d be,” I say, “though I’m a little dizzy. Is that normal?”

“That’s just a nicotine rush, don’t worry. It’ll pass in a minute. You’re not stoned… yet,” she chuckles, then finishes off the joint with a long drag, and starts to roll up a fresh one. Once she’s finished, she holds it up with a triumphant expression, and wiggles her eyebrows at me, “You want to start this one?”

—

Half an hour later, I’ve perfected the art of pot-smoking, though Asami has consumed most of it. She says she’s being careful with me since it’s my first time, and for some reason the words made me blush furiously, which she naturally teased me about. Now I’m lied back next to her, my arms behind my head, enjoying the feel of the sun against my bare feet.

“What do you think?” she asks, tilting her head to face me.

“I dunno, I’m not sure I feel all that different,” I say, though my eyelids feel a bit weird, my lips feel fatter, dryer, and I have this kind of fluttery sensation near my tummy. It’s actually really nice to be out here, relaxing like this, although if it weren’t for Asami, I probably wouldn’t be here at all.

“Thanks, by the way.” I say.

“Hmm? For what?”

“Saving my life?” I say, chuckling, “And this, too. This is nice.”

“Yeah, it is.” She smiles at me, and I again notice how amazing her eyes look, shining almost radiantly in the sun. I can’t believe I thought she was a vampire, I mean, we’re out in the sun for crying out loud, and she’s getting stoned. A sunbathing, pot-smoking vampire. I suddenly laugh out loud at the notion, and she raises an eyebrow inquisitively, prompting me to reveal my secrets.

"Nothing, nothing. Anyway, do you always carry knives around?" I ask, deftly side-stepping the source of my amusement.

"Do you always carry bending around?" she chuckles.

“Hah! Touche.”

Asami sits up, and starts to roll another spliff. I think this is the third, maybe the fourth, though she said she’d made the first two ‘weak as shit, since I’m a newbie’. Nice of her to look after me, I guess.

"So who's Mey?" she asks, flipping the metal lid shut.

"I... don't wanna talk about that. I mean, about her. Sorry." I say, with a deep sigh.

“No problem. You went white as a sheet back in class is all. I guess I was worried,” she looks deep in thought at the words, her spliff hanging unlit, loose in her lips, before she shakes her head and lights it up.

“Worried about little old me?” I grin, taking the lit joint as she passes it across. Whoa, this one’s a little stronger, and I almost cough when I inhale. But I’m ready for it, and I fight off the tickly urge. I slowly exhale the contents, and clear my throat, “So, come on then - how the hell did you get into the Academy? And in Cube five no less."

"I'm… good at what I do. Your school has been on the lookout for non-benders for a while, now. Didn't your Uncle tell you this?" she looks genuinely surprised as she asks.

"He doesn't really tell me anything. He just moans at me." I grumble.

"Well, in the end it was a decision between me and two others. They made us duke it out with a little hand-to-hand combat. I won. It was easy, to be honest,” she says, looking ever so smug at the words.

"So you didn't just buy your way in?" I regret saying those particular words when she sharply twists her head and frowns deeply enough that it actually scares me.

"Having money doesn't automatically mean one abuses it," she almost growls the words.

"Okay, okay. Sorry!” I say, passing the joint back to her after taking a second drag. I’m definitely feeling a little different now, though it’s far from unpleasant. Asami lies back down, turns to face me again.

“I suppose I forgive you. But you shouldn’t make assumptions,” she says, her face softening back into a smile. Much better. I like the way she smiles, and I rest my head on my hand, watching her watch me. Then I realise I’m blatantly staring, and I quickly search my mind for something to say.

"So… uh… I can't believe you took that werebat down in one hit. That was so cool!" Nice save, if I do say so myself.

"I told you, I'm good at what I do," she seems proud of herself at the words, I notice that her eyes are slightly lidded, and she’s staring right at me whilst parting her lips and slowly inhaling a fresh puff of smoke.

"And what do you do… precisely?" I ask, wondering why my throat is turning dry. Probably the joint.

"Kill monsters. Build machines. Invent stuff. Read books,” she says, counting each on her fingertips as she does so.

"Hmm, smart and vicious. I’m still surprised they want a non-bender here, though."

"It's an experiment. There's been a recent dip in the number of benders, so I think they're forming some kind of backup plan."

"But isn't it a lot of pressure? I mean if you fuck up-"

"I'm not going to." she interrupts me with a smirk upon her perfect, red lips, and I’m suddenly feeling quite warm. That’s probably the joint, too. "You know, I bet I could even take most benders down."

"You couldn't take me on," I laugh, then wince a little at how arrogant I sound.

"When I'm less... relaxed, why don’t we put that to the test?" she asks, leaning over and passing me the rest of the joint. I guess I get to finish this one off.

"How about tomorrow after lessons we have ourselves a friendly spar in the gym?"

"Fine by me. Can’t promise I’ll be friendly, though," she grins.

"Fair enough. Anyway, how does this stuff help me connect with Raava?" I ask, taking one last drag of the joint and then putting it out into an old tin-can that Asami brought. Hmm. Raava. That’s actually a really funny name now that I think about it. I roll it around my mouth a few more times, "Raava. Raaaava. Rrrrravaaa. hahaha."

"It's finally hitting you? Nice." Asami grins.

"You are a bad influence, Asami Sato.” I say, pouting playfully, “Rraaava. Rrraaavaaa," I laugh again. Why is this so funny? It makes no sense.

"If you think this is bad, I'm definitely not getting the bong out," Asami says, smirking.

"BONG! HAHAHA!" I don't know why that's so funny, either, but before I know it I'm folding my arms at my belly, laughing until it hurts, choking out the word "bong" a few more times, practically wheezing.

"Okay, okay. No more weed for the avatar today." Asami says, tutting under her breath. Her eyes show nothing but amusement, however.

I cough, and sit upright, fighting off the urge to giggle again. "Seriously though, this isn't helping with Raava. Rrrrraaava." Damnit, I’m laughing again.

"Okay, laugh it off, and I’ll see what I can do."

It takes me a few more minutes to finish my second giggle fit, and then I cough, sitting up and saluting, "Okay. All done."

"You’ll need to get comfortable, and close your eyes," she smiles at me, and I comply, lying back on the grass. It feels nice, so warm, like the skin on my feet and the dry grass were meant to be together, hmm, like cheesecake and chocolate, or hot sauce and chicken and oh Gods I'm so hungry I want to eat everything right now. But actually this feels nice, amazingly comfortable, so maybe I'll just sleep.

"Korra," Asami speaks, and I feel something sharp dig into my toe.

"Ouch!" I yelp, opening one eye only to see her prodding me with a nail.

"No sleeping. Close your eyes and listen, okay?" I nod, and close my eyes again.

A few moments of silence pass, and I idly wiggle my toes, “What am I listening for?”

“You’re listening for her. Stop trying so hard, okay?”

“For her?”

“Shhh. Just relax. Stop thinking. Stop worrying. Enjoy the feeling of the sun against your skin. Enjoy the sound of the breeze.”

Asami has a nice voice, now that I think about it. And nice lips. And nice hair. Nice everything, really. I’m supposed to be thinking of nothing, yet here I am, thinking of her. Weird.

“It is because you like her, idiot.” I hear the voice in my head, it’s a new voice, but somehow familiar.

“Huh?” I’m not sure if I’m speaking out loud, or thinking the words. It feels really strange.

“Wait… you can hear me?”

“What? Who is this?” A bright, white-blue light seems to ebb away at the corner of my vision. “Raava?” I whisper, “Wait, did you just call me an idiot?”

“You usually don’t hear me. Sorry.” I can’t see her, but I imagine her blushing right about now.

“We’re finally connected!?” I ask, excitement flooding through my veins.

“Yes and no,” she sighs, “unless you plan on getting high every time you wish to call upon me.”

I groan at her words. “I don’t know why I’m struggling so much with this… I’m guess I’m letting you down. I’m sorry.” The blue glow intensifies at my words.

“It is because you doubt yourself, and in doing so, you doubt me, and you doubt the whole concept of the avatar. Your confidence as it stands now is but a mask, a mask you must destroy. You must find real confidence.”

“I’m not sure how-”

“My point exactly. Korra, you must first believe you are capable of change.”

“I’ll… try?”

“You’ll do more than try. I believe in you, Korra. You simply need to return the gesture. And also, stop making fun of my name.”

The blue light pulses a few more times, then I feel like I’m being pulled back to reality, and my eyes suddenly snap open. I find myself staring straight into a pair of worried green eyes, quickly realising I’m being shook at the shoulders, and Asami’s calling my name.

“Korra? Are you okay?”

“Oh, hey. What’s up?”

Asami rolls her eyes, and sits back, crossing her legs, “You were in a seriously deep trance, that’s all. Kind of freaked me out.”

“Wait, you said this stuff is harmless!” I exclaim.

“It is! Did something happen? Something must have - weed doesn’t do-”

“Yeah. I spoke to Raava!” I say, beaming at her.

“Hah! I knew it! I’m a genius,” she says, grinning, “So does that mean you can go into the avatar state now?”

I shake my head, “No, but I know what the problem is. I’m just… not sure how to fix it.”

“Anything I can help with?” she asks, flicking a few strands of hair behind her shoulder.

“Well, I’ll probably need a repeat of this if I want to talk to her again.”

“Bah, that’s just an excuse to hang out with me and get stoned, and you know it,” she chuckles, “You are now an official pot-head. Congratulations! Now, get your snacks out - I have a serious case of the munchies…”

Now that she mentions it, so do I. We literally stuff our faces, I swear that food never tasted this good, and I’ve never been able to put away quite so much of it. It feels like I have four stomachs or something, and Asami is tearing through her fair share, too. She seems to prefer the onion flavoured munch-monster crisps I brought. In fact she likes them so much that I let her have all six packs, and she eventually collapses onto her back, patting her belly and belching loudly.

“Pig,” I mumble, chomping on my fourth chocolate bar.

“Yeah yeah, whatever,” she says, yawning and stretching.

I watch her splay herself out, her eyes closed and a wide smile on her lips, and I find Raava’s words playing on my mind. She really thinks I like Asami? I suppose it’s okay to like another woman, I mean, I like Jinny and Opal too. It’s just that this feels different, but it’s probably because I’m high, so I’ll worry about it later. For now, I’m content to lay here and relax with Asami, just a little longer.

Chapter Text

The first thing I notice is warmth, soft skin pressed closely against mine, and her breath hot against my lips. The second thing - her fingers, threaded between mine, and the strength in them so very different from before; weakness replaced by vitality. Death replaced with life.

“Kyoshi…” she whispers, her voice dry, her teeth capturing my lip, her hand between my thighs, fingers sliding into me. I cry out, forgetting how much I missed her touch, forgetting how good it feels. How could I ever forget?

I writhe into her hand, into her fingers, forgetting myself, forgetting everything. The world can wait, just for now. Just for this one moment… just for her. I burn hotter, hotter still when her teeth clasp onto my stiff nipple and my whole body responds, arching into her. “Don’t stop…” I groan, my body quivering, my hips thrusting against her, “don’t stop… fuck…” I can feel it, I can feel her, and she’s all that I feel. A spasm shudders through me, and I’m overwhelmed with pleasure, with love. She’s alive… she’s alive, and I’m coming, coming against her hand, against her fingers, my wetness streaming over them, my lips crying out her name, “A-Asami!”

—

I suddenly wake up, sitting bolt upright, drawing air into my lungs so quickly that you’d think I’d been drowning. I’m coated in a thick film of sweat, and I’m panting, shaking.

“What the… what the fuck…” I gasp, talking to myself, holding a hand to my damp forehead. I fumble blindly against the wall above my headboard, finding the dimmer switch and turning it to half-brightness, giving me enough light to see but no so much that it’ll hurt my eyes. There’s a hot dampness between my legs, I think maybe it’s because of the dream, but when I lift the covers I see crimson stains down the inside of my thighs and a small pool of blood on the mattress. I’m also cramping like a bitch, and a dull ache is throbbing again and again down below my waist. “Damn it…” I quietly curse. I’m early, by about two days. And what the hell was that dream about? It was more vivid than ever.

I quickly get out of bed before I make too much of a mess on my covers, then grab a handful of tissues from a box on my dresser and dab myself as dry as possible. I stuff more tissues into a fresh pair of underwear, pulling it up before I can leak again, clumsily climb into a pair of black joggers and tug on the same blue T-Shirt I wore earlier. Then I grab a pad, and head bare-footed to the showers just down the hall.

My feet make dull thudding sounds, echoing down the empty, black hallway. I didn’t check the time before I left, but I can see through the windows that it’s pitch black outside, and the motion-sensor lights are flicking on as I walk, which is all kinds of spooky; not that I’m frightened or anything.

The smaller shower block is just a minute away from my dorm, and thankfully it’s vacant, meaning that I don’t have to go all the way to the gym showers. I enter the first of the two cubicles, locking the door behind and then growling when another painful cramp pulses through me. I quickly tug my clothes off, resting them on the wooden chair in the corner, then pull the shower curtain back and step into the white-tiled enclosure.

“Oh, great,” I sigh, looking down my legs to see things have gotten quite bloody, I mean, it actually feels like I’m an extra in some lame-ass B-rated horror flick. I forgot my soap, so I’ll have to use the cheap free stuff, but it’s not like I care - soap is soap, despite how much Jinora may protest. Right now I care more about the fact that I didn’t take a painkiller the second I noticed the blood, like I should have, and now the pain is going from bad to worse. Hopefully the hot water will help, and when I twist the faucet handle I try to settle on a temperature a little higher than normal for that very reason.

The water hisses out from the metal shower head, and my blood soon dilutes with the streams of water, washing down my legs then into the drain in pink, semi-translucent streams. I place my palms against the tiles, splaying my fingers wide and leaning down so that the spray splashes against the back of my neck and across my shoulders. My sleep-deprived grogginess starts to clear, and I take a few moments to try to understand what the hell just happened.

I had a… sex dream. About Asami. What the actual fuck? And worse, every time I think about it, there’s a sudden throb of desire between my legs.

“I’m not gay.” I say the words out loud like it’ll help them be true. Seriously, I have enough shit on my plate without having to deal with being queer. ‘Gay Avatar Korra’. I laugh out loud at that title. Yeah, no. I don’t like girls. Not that way. I close my eyes, feeling water cascade down my torso, and the dream soon edges into my thoughts again, the sound of my name from her lips, the way she felt against me, and the way her fingers curled inside...

“Fuuuck.” I growl the word. Come on Korra, snap out of it.

Stop thinking about it.

Especially stop thinking about the way she felt inside of you, pressing in just the right spot, and how you grabbed at her back, pulling at her, needing her …

Stop it.

Stop thinking of your nipple in her hot mouth, how it felt to come like that, and how wet you were.

“FUCK.” I curse again, leaning up from my hunched-over position, tipping the back of my head against the tiled wall.

“I am so. fucking. gay.” I groan the words, then exhale loudly, pressing my whole back against the wall, and letting myself slowly sink down until I’m sat down in a small puddle of water.

“Heh. Hehe.” I chuckle to myself like a madwoman. It actually feels like a weight has been taken off my chest, though I’ve only admitted this to myself. Telling others? Man, that’s a different story, and besides, I might be wrong. There’s a good chance it’s the period causing these feelings, and maybe even the dream. Between the fucked-up pain, and the shitty blood, I always manage to get horny, and I mean like… mega horny, as in normal-horny is a lizard and this is… this is Godzilla. It’s like some kind of sick joke, and I know it’s like this for other girls sometimes, too. Why make us feel like this, the one time we can’t have sex? I’m sure if there’s a God he must be a man, and he must really fucking hate us.

“Perhaps you should find a partner who doesn’t care about such trivialities, or even take matters into your own hand?”

“Raava?” I say the words, then realise my mistake and think them instead, “Raava?”

“Yes, behold! It is I, the mighty Raava.”

“This is turning out to be one weird-as-fuck day,” I sigh whilst speaking the words in my mind, projecting them at Raava.

“It seems easier for us to speak now that we’ve managed it once,” Raava says, “or perhaps it is because you are now a pot-bender.”

“Have you always been this sassy?” I ask. She’s right though. It felt weird talking the first time, but I’m quickly getting used to it, and I can ‘see’ her white-blue form more clearly.

“Just for a… few lifetimes.”

“Right. So… did you see my dream?”

“I did not. I generally see only what you wish me to see.”

“Does that mean if I think of it now, you’ll see it?” I ask.

“With your permission, oh mighty Avatar.”

“Okay. Check this out,” I think, smirking to myself because I’m basically giving her a free porn show.

“Oh, my!”

“I know, right?”

“I knew you liked her.”

“Oh shut up. Don’t you think it seemed a bit too… real?”

“But dreams can be like that, can they not?”

“But the Asami in my dream spoke... She said my na-” I frown at a sudden realisation, “wait, she didn’t say my name, she said Kyoshi’s!”

“That is… peculiar.”

“Raava, you know all the avatars. Was this dream… well, real?” I think the words as always, but at the same time I’m also thinking of any plausible explanation for Asami and Kyoshi being alive in the same decade. Every single one ends with the same answer. If it’s the same Asami, then I was right all along. She’s a blood-sucker. A sane.

“That seems rather unlikely. In answer to both the dream being real, and Asami being a vampire.” Raava speaks.

“Oh, you were thinking in on that?”

“Yes. You did not ask me to stop seeing your thoughts.”

“So it’s like an on and off switch? I’ll have to remember that.” I think, rolling my eyes, “You really think it was just a dream? That doesn’t make sense. It was Kyoshi, I mean, I was Kyoshi. I’m sure of it.” I stand to my feet, squirting out a blob of soap and lathering it across my thighs, and between them. Then a new realisation dawns upon me, “Raava, surely you’d know if Kyoshi knew Asami?”

“I… cannot say.”

I sigh, more confused than ever. So, it was just a dream. A super realistic, sexy as hell dream, about one past life and a woman I’ve only just met.

“Nice summary.”

“Okay, you can stop peeking into my brain now.”

“As you wish. We shall speak again later.”

“Sure.” I say, feeling pretty confident I know how to speak to Raava on-demand. Maybe I’m closer to the avatar state than ever now that we’re talking, at least, I hope so.

I finish washing myself, and towel off as quickly as possible so that I avoid bleeding on one of the only two towels I own. Before long, I’m dry, I’m wearing a pad, and I’m feeling a hell of a lot more human. The hot water helped a lot with the cramps, but no doubt they’ll soon get nasty again, so the best course of action is to get back to bed, take a couple of ibuprofen, and wrap myself tightly in my blankets for whatever is left of the night.

Chapter Text

Shit, what a night.

I awake to the sound of wailing, screaming cats, and at first I’m thinking, what the fuck - there’s cats on the campus? After a minute of sheer half-asleep confusion I also notice a distinct buzzing sound, and only then do I realise it’s my phone alarm, no doubt changed by Jinora when I wasn’t looking.

“Miaaoooooow! Yaarrrowooowwww!” screams out in a loop, over and over, and so I sit up, curse loudly, wipe my eyes and then fumble for the phone which has somehow managed to lodge itself down the back of my bed.

“Fucking hell…” I groan, sticking my hand down the back of the mattress, and then feeling elation once I feel my fingertips brush against hardened, buzzing plastic. I edge my arm down the back of the mattress a little further, and manage to grab the evil device, yanking it out and lightly scratching my arm on the edge of the bed-frame in the process. I deftly swipe my thumb across the large red ‘X’, thus stopping the angry, noisy kitties.

“Thanks, Jinora,” I mutter to myself. Still, I couldn't really afford to sleep in today, given the extra time I need to take care of my mensies, not to mention my drugs have worn off, and I’m fucking sore. I grab a sleeve of pills from my bedside drawer, pop two of them out from the metal foil cover, and then swallow them down with a swig of water from the bottle I always keep handy by my bedside.

There’s just over an hour until first lesson - which should be enough time to get washed and changed, and put on a fresh blood-sponge. This morning’s lesson is with Su - Mrs Beifong. Upper Cube seniors don’t actually have to be formal with the teachers, in fact Su insists that we use her first name, and whilst doing so felt strange at first, I got used to it eventually.

I grimace at my naked and tired little self in the wardrobe mirror, idly scratching beneath my right boob, wondering what I’m gonna wear today. I think I’ll go with a thin, white sports bra, and one of my faded green, sleeveless vests. I have three, and they’re pretty much identical, though two are in the wash. In fact, many things are in the wash. Many, many things.

Mental note to self - do laundry at lunchtime today.

It’s not unusual for me to run a few degrees hotter when I’m bleeding, and the summer heat has been pretty consistent. So, shorts it is then. Or period-pants, as Opal likes to call them. They’re dark-navy green, with wide holes just below the knee, and they’re extremely soft and comfortable. They’re basically boy pants… but screw gendered clothing, they make me feel nice at an otherwise shitty time and that’s all I care about.

I run my palm across my exposed shin, feeling stubble. Screw that, I’ll shave my legs later, and if anyone says anything about it I’ll probably just whip the air straight out of their lungs. An avatar with PMT is not someone to fuck with, or so Mako used to say, not that I’ve ever actually hurt him. All joking aside, I’d never hurt anyone - I reserve my aggression for only two things; the gym, and slaying monsters.

Oh crap, that reminds me - Asami wanted to spar tonight… maybe that isn’t such a good idea. I’m not sure I can even look her in the eye after a certain fucked-up dream, never mind play pretend-fighting games with her.

Even so, I find myself wondering how she’d fight, and what her style is. That thought was a mistake. Now I’m imagining her pinning me to the floor, her crimson-painted lips an inch away, the top of her vest soaked with sweat.

Fucking great. I don’t know if I’m angry, horny, or confused. All three, I guess. “Dumb-ass dream,” I mutter, closing my door behind me, and twisting my key in the lock.

“What’s that now?” Bolin asks, tilting his head.

“Oh hey Bo, didn’t see you there. Morning…” I say, yawning.

“Oooh… uh oh.” He winces upon noticing my magical shorts of +6 crankiness.

“Shut it.” I say, and he nods, knowing that I don’t mean anything by it. We head down the hallway and a familiar, bitter scent drifts beneath my nostrils. “I’m just gonna grab a coffee,” I mutter, shuffling into MaBeans, which just so happens to be on the way.

“The usual, honey?” Miranda beams at me from the counter. She’s an energetic lady in her mid-thirties, full of beans (pun intended), with short, jet-black hair and bronze skin. She says she’s from the south, like me, and she’s very proud of the fact that she owns this place. It’s nice having an independent store here. The second coffee shop on campus is a Spacebucks, your usual chain style store - nice, but nothing special.

“Yes please. Uh, extra caramel today. And a hot croissant, please.”

“Ah, I see,” she says, glancing at my shorts, nodding solemnly, grabbing a cardboard cup and setting to work on the large black and chrome coffee machine. Damnit, does everyone know what my comfy clothes mean?

“Thanks,” I mumble, paying her and feeling a little embarrassed. I hand over a little extra change, since I always tip here.

Okay, I can do this, I can get through this day, period or no period. Painkillers are kicking in. Got myself a coffee, a nice pastry, and besides, Su’s lesson should be fun, it usually is. The official title is ‘Monster Biology’, in which we usually dissect dead monsters, and study their anatomy, organs or blood. It’s kind of gross most of the time, and I’ve seen younger students pass out - like that one time when Su literally plucked an eyeball from a giant ghoul-toad and jiggled it in front of people’s faces, laughing manically. I think four people fainted, yeah, she’s kind of dialled it back a bit since then. Shame, it was funny.

Before long, Bolin and I stand before a dark-green door. Classroom two. No sooner have I opened it, shouldering my way in with my hands full before Bolin can beat me, than I almost lose my coffee and croissant. Thankfully I had them I clutched tightly to my chest before crashing into the unavoidable obstruction – another student.

“Oh, uh, sorr-” I gulp, inquisitive green eyes stare back at me, one eyebrow raised and a crooked, red-lipped smile.

“Sorry, Guns,” Asami says with a chuckle, side-stepping around me, “I left my notes back in my dorm, see you in a bit.”

“Yeah, uh, see ya…” I say, my voice cracking a little towards the end. Damn, did she always look that good? Bolin’s staring at me curiously with his head tilted, and I quickly compose myself. It was just a dream. Just a dream! Damnit. I frown at Bolin as though to silently challenge him to speak, and instead he raises his hands, grins, then walks to his desk, sitting just behind Mako.

 “Come in, come in, good morning!” Su beams at everyone, and at me, and I grin right back at her.

I’m about to head to my seat when I notice Mako staring almost fearfully at my shorts, then quickly look away. I’m getting sick of this. “Oh whatever,” I grunt, limply waving my hand in dismissal at my darling ex-boyfriend, then heading to my desk. It’s situated next to a window, as always; I need to be able to see outside, otherwise I get anxious, although I can’t really explain why.

“Is it okay if I eat at my desk?” I ask Su, since it’s generally not allowed. She looks at my shorts, smiles and shakes her head. I give up. That’s it. I’m done. The shorts... I love them, but they have to go. Maybe I’ll get rid of them in some sort of burning ritual. Yeah, could be fun.

“Of course, Korra. Can’t have my girls fainting in class.”

“But… you kind of go out of your way to make kids fai-”

“Shhh. I do no such thing. Sit and chow down, dear.” She says, waving me away and then clapping loudly once to get everyone’s attention. She pulls out a murky jar that looks like it’s full of rotten, swirling eyeballs, and the croissant in my mouth seems a lot thicker and chewier all of a sudden. I have a tougher stomach than this. I chew it down, and carry on eating, refusing to let those gloopy looking things freak me out, even when Su starts to place tiny bowls on every student’s desk, plopping one of said eyeballs into each.

I finish off the last mouthful of my flaky, delicious pastry, and take hold of the scalpel that’s just been placed on my desk. Mrs. Beifong is drawing out a diagram depicting the seven layers that apparently make up these tiny, squishy oozeballs, and I prod at mine with my scalpel tip curiously, quickly stopping when I see something green and black start to leak out.

“These eyes been extracted from Zallers. They’re rather common but tiny, triple-eyed lizards from the swamp.” Su says, quickly sketching one of the spiny-ridged critters next to her giant eyeball picture. Thankfully, Su is a much better artist than her sister, and she quickly finishes up, turning around with a wide smirk, “Oh, and just as an aside they also spit acid that melts through flesh, bone, or even steel.”

That has what I don’t doubt was Su’s desired effect - a few students groan fearfully, and there’s a loud gasp from Avril, the loud, blonde curly-haired girl who only joined our cube a couple of weeks ago.

As perfectly illustrated as Mrs. Beifong’s art is, I often wonder why we don’t use modern technology, the internet, a computer, digital imagery. I bet it has something to do with Unalaq. Has to be.

We’re down to layer two of tiny Mr. eyeball after slicing away the thinnest, outer membrane, when Asami turns up, clutching her thick notebook to her chest. When I look at her the dream enters my head all over again, making me feel a little dizzy and forcing heat to my cheeks. She apologises to Su, then starts to looks for a seat, and of course I just happen to have an empty desk right next to me. Then again, there’s one on the back row, too.

Take the back row.

Take the back row, please.

I like you, you’re cool, but right now I cannot deal, so don’t sit here. Just don’t because if you do I’ll think about what you did to me in the dream and… no. Just no.

I project my thoughts at her as though it’ll make any difference, nervously jiggling my leg under my desk as I do so. Unfortunately, she spots me, smiles and casually strides over, pulling the chair out and sitting right there. Right next to me. I can even smell her damn perfume, some fresh, flowery smell. Damn it.

She’s wearing a thin, black cardigan today, though it’s draped loosely over her shoulders with the sleeves tied in front rather than worn properly. Beneath that, a red v-necked shirt, a leather belt, and a knee-length black skirt. She’s wearing her usual leather-strapped boots again, and what look to be… fishnet stockings. I don’t need to see that right now. I focus on my eyeball instead. It’s a nice eyeball. It has layers. Layers are good.

Despite my best efforts to focus on class, I still end up glancing across a couple of times. It seems Asami has no problem catching up to the eyeball slicing. The second time I look, I catch her gaze and see her quickly look away from me. She seems… I don’t know, uncomfortable, somehow - her grip on the scalpel seems too tight, her knuckles are white and her blade is shaking. She’s going to make a mess of her eyeball if she isn’t careful.

The third time I steal a glance, I notice she’s staring at my shorts, though her eyes seem glazed, distant. Oh man, don’t say she’s figured it out too? That’s it, the pants will definitely have to burn. But for now, eyeball. Focus on the eyeball. Forget the dream, forget how great she looks today, and definitely forget that she had her lips all over you, you little avatar-perv.

“Uh, miss?” I’m startled at my sixth-layer dissection by Asami’s voice. I turn to look at her, and she suddenly seems to be very pale-faced, so I figure she’s maybe a little woozy from this exercise. “Sorry, but this is making me feel quite… unwell. May I catch up later?”

“Of course, dear. Can’t have you kids puking in class!” Su chuckles, grinning widely, whilst Asami clumsily gathers her belongings and darts out of the room, glancing back at me before she does, her expression unreadable. I peer across the room, meeting Mako’s eyes. He simply shrugs, probably as confused as I am. Man, I need to make amends with him, and soon. We used to get on great, and… I miss that.

The rest of the lesson is as entertaining as it is educational, and I feel bad for Asami, since she’s missing all the fun. The best part was when Su got a box of acid glands out, demonstrating just how powerful Zaller-spit can be by squeezing a droplet of it from a gland onto a thick sheet of steel. One drop, and it ate half-way through. Crazy. Who in their right mind would go into the swamp with those things there? Not me.

At lunch break, I fulfil my promise to myself and visit the campus laundromat, taking care of my rather large pile of dirty laundry. I set the washer-dryer off on a long cycle, so that I’ll have time to eat and hit the gym before picking up my clothes later.

Then, I head to the campus canteen, but I figure since I’m passing back through the central wing I should swing by Asami’s room; just to see if she’s okay, and maybe ask if she wants to grab lunch. I mean, now that my head has cleared, and stupid-horny-period aside, I should be able to act like a regular human being around her, or at least, I hope so.

I decide to go for it - if I’m serious about being her friend, then this is exactly what friends do, and I don’t want my sudden sexual identity crisis to hinder that in any way. This time, I ignore the strange butterflies in my belly insisting that I turn and flee, and instead I go right ahead and knock on her door. Like a friend would.

“Asami? I just came to… um… see if you’re okay.” I say, my lips close to the door, though I’m rapidly having second thoughts about this.

“I’m… fine.” Her voice, even though it’s muffled behind the door, sounds a little shaky. Maybe she puked after all.

“Did you want to grab lunch or anything?” I ask, feeling a little awkward, suddenly worrying that she may think I’m asking her out on a date.

“No, I’m fine, really. Thanks.” She replies, putting me out of my misery.

“Well, did you want me to bring you a sandwich back?” I figure if she’s thrown up, she should eat.

“Not hungry, thanks though.”

“Okay. I’ll… um… see you later then?” I ask, but she doesn’t respond, probably nose deep in her book again. I shrug to myself and walk away, trying to ignore the small feeling of disappointment from the fact that she didn’t even invite me in. Man, she must really hate biology if it’s made her this ill.

So, next on the list: Eat, gym it up, grab my laundry and burn my fucking shorts.

I really love the fact that we get a free evening on Fridays – it gives us a little extra time to catch up on homework, study in the library, that kind of thing. You’d think the freedom would cause students to go to the bar and get wrecked, but actually most students here are quite responsible, and they generally don’t slack off. I suppose when you’re learning how to protect the world and, you know, not die, you take schooling a little more seriously.

Me? I tend to do half-half, I think it’s important to have some personal time, otherwise what’s the point in being alive? I always make sure I’m ahead of my classes, but I don’t over-do it. Maybe I’ll spend this weekend talking to Raava, and see what Tenzin has to say about my recent accomplishments.

Maybe I’ll go into the avatar state. Yeah. In terms of life goals, that’d be at the top of the list right now.

::

After a gruelling hour at the gym, I feel like my body is pretty much giving up, my arms are trembling, and I honestly feel weak as a kitten. I just want to crash somewhere and stuff my face with chocolate, and so I relent, deciding to listen to my aches and pains and allow myself some much-needed rest. The training is abandoned in favour of a nice, long shower, which turns out to be the nirvana of all showers, a shower I’m reluctant to ever leave.

Eventually though, I manage to tear myself away from the blissful hot water, and then I head back to my dorm, feeling quite relaxed, and determined to pig out a little whilst I catch up on my gaming.

I’m half-way there, busy looking at the latest gaming news on my phone whilst I walk, and I accidentally bump shoulders with someone. I apologise, pausing mid-step and looking back, only to find the shoulder belonged to Asami, easily recognisable from those long strands of her damned perfect hair. She’s just walking on by like she didn’t notice me. Maybe she didn’t. Or maybe I’ve upset her somehow.

“’Sami, wait!” I call after her, and when she pauses in her stride, turning to look at me, it’s only then that I realise she’s carrying her backpack over her shoulder. She looks perplexed for a moment, then blinks quickly.

“Please don’t… call me that,” she says, smiling sadly, her voice far quieter than usual.

“Huh?” I’m really not sure what I’ve done, or said, and Asami interrupts me before I can ask.

“Look, I’m headed off-campus for a few days. Family stuff. See you later, Korra,” she says the words gruffly, turns on the spot and walks away with long, fast strides, like she can’t wait to put distance between us.

And me? I just kind of stand there, dumbfounded for a while, because I’m certain that at the very last moment I saw tears in her eyes. 

Chapter Text

Ah, home sweet home. Or rather, dorm, sweet dorm. Teeny, tiny dorm, barely big enough for my bed, desk, chair and wardrobe. But it’s mine, and I’m just grateful it’s bigger than my old dorms. We actually have three floors for student accommodation, all situated in the middle of campus. The youngest go on the top floor where they’re supposedly safest, then once they turn nineteen they’re moved to the middle. Turning twenty-two gets you the coveted gold prize - a spot on the bottom floor. Each floor has a communal kitchen, toilets and a few showers, though the main shower blocks are on the bottom floor, down the east wing, just near the gym.

I set my air-conditioning unit to seventeen degrees, since I’m feeling way too hot. Then I abandon my shorts, putting them to one side to burn later, and sit on my computer chair in just my T-Shirt and underwear.

So, it’s finally time for a bit of Battleverse. I switch my desktop PC on - it’s a half decent spec, mainly thanks to the cash my Mum and Dad send up from the south from time to time. They’re both high-ranking government officials down there, and even though they’re largely wealthy, they don’t spoil me all that much. To be honest, that suits me just fine - I’d sooner get a new letter from them than money any day of the week, though getting both at once is kind of cool too.

 I grab a couple of cans of coke from under my bed, and a jumbo pack of cheesy curls. It’s been four days since I last did any serious levels of gaming, and I texted Jinora earlier to see if she felt like some coop. She’s even more addicted to this particular game than I am, so she’s probably already on the server, waiting for me. I get comfortable, pull my chair under the desk and double click the mean-looking Orc icon on the desktop. Moments later, I’m logging in, and then looking at the character select screen.

Battleverse is a massively multiplayer online role playing game. Or, MMORPG. What a mouthful. Jinny and I started playing it about six months ago, and we’ve been hooked ever since, though my character is way cooler than hers. He’s called Drakk, and he’s a yellow-skinned massive orc brute - like a fighter class that specialises in hand to hand combat. He can literally punch bad guys across the screen, which is probably why I love him so much. I log in, and my dude is exactly where I left him, lying next to a sleeping maiden non-player character, or NPC for short. Damn acronyms. I frown, realising quite suddenly that I’ve always made Drakk hit on female NPC’s in the game, and even the occasional player character. Damn, am I really this fucking gay?

A bronze-skinned, blonde haired elf appears on-screen. Also male, though it’s hard to tell.

Jaynorra: Hey ugly! What took you so long?

Yeah, Jaynorra. That’s her actual character name. It’s so original, right? I mock her for it all of the time.

Drakk: I might be ugly but at least I’m not gay

Jaynorra: Oh, that’s not what I heard…

I switch the chat to private, in case anyone is stood near our characters. A lot of students play this game, and a lot of them know I do too, so I can’t help but feel a little paranoid.

Drakk: What?! What did you hear? Jinny…

Jaynorra: Bolin saw you making the goo-goo eyes at Asami again. It’s so cute. You two would be like, the sexiest couple on campus, I swear.

Drakk: ffs Jinora stop… and wait, are you calling me sexy?? :/

Jaynorra: Always. *smirk*

Drakk: Dude. Stop.

Jaynorra: Fiiine. Anyway, I hear she bailed out of class, like she was ill or something. Was Su up to no good again?

Drakk: Yes and no. I don’t know what was wrong with her. She’s been weird ever since.

Jaynorra: You sound worried.  You liiiike her. Just admit it.

My fingers hover over the keyboard mid-sentence. I’m actually getting tired of defending myself, or denying that yes, as it happens, I might actually like girls. In particular, Asami Sato.

Jaynorra: Oh, that silence says it all. You know it’s okay, right? We’ve known for ages.

Drakk: Known what??

Jaynorra: You be gay.

Drakk: … you’re nineteen, stop thinking you know me.

Jaynorra: Korra you have posters exclusively of women on your walls.

Drakk: No I-

I pause, glancing around my room. Well, fuck.

Jaynorra points

Jaynorra laughs

Jaynorra laughs

Jaynorra laughs

Oh great, now she’s spamming the /laugh emotion at me. You can do that in the game, make your character do a few basic movements; they’re called emotes, and sometimes we literally dick about in the game doing nothing except use them in as many comedy situations as possible. This, however, is not funny. Her elf is repeating the laughter animation over and over, it’s a really high pitched annoying sound, and I’m actually thinking of getting off my chair, heading to her dorm and cutting her ethernet cable. Instead, I switch back to public chat, and change the subject.

Drakk: Wanna go do some quests? I’m bored, and agitated and I need to kill stuff. Like now.

Jaynorra: Come outside and let’s duel then! I’ll kick your ass.

Drakk: Like shit you will.

And so, we walk outside of the tavern, and I bid farewell to my still-sleeping maiden NPC with a sorrowful /wave. Once we’ve cleared the protective area of the town, and headed to a nearby open field, Jinora sends out a duel request which I accept. The timer counts down with big, flashy numbers in the middle of the screen.

Three …

Two …

One …

FIGHT!

I launch Drakk straight into a shoulder charge, sending Gaynorra, sorry I mean Jaynorra, flying. Unfortunately Gaynorra is a bard class, so the big chunk of damage I just did is quickly healed with some bullshit harp that she whips out of her ass. And then she stuns me somehow, and starts to pelt me with crappy little magic arrow attacks. Now, unfortunately my dude has no means of healing, other than smacking things in the face, and Jay is being super lame, using magic to keep poor Drakk’s feet bound, and now she’s switching to her bow and launching a few arrows into my poor orc’s head. She makes the mistake of getting a little too close, the cocky shit, and so I use my leg sweep, grounding her for three seconds, which is just enough time to use my most powerful strike - a double-fisted attack where my guy raises his hands and pounds them down into some poor bastard’s head. It hits, her character is down to a sliver of health, and I just need to smack her once more time but my dude is still snared, moving way too slowly. She gets away.

I grunt in frustration as she proceeds to charge up more powerful, aimed shots, each one healing her until she’s back to full health, and now my guy can finally walk again but my big attack hasn’t recharged and I have next to no health left. I have one stun attack left, and I use it, launching myself up in the air and landing pretty much on her face. “Hah!” I say out loud, as her elf falls to the floor, and my Orc’s fists pound into him a few times. I’m about to land the final hit, when I’m suddenly blinded, Drakk walking in a circle whilst Gaynorra gets away yet again and heals yet a-fucking-gain, then fires one last charged shot, killing me.

“FUCK!” I yell, then cover my mouth. The dorm walls are thin, after all.

Drakk: Fuck your gay elf, fuck him right in the face

Jaynorra: He’d probably like that

I can’t help but laugh at that, spraying a little cheesy curl powder onto my screen mid-chuckle, and quickly wiping it off with my sleeve. God, I’m such a mess, sat here in my undies, bleeding from my unmentionables, stuffing my face with crap. I love it. The bleeding part, not so much, though it’s not so bad now that most of the pain has stopped.

Jaynorra: You did great though. You know my class is supposed to decimate yours, but you almost got me…

Drakk: Yeah yeah. Let’s go kill some shit. I have like, thirty quests queued up in my log.

I lose track of time as we play, killing pigmen, slaying dragons, and saving the world, until it’s eleven at night and I’m stretching out, yawning.

Drakk: I’m gonna turn in, okay? I’m super tired.

Jaynorra: Gotcha. Maybe we’ll have time to play tomorrow?

Drakk: Maybe. I gotta catch up on some avatar stuff first. And maybe a little study.

Jaynorra: Ok, night night

Drakk: Laters x

<you have disconnected>

Okay. PC is off. Monitor is off. Time for bed. Much as I’d like to stay up later, especially with it being a Friday, my body has other ideas and wishes for nothing more than the warmth of my blankets. I quickly put my to-be-burned shorts on and head to the nearest toilet - thankfully just two dorms down. I pee, brush my teeth, and head back, tugging my pants and T-Shirt off, and jumping straight into bed. Sleep always comes easy when I have the mensies, which is the only benefit of being so damn lethargic. I only hope I don’t have any more whacked-out dreams, although maybe, just maybe, a small part of me wouldn’t mind a repeat of the last one.

--

I forgot my laundry. I know I did, because there’s a giant pair of trousers coming right for me, and they’re angry that I abandoned them. As they loom closer, I realise those aren’t what I put in the wash… what are they? I try to focus, and then gasp. Oh, great… it’s my period pants. My green boy-shorts. They’re coming for me, they must know I want to burn them, oh crap oh crap, oh crap!

“Arrrgh!” I yell, running away, though the corridors don’t look like any place I can remember.

“Korra, you be gay,” Jinora’s floating head randomly tells me.

“H-Help,” I say, panting, “And also, shut up!”

“You be gayyyy. Gay gay gayyyyy.” she says, laughing.

I carry on running, feeling that the shadow of my pants is getting larger, and that they're gaining on me, ready to exact righteous vengeance.

“I’m a Mak-mak-mak-makolicious!” it’s… Mako, he’s just to the left, he’s topless, gyrating his hips and… rapping. Badly. Bolin’s stood behind him, wearing pink-rimmed sunglasses and skimming a vinyl disc on a turntable, whilst Opal waves around a pair of glowsticks, wildly gesticulating like she’s in the middle of the world’s greatest fucking party. I guess I wasn’t invited.

“Guys! What the fuck!?” I shout, but they ignore me, whilst the shadow looms behind, larger than ever, and I turn to see my pants are now on fire.

My pants… are on FIRE.

“Now dear, we don’t want you fainting in class,” Su says, stomping her foot into the ground and causing a large earthquake behind me. The ceiling collapses, burying the pants and extinguishing their flames. I look at her to offer thanks, and realise that her eyes have gone, replaced with tiny lizard eyes, slowly oozing green and black slime. I quietly sidestep around her, hoping that whatever the hell has infected her is curable, and then I make a run for it. The hallway is pitch black, and when I look outside of the windows I can’t even make out any stars. It’s almost like someone’s coated the windows, there’s literally nothing out there, and it’s freaking me the hell out.

Thankfully, there’s a loud click and the motion sensors must finally detect my presence, because the hallway is suddenly flooded with bright light. A really bright light. I shield my eyes, and walk forwards, deciding that I should get my bearings and head back to my dorm, hopefully putting a stop to all of this nonsense. I manage a few footsteps in what I think is the right direction, but then I slip, and skid down a floor that I’m sure wasn’t slanted a moment ago. Faster and faster I slide, until I’m free-falling down a never-ending pit, fading into another well of blackness after only just finding light.

I land on my hands and feet with a heavy thud, somehow not breaking any bones, and I rub the grit from the floor between my fingers, lifting it to my nose, sniffing it. I can detect several aromas - blood, piss, and fear amongst them. Seems like many have died here, but I refuse to be one of them.

“I won’t die,” I say, largely to myself. In response there’s a damn awful chorus of screams and screeches, the sound of bars rattling, and my heart is pumping faster than it should, but maybe that’s a good thing because I could sure as hell use the strength.

“Raava, are you ready for this?” I ask, knowing that we have to live through this - we have to, otherwise they’ll all be killed.

“Always. My power is yours… we shall not fail,” she says, sounding as determined as I feel. Good.

“You’re damn right,” I say, clenching my teeth as metal grinds against rock, and the screeches become louder, “here we go,” I growl, feeling her presence fill me, and it’s like I’m ten times lighter. I stretch my fingers out, feel the elements almost begging to be bent to my will, and then… then they come.

I don’t know how much time passes. I feel pain. I feel rage. I see crimson and black, I hear roars, growls, and I can’t even say if they’re mine, or theirs, but what I do know is that I rip them to pieces with my bare hands, even my teeth, lest they do the same to me. And as quickly as they came, they fall, leaving the pit in a deafening blanket of silence. I double over, holding my knees, panting, barely alive, and bleeding, bleeding pretty much everywhere. Doesn’t really hurt, though. Maybe I’m too pumped up on adrenaline to care.

It will take some time to heal, but… we did it, we won. We’re safe, for now. I slump onto the floor, my heart returning to its normal speed, and I close my eyes as exhaustion kicks in, knowing that I won’t be able to move for some time, and hoping beyond hope that the others are true to their word.

Chapter Text

It’s a cool, dry morning, and I’m sat outside in the campus square - a large, open field, dead-centre of the building, surrounded by benches and tables.

I’m mesmerised, hunched over with my fingers laced together, watching as brightly glowing orange-yellow flames dance across the mesh of my metal waste bin. I emptied it as soon as I woke up at stupid-o-clock from yet another stupid damn dream, and my comfort pants are now squished into it, set alight, crackling loudly as they disintegrate. Silver metal burns to black, and the edges of the green fabric melt away, flaking into thin, dark ash, caught on the wind, flying away.

“This seems a tad… excessive,” Raava says, interrupting my trance.

“The pants must burn,” I reply, making my thought sound sincere. I’m feeling unsettled after the latest dream, or at least, the end of it. One thing’s for sure - the dreams are getting worse. I can still taste their blood in my mouth, I still can still feel their flesh trapped beneath my fingernails. The thing is, I don’t even know what they are, given that the dream was so abstract, but I at least have a suspicion about who I was.

“Raava, my recent nightmare. Was it about Kyoshi?” I ask, trying to visualise the few remnants I have of the worse parts of the dream, though I exclude rapping Mako.

“That is… correct. It seems you are connecting more fully to your past lives - perhaps you will soon be able to talk to them.”

“Wait, I can do that?” I ask, suddenly excited at the thought. I wonder who I’d talk to first.

“Some avatars are able to, it depends on our bond, our connection, as well as their own nature.”

“So if they’re not spiritual, like me, they don’t stand a chance?”

“Actually, I feel that you are very spiritual. You just lack con-”

“Yeah, confidence. I know,” I think the words, sighing deeply out loud, my shoulders sagging as I stare at the ground. I eventually glance up to see that the fire’s almost extinguished, and my pants have burnt into a pile of ash. I’ll miss them.

“I wish I could help, but nothing I say will change how you feel.”

“I know,” I say, grateful for her honesty. It’s true though, she could tell me I’m the most amazing Avatar in the universe and it wouldn't make me feel any differently about myself. I don’t know how long I’ve had such crippling self-doubt. Maybe it’s since Meyla died, although I already had counselling for that. And I mean, a lot of counselling. Man, I still miss her. I wonder what she’d say if she saw me out here, feeling sorry for myself like this, and over a few bad dreams, no less. She’d tell me to stop being lame. She’d convince me to go to the shop and grab a giant tub of ice cream, which we’d share, though she’d always take more.

“I am… sorry about your friend,” Raava says, softly.

“You know about her?” I ask, idly twirling the rubber sole of my trainer into the pink and grey gravel beneath, noticing a couple of cigarette stumps buried beneath. Damn litter bugs.

“Yes. I do not see your thoughts without consent, Korra. But whilst we speak like this, I feel your memories as though they are my own. It feels like… she was a good friend.”

“She was,” I say, suddenly fighting back tears. I don’t want to get into this again, not now. Maybe it’s best to change the subject, at least whilst I have Raava’s attention. “So. My dream. What was Kyoshi doing? I mean, who was she fighting… and why? It seemed like a pretty close fight.”

“It was very close,” Raava says, apparently accepting my sudden change of topic, “and I know you have many questions, but I would rather you speak to her, when the time comes.”

“Do you have to be this cryptic?” I ask, folding my arms and glaring into space.

“Think of it as an incentive,” she says, and I’m sure I can imagine her grinning at the words.

“I’ll try.” I say with a long sigh, leaning backwards over the bench, looking up the dark-blue morning skies, and threading my fingers into my hair, still damp with sweat from the damn nightmare. It must be about five by now, since I woke at four. If I had any sense, I’d head straight back to bed and try to make up for lost sleep, but I doubt I’d be able to relax, especially when the dream got me so pumped. I think instead, I’ll blow off some steam. Maybe a jog. I haven’t jogged around campus for a while, actually, and it’s still nice and cool outside.

The perimeter of the entire building is just over a mile long if you follow the walls all the way around. From above, campus looks like a large cross, with a hollowed-out square in the middle, though I only know that because I was really bored one lunchtime and studied the fire-escape floor plan. Each stem of the cross is a wing of the building - and each wing serves a different purpose. The north wing is where we find classrooms one through four, as well as MaBeans and the staffroom. The south, classrooms five through eight, the nurse’s office, cloakrooms, and the laundromat. To the east we have our main shower block, gym, pool and sports halls. The west is for recreation and study - so that’s where the cafeteria is, as well as Spacebucks, the campus grocery store and the rather-huge two-storey library. Lastly there’s the part surrounding the hollow square - the centre, three floors for sleeping, and beneath it the cellar, where the bunker and weapons locker can be found.

Whilst I run, my brain thinks up more questions than answers. Why am I dreaming about Kyoshi in the first place - why not Aang, or Roku? I mean, they lived closer to my era. And if last night’s dream was really based on a memory, then how can the one before that not have been? Am I muddling my own desires with fact? And then there was the first one, where someone was dying. Someone close to me. Or wait, close to Kyoshi. Her lover? A friend? Her mother? Her daughter?

“You gonna just run around out here all day?” Jinora interrupts my frenzied thoughts. She’s stood at the north entrance in her bright-yellow jogging suit, smiling at me with her arms folded. I don’t know how many laps I’ve actually done, but I pull my phone out, surprised to see it’s already nine.

“I… uh, I was just finishing, I guess,” I say, sounding just as out-of-breath as I feel.

“Surprised to see you up so early, though I suppose you slept early too,” Jinora says. Yeah, I’m usually still in bed at this time on a Saturday since it’s the one day I allow myself a sleep-in. Go figure. I think when I do speak to Kyoshi, I’ll have to thank her for the rude awakenings.

“Yeah. Plus… I had… weird dreams.” 

“Oh? Do one more lap with me, and tell me about them,” Jinora grins, grabbing my arm, removing any chance to say no.

I don’t want to get into the whole Kyoshi thing with her, since I don’t even understand which parts are real. So I tell her about the fucked up dream about flaming shorts and Mako instead.

“Mako… hah… haha… Mako said what?!” she exclaims, through ragged breaths.

“Yeah. That he’s makolicious,” I say, dryly.

“You’re making this shit up, right?” Jinora pants. She’s set a decent pace, and by the time we’re finishing our lap I’m completely tired out, barely keeping up.

“Jinny, I couldn’t make this shit up if I tried,” I say, wheezing, and stopping with my hands on my thighs. I think I’ve done enough exercise for the entire weekend, let-alone one day.

“Right. Okay. Burning pants, lizard-eye Su, my floating head, and a Mako-Bolin-Opal glowstick rave-slash-rap party. Not made up.”

“Really not.”

“You are so fucked up, you know that?” she laughs, grabbing my arm and helping my tired body practically crawl up the north wing stairs.

“You don’t know the half of it,” I sigh, my breathing steadily returning to normal. I’m soaked with sweat, and I need a shower, again. I also need to grab my damned laundry, otherwise the clothes might decide to haunt me a second time. “I’m gonna get washed up. See you at the cafeteria later?”

“Yeah, we’ll all be there twelve-ish. I’ll text you,” Jinora says, waving, “See you later, weirdo!”

“Whatever!” I yell. Oh yeah, fantastic comeback. I need to work on those.

—

One long, hot shower later, I head straight to the laundromat, determined not to let myself get distracted this time.

I breathe a sigh of relief. My clothes are still there, waiting for me behind the closed machine door, so I grab a basket from the top and quickly pull them out, almost fearful that the garments may turn against me at any moment. Maybe it’s all because of that whacked-out anime that Bolin and Opal made me watch, where clothes are like, alive, and they enslave people. Other clothes give super powers, but they have to drink the wearer’s blood, and I seem to recall a lot of naked men. Phew. My head still hurts even thinking about it, and I yank my now-full basket up, holding it to my chest, heading back to base.

No sooner am I back at my dorm than I feel a buzz in my pocket, and I put my laundry basket down so that I can check my phone. It’s just turned twelve, and Jinora has kindly informed me that ‘the Krew’ as she likes to call them, are ‘assembled’ in the cafeteria.

Me: We’re not the fucking Avengers, Jinny

Jinora: No, we’re better. Korra SMASH!

I groan, and shake my head. I’ll never live that one down, and it was one time. One time! And I only smashed things a little bit with my hulk impression, and even then it was her fault for suggesting we drink vodka in the first place.

Jinora: Anyway you coming or what?

Me: Okay, be 5 mins

I’m wearing my second most-comfy trousers, a pair of red joggers, and I hope to God that I never have to burn these ones. They’re not the same ones I ran in, since those are now in my laundry basket, and to think I only just emptied it. Damn it, damn this never-ending cycle of dirty clothes. I swap out my vest for a loose, pale-yellow T-Shirt, which has picture of a cute velociraptor eating a cake on it, and then head out my dorm, down the west wing.

“Korraaa!” Jinora waves me over, like I wouldn’t know where they are - it’s always the same table, for goodness sakes. I wave back, holding four fingers and a thumb up, since I need to get myself a bite first. I scan the hot food options, feeling a little tired of sandwiches, and I eventually pick out egg noodles with sweet and sour chicken, feeling that I’ve earned the unhealthy option today. I can’t help but lick my lips when the giant, steaming carton is passed over and the sweet aroma fills my nostrils.

“Hey guys,” I say, smiling at each of them whilst I sit and unfold the box lid. So, looks like ‘the Krew’ is all here - myself, Jinora, Kai, Mako, Bolin, and Opal. Hopefully one day we can add Asami, if she comes back, that is.

“Hey yourself. Heard anything from Asami?” Jinora asks, like she’s just read my mind, “Bo went to check her dorm earlier, she wasn’t there.”

“Oh, you didn’t know?” I ask, scooping a wad of noodles with my chopsticks and gulping it down, “she left for a few days, family stuff. Didn’t say what.” I try to keep the concern out of my voice, but I desperately hope she’s safe, wherever she is.

“Huh. Weird that she’d leave after only just starting,” Mako frowns, “I’m sure she’ll be okay though,” he says, smiling at me as though to offer reassurance. I’m surprised. He’s being really supportive even though it’s obvious that he suspects, like everyone else, that I’m crushing on Asami. He’s clearly growing up, and I figure maybe it’s time I do, too. I smile back at him and suddenly wonder if it’s time I came clean. Yeah. I mean, maybe. They’re good friends, I owe them this much.

I finish my last mouthful, dab my mouth with a paper napkin, and belch quietly.

“Pardon you,” Opal says, grinning, then wincing when Bolin belches in her ear. “Bo! Gross!” she laughs, swatting a hand at him playfully.

“So, uh, guys,” I mutter, deciding I’m going to do it after all. It’s time to get this over and done with.

“Hmm?” Mako raises an eyebrow, his spoon of yoghurt sticking out of his mouth.

“Sooo. You see. I might be a little bit… well…” I feel heat rise to my cheeks and fiddle with my hair, finding this much harder than I thought it’d be, and Jinora’s already wearing a shit-faced grin which I have to turn away from, “uh, I might be… a little bit gay. Or bi. I'm not sure.”

“Finally,” Mako mumbles, then almost chokes on his spoon when Bolin actually dives across the table.

“Group hug!” Bolin yells, and I try to duck for cover, but it’s too late. I’m pulled into the tightest squeeze ever, and I lose track of whose arms are whose and it’s kind of awkward but at the same time kind of fantastic, and I want to laugh and cry, but I do neither, and feel a weird shiver up my spine. They eventually release me from my prison, all wearing shit-faced grins, and I feel elated but embarrassed all at the same time.

“Guys, this is great and all,” I say, smiling, “But, I… need you to back off on the Asami thing. She made it super-clear right at the start that she isn’t interested, in me, or anyone. No romance.” I look at them all, dead-pan serious.

“Of course,” Opal says, smiling softly whilst stirring her coffee, “I’ll keep these idiots in check, don’t worry.”

“Hopefully one day she’ll change her mind,” Jinora laughs, pecking Kai on the cheek, “like I did.”

“Like you did, eventually.” Kai says, rolling his eyes dramatically.

“But you were my patient knight in shining armour,” Jinora giggles. Now that I think about it, Kai had a crush on her for a year, and she rejected him at first since she was so focused on her studies. He never pushed or guilt tripped Jinora, not once. He didn’t use the friend-zone thing, either. Man, I just don’t get it when guys pull that shit - like, what’s so bad about being a woman’s friend? Does it always have to be about getting laid? In either case, Jinora eventually found time for romance, and for Kai. Still, that doesn’t mean I’ll have the same luck, and I think it’s best if I don’t get my hopes up.

Jinora and Kai share a somewhat flirtatious glance, then leave the cafeteria hand-in-hand, laughing. I don’t even want to know what they’re about to get up to, honestly, especially since she’s like a little sister to me.

“Anyway… I’ve gotta go see Tenzin, try the avatar thing again,” I say, though I don’t tell them about Raava. One coming out at a time, I think, otherwise I’ll end up exhausting myself.

“Awww,” Opal pouts, and Bolin copies her.

“Good luck. Catch up with you later?” Mako asks, and I nod. Yeah, he’s probably on the same page as me by now, knows that we need to air things out and stop the shit that’s been getting in our way.

—

I breathe slowly, my legs folded as I sit upon a soft, padded cushion.

“Are you ready?” Tenzin asks, smiling softly, and I can’t help but notice the spark of excitement in his chalk-blue eyes. He did get very animated when I told him snippets of my dreams, and then practically exploded once he found out I could speak to Raava. ‘Ask her if she remembers Dad!’, he asked, as though she wouldn’t. She found Tenzin’s excitement amusing all in all, though it started to tire me very quickly, or maybe that’s just down to the ridiculously long jog I did this morning.

I push my fists together, and try to relax a little, “Okay. I think so...”

Once my eyes are closed, I try to talk to Raava. “Hey, you there?”

“Always.”

“Wanna try this?”

“Of course. Focus your energy into the points where your first two knuckles connect.”

“Focus my energy… how, exactly?”

I’m sure I hear her sigh, like it’s from a disappointed mother, “Your life, your essence. It fills you, flows through you, following your bloodstream around your body.”

“Okay. Right,” I frown, not sure how I’d ever ‘feel’ something like that.

“Korra, how are you-” Tenzin begins to talk.

“I’m fine. Shh!” I hiss, my eyebrow twitching a little.

I try to feel the so-called energy, and I think there is something, a kind of tingle, pulsing with my heartbeat. Minute after agonising minute passes, it’s like I can feel Tenzin’s expectations, and they’re weighing on me heavily. Then, my breath catches in my lungs. For one brief moment I think I see… something. A strange almost kite-shaped form, inhuman, glowing white and blue. It’s there scarcely a second, then it’s gone again.

“Raava?” I think, but she doesn’t reply. I wait, then wait some more, until I’m feeling pins and needles in my legs, turning numb from sitting in this position. “It’s no good,” I sigh, eventually, realising that I’m getting dangerously close to falling asleep.

“It’s okay, Korra. It’ll come in time…” Tenzin says, smiling, his warm palm resting on my shoulder. He doesn’t sigh. He doesn’t look disappointed. Maybe it wasn’t his expectation weighing me down, but rather, my own.

I stand up from the cushion, blood almost painfully returning to the dead parts of my leg in a hot streak. “Thanks anyway,” I mumble, then leave the classroom and head to my dorm, feeling somewhere between pissed off and depressed.

As soon as I get back, I check my PC for emails, and my mood lifts a little when I see a new one’s arrived from Mum and Dad. They’ve sent a photo of a giant fish that Dad caught, and he’s holding it up with this super-wide grin like he’s so damn smug. I reply briefly, not really feeling in the mood to write an essay, and definitely not feeling like coming out to them, not yet.

“Nice one, Dad. Bet I can beat you though! Will talk later, super-tired from jogging. K. xxx”

Once that’s done, I start to delete today’s spam mail. Man, I should get a better provider, this one doesn’t seem to filter anything out.

“Funnily enough I don’t need a penis enlargement.” I mutter to myself, clicking the trash icon. “Yeah I’m sure you’d like to share your inheritance with me, Mr. Prince.”

Click-click-click. About twenty of them - what a load of crap! I glance at the computer clock in the lower-right. It’s just turned nine, too early to sleep, really. But then again I’ve been up since five, I feel like I’ve run a half marathon, I’m bleeding, and screw it, I’m basically fed up. I move my cursor to the logoff icon, about to click, when the ‘new email’ notification beeps. I roll my eyes, wondering who wants to try to sell me stuff this time, but I take a double-take, glancing over the email header twice, then a third time.

[Guns, is that you?]

I breathe a long, loud sigh of relief. She’s okay. She’s okay! But how could she have my email? I quickly double click, opening it:

==

If this is you I just wanted to say hello, and that I’m sorry for running off like that. I hope you’re managing to have fun without my special brand of bad influence. ;-)

P.s. If this isn’t you just delete this.

P.p.s. I know it’s you really. I found your email on the campus student forum, you left it there in a public post about Battleverse. I can’t believe you play that, you dork.

Asami Hair -x-

==

I laugh to myself, typing out a quick reply:

==

It’s me! Who would have thought the mighty Hair would resort to internet stalking? You crawled the forums just to find me?? I feel so special. :-p

Anyway, is everything okay? You looked upset before. It’s okay if you don’t wanna talk about it.

P.s. Don’t mock Battleverse, it’s great, you should try it. Jinora cheats, though.

K x

==

Man, I wish I weren’t so tired. I only manage to wait five minutes for a reply, before my eyes start to close. Yeah, I’m gonna turn in for the night. At least now I know that she’s okay, and I’m surprised to find that it’s like a huge weight is off my mind. I crawl into bed, and check my phone one last time. There’s a text from Bolin asking how I got on with Tenzin, to which I quickly reply:

Me: Not great - will chat tomorrow if that’s okay?

Then, I throw my phone to the side of my pillow, curl into a ball, and rest on my side smiling to myself without really knowing why. Maybe it’s because she internet-stalked me. My smile deepens at the thought.

Chapter Text

Looks like I transferred my weekend sleep-in to Sunday, even though I went to bed stupidly early. Maybe my weary muscles needed the extra down-time, or maybe my bed was just too comfortable, it’s hard to say. Whatever the reason, I don’t get out of bed until around twelve, and even then it’s mainly because I’m hungry, and also because I’m still bleeding so need to get changed and have a wash. Fun times. At least I didn’t have any messed up dreams, or I don’t think I did.

After clumsily getting dressed, I check my phone to see if Asami replied last night, then smile when I see not one but two emails from her. I sit back down on the bed and quickly read them, blinking my freshly-woken, blurry eyes against the harsh screen light.

==

[re: re: Guns, is that you?]

Stalking you?! You wish!

I was bored. I surfed the forums, and stumbled into your post. Don’t get your hopes up, Guns.  :-)

==

“Yeah, sure. You keep telling yourself that, Sato,” I chuckle to myself, opening the next email.

==

[re: re: Guns, is that you?]

And yes, I’m okay - thanks for asking. Mother had a dizzy spell and fainted, so she had to get a scan to check a few things. Turns out she’s fine, just low blood pressure.

Hospitals are boring as shit, and they stink. I hate them… I’m just glad we’re home now…

I’ll be here a bit longer to watch over some boring business stuff whilst she’s resting up. Will probably hop on a flight back over there Monday, all going well.

Hair -x-

==

Huh, now that I think about it, about the Sato Estate is just outside Republic City, though I’m not sure exactly where. Asami must have flown from Gaoling airport, which is just fifteen miles from the academy. It’s been a while since I went to Gaoling. Maybe I’ll head up there in a couple of weeks, and try to find myself some nice new boy pants. I’ll ask the guys along, and Asami too - it’d be nice to get her involved with the Krew. I mean, the group. Damnit, Jinora.

I tap out a quick reply on my phone:

==

Glad to hear it. I mean, not glad she’s in hospital, but glad she’s okay.

And yeah, hospitals suck. See you soon.

K x

==

I’m about to hit send, then at the last minute, I add my mobile number. Just in case. Well, in case she needs to call, or text, or you know. In case she needs me. Not that I can imagine why she’d need me, and maybe I shouldn’t have sent her it, but too late, it’s done.

“Calm your shit down, idiot,” I mutter to myself, standing from the bed, pocketing my mobile and heading to the washrooms. I almost jump out of my skin when the phone buzzes suddenly, with what sounds like a dying whale noise. I’m definitely going to have to get Jinora back one day for her phone-meddling. I flip the case lid to see I have a new text message, from a number not in my contacts list. I smile to myself as soon as I read it.

Unknown: Thanks for the number, this is mine. Also, please keep quiet about Mum - I don't want the media to know. Privacy violation, one of many perks of being a Sato.

I pause mid-step to add her to my contacts, and tap out a quick reply:

Me: No problem, will do. Uh, text me if you want to talk get bored or whatever.

Then I carry on walking, swinging my white towel over my shoulder, whistling an old tune, of which I can’t remember the name.

The rest of the day goes by quickly, like time away from lessons always does. After having a wash I head to MaBeans, grabbing a melted cheese and bacon toastie. Then I finish my homework, finding it pretty easy apart from Kya’s maths questions from last Tuesday. That’s Kya Rosenberg, Tenzin’s older sister. She’s a skilled water-bender who somehow manages to make Language studies and Math fun, not that I really understand why we need either for fighting monsters, but hey. Her older brother, Bumi, also works here - he’s the P.E. teacher and weapons instructor. He’s also nuts, but we all love him.

Once I’m done with my studies, I meet Bolin and Opal at the gym for a quick workout, though I skip the competitive swim at the end. Yet another joy of having a period, though I suppose I could always use tampons. Maybe one day. For now, I leave them to it, though it’s clear Opal is the better swimmer despite Bolin having such impressive upper body strength. I keep telling him it’s all about technique, but I’m pretty sure he never listens.

Next on the list, sorting things out with Mako. I text him, and we finally have that chat over dinner, the one we kept putting off. It wasn’t as painful as I’d expected - we both agreed to leave the past in the past, and try to be friends again. I also spoke to him about the werebat attacks, and he thinks it’s suspicious, too. He’s going to do some digging around, though I’ve told him to be careful, and that I’m a little suspicious of my Uncle.

Later, I message Jinny asking if she’s up for some Battleverse. She refuses, and instead tells me to get dressed because she’s coming over. I ask her why, getting nothing back except a ‘you’ll see’, so I reluctantly start to get ready.

A few minutes later, when I’m fastening my sneaker laces, there’s a loud knock at my dorm door.

“Surprise!” everyone says in unison, beaming at me, and Bolin’s stood at the front, holding a rainbow cupcake with a single candle burning in it.

“What the hell?” I say, thoroughly confused. It isn’t my birthday.

“We’ve decided to throw you a coming-out party,” Opal says, resting her chin on Bolin’s large shoulder.

“A what now?” I raise an eyebrow.

“Oh come on, Korra. Don’t be such a bore,” Jinora says, bumping Bolin out of the way, reaching in, grabbing my arm and yanking me away from the comfort of my glorious chambers.

“Wait, sheesh!” I groan, making sure to lock up first, “okay, fine. Where are we going?” I ask, and Mako rolls his eyes at me with a smile, knowing as well as I do that there’s only one choice. There’s only one bar on the campus grounds, the ever-so-originally named Benders, and I doubt anyone has plans to drive to Gaoling tonight.

We head outside of the main building from the south wing, forming a daisy chain of linked arms, my left arm hooked with Jinora’s, my right, with Mako’s. Bolin is stood at the far left of our link, with Opal and Kai to his right, and he’s stuffing his face with the rainbow cupcake since I didn’t feel like eating anything sweet. The bar’s only a five minute walk outside, just at the south-east border of the campus grounds, in a dining and drinking area which we call “the hub”.

Benders is closed during the day, usually opening around seven. The neon sign - ‘Benders’, with flames either side - is illuminated with a bright pink glow, and I can hear the din of students talking and laughing before we even push the double doors open. Sunday isn’t the busiest night by any means, but it’s busy enough. We flash our ID’s at the bouncers, and walk inside, heading straight to one of the quieter corners where we can at least hear each other speak. I hope Opal doesn’t make me dance again, not tonight at least. I mean, the dance floors are great, both of them, but I have to be in the mood for that kind of stuff.

“First one’s on me,” Kai says, laughing and ducking away when Jinora tries to ruffle up his perfectly spiked-up hair.

“Korra, you just have to try the icebomb!” Jinora laughs, wrapping her arms around Kai’s shoulders from behind. Great, straight onto cocktails, brilliant idea. With lessons in the morning, this doesn’t bode well, yet I can’t help but be swept up by everyone’s enthusiasm, and the next thing I know we’re sitting at a large oval table with a massive bowl of questionably-glowing bright blue liquid.

I eye the shards of steaming ice suspiciously as they float and bob around the surface. I suppose that’s the perk of this particular bar - employing benders into their staff, thus concocting unique hot or cold cocktails on-demand. Bolin eagerly grabs the over-sized plastic ladle and stirs it around the mix, swills it around, and then pours the no-doubt lethal fluid into each of our glasses.

“Cheers,” Mako says, raising his glass, with everyone else following suit. Then we all take a sip, and I nearly choke.

“Shit,” I cough, “What’s in this?” I grimace, holding the glass away as though it’s offended every fibre of my being.

“Pretty much everything,” Opal says, winking as she sips at her drink.

“Don’t let Korra have too much, or she’ll smash a wall down again,” Jinora laughs, reminding everyone yet again of my vodka-induced hulk impression.

“Shut up,” I mutter, taking another swig, this time managing to not choke.

Somehow I finish my first glass off, finding that I get used to the taste (if it can even be called that) the more that I drink, and an hour later - the bowl almost empty - it’s safe to say that not a single one of us is sober.

“Mako!” Jinora grins, putting her arm around the rosy-cheeked victim, “did, hic! Did Korra tell you about her dream?”

“Huh?” Mako says, raising an eyebrow, “You dreamt about me?”

I blush hotly at the words, “Not like that, damn it Jinora!” I exclaim, belching loudly after finishing off my fourth… or fifth glass of icebomb, bomb ice, bombtast… whatever. Ehhh. Why is the table wobbling so much anyway, stupid-ass table.

“Yup, you were mak, mak-hic! MakOLIC-hic! Makolicious,” Jinora says, laughing so hard that there’s tears in her eyes.

“Korra. Explain.” Mako says, though I see a hint of amusement glistening in his eyes.

“It’s really -hic- really simple,” I say, trying to put on a deadpan serious expression, my palms flat against the table whilst I lean over, “You were rapping, Bolin was a DJ, and Opal was waving glowsticks. Like this,” I say, gesticulating my arms and screwing my face up.

“Riiight,” Mako says, folding his arms, leaning back and chuckling, whilst Bolin and Opal crease over in laughter.

“And Bolin had these freaky shades on. And you were topless, and Jinora called me gay!” I gasp, melodramatically.

“Okay, no more loopy-juice for you,” Mako shakes his head, laughing. I think he has the highest alcohol tolern… tolerab… he can drink the mostest. The most.

The next round of drinks is far less adventurous, just plain old beer, and it’s probably for the best since my head is fuzzy as shit and I can barely form sentences.

“By the way, I got Salami’s number! And she emaaaiil -hic- she emailed me,” I beam, smiling from ear to ear.

Bolin, Opal and Jinora snort in laughter, and I’m not really sure why, but oh well.

“Good for you. How’s she doing?” Kai asks, resting his booze-reddened cheek upon Jinora’s shoulder.

“Fine, she-” I stop myself, remembering my promise even in my drunken haze, “she’s coming back Monday. Or Tuesday.” I suddenly realise I haven’t been keeping an eye on my phone, and I pull it out to find I have two notifications. Damn, I hope I haven’t missed anything important. I feel far happier than I perhaps should when I see that they’re both from Asami.

Asami: Guns, you there?

Sent four hours ago. Oops, guess I missed that one. I’m a lousy friend.

Asami: I looked at Battleverse. I might try it, I suppose. Is the mage class any good?

That’s kind of cool. Maybe Jinora and I can start a new character and we could all play together.

Me: Sorry, not been paying attention to phone. Out with the Krew.

Asami: The Krew?? :)

Hmm, I wasn’t expecting her to reply right away. I guess she’s finished with work at this time of night, and probably on her own, bored.

Me: Uh, my friends, I mean.

Asami: Sounds fun. I’m creating a character for this game of yours.

Me: Oh yeah, the nage. Good choic. Strong ranged attacks, blows schnitzels up. Also it isn’t my game. I’d be rich if it werw.

Damn, my fingers don’t work so well on such a small screen. So many typos. And where the fuck did schnitzels come from? I typed shit, god damn auto-correct. I suppose it doesn’t help that I’m not exactly sober right now.

I take a long swig of my beer, noticing that the others are busy chatting amongst themselves. “Sorry guys, just chatting to ‘Sami,” I say, noticing my words are still slurred. Maybe I should make this my last beer. Or maybe not, because it’s delicious.

“No problem, we still love you,” Opal says, winking.

Me: I mean the mage. Had a few bears.

Me: bards

Me: fufus beers

Me: ffs! Not fufus, what are fufus, damn auto-corset

Me: CORRECT, damn auto-corset

Asami: LOL

Asami: Thanks, finally some entertainment for the night. Needed that.

Me: You have Battleverse, how can you possibly be boarded?

Me: bored, I’m throwing this phone out of the window I sweat

Me: swear. ARGH

Asami: You’re adorkable. The game looks okay. I can’t decide on red or black hair.

Me: How long have you been on character creation?

I ask the question wondering if she can beat Jinora’s record of two hours. That’s the downside of such a large number of customisation options, you just get stuck, wondering what you actually want to look like. I always go for big, chunky guys. I’d pick female, but you can never make them look particularly well-built, or fat, which pisses me off. As for Jinora, she’s just weirdly obsessed with making feminine guys. To each their own.

Asami: A while.

Me: How long?? :)

Asami: Well, I logged in around seven…

I quickly check the phone clock. It’s turned ten. I guess the record’s beaten, then.

Me: That’s impressive. I dunno on hair. I always pick different colours to my own.

Asami: Red it is then. I think I’m done.

Me: Well, let me know if you get stuck, though the first few levels are mega-easy. I can play with you when you’re back if you want.

Asami: Hah! I hope you mean Battleverse.

Me: Well yeah, what else would I mean?

I ask the question whilst frowning.

Asami: You poor sweet thing.

Asami: Will talk later. I have to kill seven rabid pigs.

Me: I knew it, you’ll love the game. Just you wait

Asami: Laters!

Me: Niggle

Me: Night. Sigh.

“Guys, I need a new phoooone,” I say, scowling and pushing the device across the table in disgust, “it keeps changing my words.”

“Don’t blame technology for your drunken -hic- fingers,” Jinora laughs, finishing her beer, “and besides, you can turn auto correct off.”

“You can?” I ask, recovering the handset and fervently exploring the options screens.

“Okay guys, let’s get you sobered up,” Mako distracts me, coming to the table with a tray full of coffees and a jug of water, “We have lessons early in the morning.”

--

And so, Mako saved the day. I lay back in bed, arms folded behind my head, dreading to imagine what kind of hangovers we’d all have in the morning if we’d been left to our own devices. It’s almost twelve at night, and I definitely should try get to sleep, but I check my phone one last time.

Asami: pigs are dead, was that even supposed to be a challenge? I just set them all on fire.

Asami: Oh okay, I see what you mean by mages being squishy.

Asami: This game cheats.

I chuckle to myself, deciding it’s best if I don’t reply at this time of night. I need my sleep. It’s my favourite lesson tomorrow, a field trip, as in actual monster-slaying. It’s the reason we’re all here, after all.

Chapter Text

The morning passes quickly, although I almost arrived at class late due to sleeping in yet again.

Miss Rosenberg - Kya - takes us through a few chapters of one of her favourite novels, a pretty cool post-apocalyptic story called Swan Song. Then she quizzes us on it, and various usages of language within. We’re given an hour to write what we think will happen next between two of the main characters, and I (naturally) make up something ridiculous about a gay werewolf romance even though the story is meant to be semi-serious. It doesn’t matter though, we’re scored on grammar and punctuation, and using our imagination is generally awarded with bonus points.

After we’ve handed our written work in, we’re given a ten minute break in which I finally get around to texting Asami:

Me: Sorry, I slept in and we only just got a break. The game is easy, you must suck.

Me: Anyway, sorry if I’m quiet today. It’s the field trip later - monster slaying time! :)

I wait patiently, but there’s no reply. Maybe she’s getting ready to fly back. Maybe she’s already on a plane. I hope so - I’ve actually kinda missed her. There’s an hour of English left before lunch, an hour that thankfully goes by quickly, because Kya is awesome and keeps the class well-entertained whilst teaching. Even so, I’m both excited and relieved when the lunch bell rings, and I practically sprint down the west wing towards the cafeteria, leaving Bolin and Mako in a trail of dust and almost bowling Jinora, Opal and Kai over.

“Steady on!” Kai laughs.

“Looking forwards to the field trip, then?” Jinora asks, rolling her eyes.

“You know it,” I grin, then walk with them the rest of the way to the cafeteria. I suppose there’s no real point in rushing, it’s not like I’ll be able to force the hunt to start any earlier.

“I suppose you’ll get to do the hunts soon too, right Jinora? Any news on your cube five transfer?” I ask.

“Dad- uh, Mr Rosenberg says it’ll likely be in a week or two. And then I finally get to do the cool stuff, like watch your back out there.”

“Hey, I’ve gotten this far without you!” I say, winking.

Once we’re at the cold-food counter I quickly pick out a light meal - a simple chicken and mayo roll, and a nice, ice-cold coke. Nothing new there, I suppose. I hurry to sit at our table, then wolf my sandwich down, and quickly finish my coke, belching loudly.

“You know you’ll give yourself indigestion, right?” Mako says, joining me at the table with a loud yawn. Looks like he’s eating light too, having purchased a tuna sandwich and a yogurt. He does love his yogurts, almost as much as I love my coke.

“I don’t do indigestion,” I say, smirking.

“Whoa, you’re finished already?” Bolin asks, sitting down with a giant tray of food. I glance over it all, feeling pretty sure he bought one of everything, and I’m almost mesmerised by the way he digs into one thing after another, like he’s this bottomless pit of hunger.

Two bread rolls, a bowl of leek soup, a pot of lasagne and a jumbo pack of cheese biscuits later, it’s twenty past one, we’re about to head to the best lesson ever, and I can scarcely stop myself hopping around in excitement.

“Have fun guys,” Opal laughs, pecking Bolin on the lips before we head to the North wing.

As always, we meet outside the North entrance, and I’m immediately confused to see that only Su Beifong is here. We need Lin here too, since we’re only allowed out with both teachers; extra safety and all that.

“Hello everyone!” Su beams, waiting patiently by her moped for the cube to assemble. I’m grateful that my fellow cubonians are prompt, and that all sixteen of us arrive with at least five minutes to spare. “Miss Beifong isn’t feeling well, so we’re doing a smaller hunt today,” Su says, and I struggle to contain my disappointment, more so when she tells us that we’re to hunt dire-badgers.

I mean, really? This is what I’ve been excited about all morning? My heart sinks in my chest, and I look to the ground, folding my arms.

“Come on Kor, it’s not that bad,” Mako says, chuckling and elbowing me gently. I fold my arms tighter still and scowl at him. He knows this is my favourite lesson, but then again maybe that’s why he’s trying to cheer me up. I have to learn to give him the benefit of the doubt now that we’ve made up.

“I guess not. But dire-badgers?” I say, rolling my eyes.

“We could pretend they’re ferals!” Bolin says, grinning. Gotta give him points for trying, I guess.

Su jumps onto her moped and fastens her dark-green helmet at the chin strap, “We’re headed to the northern caves just a half-mile up the hill. I want you all to jog and keep up with me.”

“Right, so in the absence of monster hunting, we’re basically getting an extra P.E. lesson this week.” I grumble, though I suppose it’s better than nothing - barely.

We start to jog the second Su pulls away, and follow her outside of the main gates to the north-east of campus. Then we’re running up a narrow path to the north, one that’s barely wide enough for her to drive up, yet she manages it somehow.

“Okay everyone, keep running, come on now,” Su yells, leaning around to check on us.

I’m not the fastest jogger in the class - that award goes to Sen, who’s well ahead of the rest of us, just behind the moped, with his long braided tail dancing behind his spine as he runs. It must because of his long legs, or something, but he makes it looks almost effortless, and I rarely see him out of breath. Maybe he’s a vampire? I laugh to myself at the thought. I need to stop thinking that anyone with any kind of quirk is a member of the undead.

“Checking out my boyfriend?” Yena asks, panting whilst he grins at me.

“Actually, he’s not my type,” I chuckle, wondering at what point the latest news will travel around class.

“Oh yeah, I heard about that. Congratulations!” Yena grins.

Okay, I wasn’t expecting it to travel that fast, but oh well. So long as nobody gives me any hassle about it, then I suppose I’m happy enough.

“We’re here, come on!” Su yells in the distance, waving at us from the top of the hill, and removing the helmet with her other hand.

Once we’re all stood around, Su grabs a sealed package from underneath her moped seat, then opens it up and lays out strips of bloody meat from within on the floor, just in front of several small holes beneath a grassy mound.

“Okay, let’s hide in the trees just there, get ready to spring an earth-cage,” Su whispers, and we follow her, each of us settling down behind a thick tree, or in a bush. And then, we wait. We wait, until it’s getting dark, and it’s not been the most fun hunt in the world, I have to say. I’m not even sure why we have to take these poor guys out, though rumour has it that they’re partial to the taste of young human flesh. I suppose that necessitates their slaughter.

I notice Su check her pocket watch, at which point I’m honestly starting to think this whole thing was a ruse, and the lesson was abandoned all along with Lin being unwell. They couldn’t possibly let us have the afternoon off. No, that would be asking way too much. I roll my eyes to myself, somehow now convinced that I’m right, and this is all just bullshit.

And then, there’s a piercing, spine-quivering shriek, and Su flashes pale - the palest I’ve ever seen her.

Some… thing appears just above the badger mound, crouched over. I can only make out its silhouette, but two things are already obvious. Firstly, it’s a feral, clear from its humanoid figure, and the hunter stance. Secondly, it only has one arm. Should be an easy kill, I think, grinning to myself. It leans forwards, its snout dipping out of the shadows, sniffing at the air. It knows we’re here, obviously, I guess it’s just weighing up its odds. I’m surprised it hasn’t run away already.

“This’ll be my third,” I whisper to Bolin, though he’s too focused on the beast to pay attention to me.

I know it’s selfish of me to want the glory, but I have a special place in my heart for ferals. For each one I take down, I feel like some sort of vengeance is delivered, though it’s never quite enough, it never sates my need. At the very sight of the creature I imagine Mey’s face being eaten, her bloodied hand reaching out, and I clench my teeth angrily. What’s Su waiting for? I could take this one down in seconds, without even trying.

What I didn’t expect was for Su to give us the slow-retreat signal, a series of hand gestures we’re all taught from cube one. Basically she wants us to back off in formation, facing the threat, huddled up.

“Why?” I mouth the words to Mako, stood opposite, and he shrugs, starting to edge backwards with Su on his right.

Our movement seem to enrage the feral, unsurprisingly, and it screeches loudly enough to hurt my ears. Next thing I know, it’s moving straight for us, but something seems… different about it. And that’s when I realise why Su is afraid.

It’s an ancient. A feral that’s somehow lived long enough to develop almost bat-like facial features, with razor sharp claws, and inhuman speed. We’ve been taught that all vampires gain strength with age, and the same is true for ferals - it’s just that their strength evolves in a very different way. A sane becomes stronger, wiser, and faster. A feral becomes faster, stealthier and deadlier. These are a few of the things we’ve been taught in Lin’s classes - I guess I must pay attention after all.

Suddenly I feel a massive weight slam into me, and I’m pinned on my back with the feral upon me, hissing, claws from its single hand digging into my shoulder, drawing blood. I don’t even have time to register how or why it happened - I guess I didn’t appreciate just how fast an ancient can be.

“Get off her!” I hear Su yell, and then a spike of earth shoots diagonally above my torso, and the feral is gone. It’s just… gone, without me even seeing it move. There’s another shriek, and it’s impossible to tell from which direction.

“It’s playing with us…” I gasp, the realisation causing fear to creep into my veins, as I stand slowly back to my feet.

“We need to get everyone out of here,” Su says, looking at me, “I’ll try distract it, you lead the class down the hill.”

She wants to kill herself? I can’t let that happen. “Raava, any chance of an avatar state right about now?” I speak into my own mind, but the question is met with silence. That’ll be my fault - I find it difficult to contact Raava unless I’m relaxed, and right now, I’m anything but.

“It’s my blood it wants,” I say, sticking my jaw out stubbornly in an attempt to appear brave. Truth be told, I’m practically crapping myself, sweating more than I ever have from my wonderful nightmares.

“Korra, go- argh!” Su is sent practically flying, and her head slams into a tree, causing her to fall limply to the floor.

“Su!” I yell, and the Feral turns towards me, making this damn awful chattering sound. Laughter? Bolin lunges an earth spike towards it, Mako and Sen aim a fireblast at the same time, but it dodges. This time I do kind of see it move, though it’s nothing more than a blur, and I find myself wondering how anyone’s ever managed to take one of these fuckers down. “Bo, Mako, get Su and everyone back to campus!”

“Korra, don’t be ridicu-” Mako snarls.

There’s a scream, cut off by a sickening gargle, and I grit my teeth when I turn to the source - it’s Jonas, the younger, quiet kid who always sits at the back of my row, staggering backwards and clutching at his throat. His eyes roll back in their sockets, and he collapses, blood streaming from an inch-deep crimson gash in his neck.

I hear the damn awful chattering again.

“Mako! Now!” I cry.

“But Korra!” Bolin cuts in, looking anxiously between me and the group of students.

“If you don’t, it’s going to kill everyone, and make me watch. It’s playing me. It’s playing us. At least I stand a chance,” I say, though I know I actually don’t. I just need to buy them all some time, that’s all, “Go!”

Mako grits his teeth, shakes his head, then he and Bolin head toward Su’s unconscious body, picking her up. In the meantime Sen shuffles across to Jonas, picking up his lifeless body with Yena’s help, and I can’t help but shake my head despairingly. That poor bastard… he didn’t even see what hit him. Maybe that’s for the best.

Once I’m satisfied that people are actually making an effort to get away, I walk out into the clearing, striding purposefully to my own demise. “Bring it then, shitface!” I yell, holding open my arms. That got its attention - it’s stood right in front of me, its elongated snout wrinkling up, sniffing. It’s probably working up an appetite for my delicious avatar-blood.

I won’t make it easy, that’s for fucking sure.

“You’re gonna work for your food, you ugly fuck,” I hiss, and then force a thrust of fire from my feet, allowing me to at least dash quickly, albeit in short bursts. It’s nothing compared to how fast the feral can travel, but I try anyway, bursting fire, then air, then fire, trying to move as quickly as possible, and make the most of my momentum. But it’s there, that damn monster is always there, running at the sidelines, looking at me with tiny, glassy-black eyes. I’m sure it’s even smirking, as though enjoying my pathetic attempt at putting up a fight.

I burst into an open field, hoping that we’re far enough away from the others for me to make my last stand, and I try to blast fire at the bastard, but it’s literally impossible to hit. It’s like the fucker just blinks, from one spot to the next, with no movement in between. Then it’s headed straight for me, and I know it’s moving purposefully slower since I can actually see the damn thing, so I yank up earth walls and blast myself backwards. It bursts through each barrier, like the rock is made from paper, or even air.

Did I lure it far enough away from the others? Did they listen to me, and run? I hope so. I really hope so. I’m getting too weak to bend, fatigue is setting in, and next thing I know, I’m trapped with my back against a tree, holding my hand to my bloodied shoulder, surprised at how damp it feels. I guess I got hurt worse than I thought, not that it matters anymore.

The damn thing is right in front of me, an inch away, sniffing again.

“Just do it. I hope you choke,” I spit, and its eyes narrow as though it understands. It raises its hand, sharp, black claws glinting in the moonlight, and I know that even now it’s slowed down its movement on purpose, just to enjoy watching the fear in my eyes. I’m dead, but it’ll be quick, I think, I hope.

I close my eyes, waiting for the inevitable, trying to silence the fear trying to overwhelm me. I just hope my friends stay safe, and if I just think of them, maybe it’s not quite so terrifying.

“Korra!” I hear a voice cry out, my eyes flicker open to see a blur of movement and I don’t know how but… Asami’s right in front of me, and I don’t even know how she got there. I’m tired, I’m so damn tired, and nothing is making sense anymore.

“Asami?” I frown, “I thought you were back ho-”

I hear a sickening, wet crunch, followed by her sharp, agonised cry, and something in her face just kind of… shifts. At first I don’t register in what I’m seeing, maybe it’s because she moved so fast, maybe it’s because I’m just generally in shock. All I know is that somehow she’s stood between the feral and me, the deadly blow never comes, and her face, there’s something… wrong with her face. I blink quickly, trying to recover my senses, trying to see better in the dark, and that’s when I notice the flurry of movement beneath her chest. I shift my gaze down only to find a black, clawed hand, groping towards me, failing to reach. Failing… because the entire arm... it’s stuck.

It’s stuck… inside her. Inside Asami.

“Asami…” I croak weakly, tears flooding my vision whilst I watch blood stream down her abdomen from the huge, gaping wound.

“Run,” she growls, her voice deep, he tone urgent. But my legs won’t move, so I stand against the tree, transfixed as that terrifying claw continues to stretch, tries to get to me even though there’s a wall of fucking flesh in its way - Asami’s flesh.

Fuck! She ’s going to die, she’s going to die like Mey did, and it’s my fault, it’s all my fault…

Suddenly, Asami grabs at the feral’s arm, and her nails dig deep, causing the creature to screech in pain and writhe behind her, but she, fuck… she must be strong, because she’s holding its forearm in place, twisting the entire thing backwards with both hands until there’s a loud crunch, and then the damn creature wails louder still. And then she sharply yanks at the whole fucking thing, tearing the forearm clean out of its socket, pulling it through her own damn wound. I almost pass out from the sight, she’s moving so quickly I can’t even see, and she does… something. Something that makes a sickening, wet popping sound, something that shuts that fucking feral up in an instant.

I don’t know what she did, or how, but the next thing I know she’s holding the feral’s head by the scruff of its mane. A head that’s oozing blood from the stump of its neck, no longer attached to its body, which falls onto the ground into a still-twitching heap.

“Asami…” I mouth, but I can’t even make a sound. I’ve lost the strength in my legs, I’ve fallen onto my ass, hugging my knees to my torso.

And then she falls too, landing on her knees, clutching at her chest, and turning to face me. It’s only then that my brain finally starts to make sense of what I’m looking at. There’s thin, black vertical slits where round holes should be, green irises glowing as she stares right at me. I lower my gaze, my breath catching in my throat when my fears are confirmed. There’s a pair of… fangs, barely protruding from her quivering upper lip. She’s gasping for air, shaking, coughing up blood.

I… I want to help her. But she’s... she’s one of them. She’s a fucking monster. I watch as she rolls onto her back, her chest rising and failing, the blood at her torso glistening in the moonlight, and her hair messily splayed out across the ground.

Why the hell does a vampire need to breathe, and since when does a vampire sweat, feel pain, or bleed? The stuff is streaming out in thick red rivers beneath Asami’s hand, and I don’t know whether to laugh, cry, run away, help, or even attack her, finish her off. I’ve never been so confused. Sanes are protected by law, so it’s probably best if I just get the hell out of here.

But then, it’s Asami… isn’t it? Her eyes aren't really all that different. She even looks sad, somehow, and I think maybe it’s because I’m not able to hide the disgust on my face. She probably knows exactly what I think of her, of this.

“Help her.” Raava says, her voice surprising my tired mind.

“But… she’s a…”

“A sane, yes. All will be explained. You must help her, Korra. Now.”

“And how am I supposed to…” I pause, realising the obvious expectation, “Oh. No. Nope. No fucking way.”

“Then leave her here to slowly bleed out, to starve, and eventually become feral, an ancient many times stronger than the one she just killed,” Raava says, her sarcasm knowing no bounds, “or, you could perhaps save the woman who just sacrificed everything for you and your friends.”

“I don’t… I can’t…” I say, out loud, but find myself slowly crawling over to the half-dead vampire regardless. Ugh, vampire. I feel sick that I’d started to feel something for her, for it. I feel sicker still that I should hate her, hate everything she is, but when she looks at me I feel something more than disgust, I feel pity, too. I’m supposed to be stronger than this. She’s a monster. I’m a slayer. It’s really quite simple.

“Korra…” Raava warns, peering in on my dark thoughts.

“You want me to go against everything I believe, and save a monster?”

“Look at her, Korra. She is no monster. If you can’t believe that, then do it for me, do it because I am asking you to.”

“I… this isn’t right. And… and you lied to me, about her, about everything!” I think back at Raava, angrily.

My thoughts are distracted by a soft sobbing sound, and I look down to see tears in the vampire’s eyes. Oh, right. So they cry, too. Of course they do. Just what the hell is going on here?

“You might also spill a few tears if you had a hole in your chest,” Raava says.

“So they feel pain like we do?”

“When in a weakened state like this, yes.”

Okay, that does it. Finally, I relent. If it’s really her in there, really Asami, and she’s in pain, then I can bring myself to do it for her. I roll my sleeve up, bend over and offer my arm, feeling fearful over what may come next.

“I… I can’t.” Asami, I mean, the vampire, whispers, looking even more tired than I am, somehow.

“Raava says you have to,” I sigh, “But if you wanna stay and die, it’s your call.”

“She needs consent. It is the law,” Raava explains.

“Seriously? Like this isn’t hard enough?” I speak inwardly, and groan in frustration outwardly. “Fine... uh, bite me.” I give my so-called consent, almost laughing at my choice of words.

Asami reaches out a pale hand, weakly grabs my wrist and pulls it to her mouth, and I try to pretend that I don’t feel a jolt of excitement at the sensation of her lips on my skin, because that would be all kinds of wrong. I feel her lips pull apart, noticing only then just how warm her mouth is, and I hiss when I feel two sharp pricks against my skin. The pain lasts less than a second, though, and I’m waiting for it, waiting for that same hungry, face-eating beast, like the ones that ate Mey. I wait, my eyes squeezed tightly closed, not daring to look.

It never comes. I pry one eye open to find Asami is drinking gently, quietly, her eyes closed, and I’m surprised because the feeling of blood being drawn from me isn’t unpleasant. It’s like a warm buzz right where her lips are, pulsing hotly from that point, and yeah… it feels… kind of nice, actually. I watch as her strength visibly returns, the hole in her chest knitting together as though it was never there in the first place, until there’s nothing but tattered, crimson cloth, and perfectly healthy skin.

“Whoa…” I whisper, in awe, despite my reservations about this whole damn thing.

She releases my arm, and stands to her feet, wiping her lips dry with the back of her sleeve. I look down at my wrist to see nothing, not even a shred of evidence that her fangs were ever upon me. Then, she belches quietly, and I look at her for a moment, tilting my head, trying to work out if that actually just happened.

She suddenly grins, her black eye-slits widen, and she laughs, leaning over and wrapping her arms loosely around my shoulders, her lips an inch from my nose. “Saved by the Avatar, lucky, lucky me,” she drawls the words, her cat-like eyes half-lidded, her tongue running over the tip of her right-side fang, and I’m paralysed by what I think might be fear, except I don’t feel like running away, not even a little bit.

“Korra, just to warn you…” Raava speaks, bringing me back to my senses, “Avatar blood is…”

Asami gently releases my shoulders, lightly traces a bloodied fingertip up my cheek and then… then she spins around, stomps away and starts to make fucking gun fingers, pretending to shoot at trees, complete with whispered ‘pew-pew’ effects.

“…well, you see, it’s a little strong.”

“Wait, what… what do you mea-” I frown.

“It gets them high, Korra. And I mean, high as shit.”

“What the fuck.” I say, out loud, as Asami rubs her cheek lovingly against one of the trees she shot at just a moment ago.

“You’re going to have to hide her, you can’t let everyone know this, not yet. We need time.”

“You know, you owe me every explanation in the fucking book as it is, and now you’re asking more of me? Raava, you lied to me… to me!” I shout the words internally, knowing full well that since Asami is a vampire, she’s the same one I saw in my dreams after all. The same one who made love to me, or to Kyoshi. Damn. That shouldn’t turn me on anymore, it really shouldn’t. Especially when little miss Vampire is now having an argument with the dead Feral, or rather its head, which she’s now picking up, and… swinging around. She’s going to throw it.

“I would not lie without good reason. Please, Korra. Get her out of here.”

“Asami, stop it,” I groan, taking the feral head away from her. Her fangs suddenly recede and she looks at me with a pout, like a scolded child. Her eyes stay the same though, eerily cat-like in appearance.

“Korra, are you there?” it’s Su’s voice. Shit. Well, I mean, I’m relieved she’s okay. But… what the hell am I supposed to do now? I panic for a moment, then have a sudden half-assed idea and open up a zip on my thigh trouser pocket, relieved to find my shades are still there, in-tact. I quickly plant them onto the stoned vampires face, then curse because if you look hard enough you can still see the glow.

“For meeee?” Asami giggles, fiddling at the plastic ear-sticks.

“Yes. For you. But only if you stay quiet for… for five minutes. Deal?”

“Four minutes. Four minutes and thirty six seconds,” Asami beams.

“What the? Okay... Sure.”

“Thirty-five,” Asami whispers.

“Shh!”

“Thirty-four,” she giggles, putting her hand over her mouth.

“Okay, do you want the shades or not?”

She stretches her lips into a thin straight line, nods her head, and I notice the glow behind the shades ebbs away a little. It’s still there, but you’d really have to focus to see it.

“I’m here!” I yell, guiding Asami’s arm over my shoulder and walking us both towards the source. I place my hand over the rip at her torso, holding the material in place and hiding the freshly-healed wound.

“Oh, thank goodness,” Su says, smiling once she sees us. She has a thin blood stain trailing down her face, but otherwise appears unharmed. Bolin and Mako are here too, and I’d be pissed that they didn’t run if I even had the energy for anger. Everyone looks a little dirty, ragged and worse-for-wear. But they’ll live. We all will. And yeah, Raava’s right, I suppose. it’s all thanks to Asami.

“Asami?” Bolin asks, and everyone’s clearly confused by the sight of her. Can’t say I blame them.

“It’s a long story,” I sigh, hoping nobody asks for an elaboration, “main thing is, we got the feral. But Asami kind of took a beating,” I grimace, and Asami actually plays along, falling limp against my shoulder and groaning, though perhaps a bit too melodramatically.

“Oh dear, is she all right?” Su asks, rushing over and placing a hand on Asami’s cheek, “She feels very hot, and she looks delirious. You need to get her to the nurse, quickly. Take the moped.” Su looks at me meaningfully and tilts her head back towards the bike, urging me to go on ahead, and it’s then that I realise she knows. She fucking knows. Otherwise she would have lifted the shades, and checked Asami’s eyes.

“There’s a lot you don’t know, Korra.” Raava says.

“Well, no shit,” I think, angrily.

“Korra tastes so good, so good-good-mmf!” I place my hand over Asami’s mouth, grinning awkwardly at everyone.

“I’ll uh, see you guys soon, then,” I say with a smile, heading back towards where Su left her bike. Walking, with a stoned vampire. Seriously, I don’t think this night could get any stranger.

“TIMES UP!” Asami yells, and I wince at the sudden noise.

“Okay, but can you at least reel in the hyper until we’re back at your dorm? Please?”

“Mmmmh… nope”

“Asami…” I growl.

“You’re mean.” She wrinkles up her face.

“And you’re a blood sucking monster,” I groan, though I’m sure the insult is lost on her right now.

Su’s moped is right where she left it, and I waste no time in hopping on, relieved that Asami drops her stubbornness for a moment, climbs on behind and holds onto me. I rev the engine, driving us back the short distance to campus.

Asami starts to make race car noises. Loudly and enthusiastically.

I’m on a moped, with a stoned vampire behind me, and she is making race car noises. Guess I was wrong, there’s plenty of ways this night can get stranger. If we hadn’t lost a classmate tonight, I might even manage a laugh, or at least a smile.

Chapter Text

Thankfully, campus is pretty quiet at this time of night, which saves me from having to explain why I have a stoned, race-car impersonating glowing-eyed woman with me. I park up Su’s moped outside the north gate, and sigh, wondering why the hell I’m even doing this.

“Come on, let’s get you to bed,” I say, almost despising the words the second they leave my mouth. I can’t believe Raava is putting me up to this, she must know how much I hate these… things.

“What is thaaaat?” Asami suddenly tilts her head up, lifts her shades, and her eye-slits narrow whilst she stares somewhere past me to the south, roughly in the direction of the hub, “A party?” she asks.

I’m confused for a moment until I realise what’s down there. “You can… hear the club? Benders? All the way from here?” I ask, raising an eyebrow.

“It sounds fun,” she says, grinning wildly, and I’m half expecting her fangs to pop back out at any second.

“You’re not going,” I say, folding my arms, though I know there’s shit all I could do to stop her if she wanted to leave. I saw what she did to that Feral, the one that I didn’t stand a chance against. I shudder, suddenly painfully aware of the fact she could literally rip me apart before I’d even have the chance to blink.

“Awwww,” She sticks her lower lip out. Man, stoned-vampire-Asami is a sight to behold. The cat-eyes just make it all the more strange, and I reach out to her forehead, lowering her shades back down, wondering at what point her eyes will go back to normal. Does she even know that they look like this? I shake my head, grab her hand and lead her up the north wing staircase. She follows, even though she has the strength to break every bone in my hand, or throw me against a wall and break my neck. Instead, she just rests her palm gently in mine, so gently that it’s almost like I’m holding onto a child’s hand.

It’s stupid, but I feel angry at the fact that I’m struggling to stay angry at her. It’s because of the way she’s acting, and how it seems so completely different to everything I expected of a Sane. Maybe it’s my blood. Maybe they’re precisely as evil as I know them to be, once they’re sober. I can’t trust her. I won’t trust her. But when I pause at her dorm door, and glance at her only to see that same sad expression I saw earlier, I know I can’t just leave her here.

I growl in frustration, grabbing her hand again, “change of plans. You’re stopping with me.”

“Yaaaay!” she grins from ear to ear, and I just shake my head, refusing to get caught up in this.

Our dorms are only five rooms apart as it happens, but I need to make a quick detour to the wash rooms first. “Stay here.” I order, and Asami salutes, accidentally knocking her glasses to the side so that they’re hanging at an odd angle. I reach up and fix them, in case anyone walks past and sees those damn messed-up eyes. “Two minutes, okay?” I’ll have to be quick, since I’m fairly sure she won’t stick around. I push open one of the private cubicle doors, pull my top up and run some warm water from the sink, bending it up to my wound. It doesn’t look so bad, two gashes at my shoulders, both a little deep, but nothing I can’t heal myself. Besides, the nurse, Katara, will be in bed at this hour.

Happy that the wound is sealed, and fixed beyond scarring, I quickly pull my T-Shirt back over my head and head into the hallway, breathing a sigh of relief when I see Asami, stood right where I left her.

“Okay, almost there,” I say, grabbing her by the arm, and coaxing her the small distance that remains until we’re stood at my door, room 29B. I pull my keys out from my back pocket, unlocking the door and gesturing for her to walk inside. She yawns loudly, then once she’s inside, she pauses, yawns again, and falls forwards before I can stop her. She literally face-plants onto my dorm floor with a loud whoomph, falling right onto my dark blue thick-pile carpet, her hands at her sides.

I wince. I bet she’ll feel that in the morning. Or maybe not - I don’t know how these things even work with vamps. I climb over her, crouching down just to check she’s breathing, but she… isn’t, and I start to panic, wondering if she’s overdosed on my blood or something. “Asami… hey…” I whisper, rocking her shoulders.

“Calm down. Sanes rarely need to breathe,” Raava says.

“Oh, how fucking educational. Anything else I need to know? Should I stay awake in case she needs a snack?” I think, unable to keep the resentment out of my inner voice.

“Korra, this bitterness is the exact reason that certain… things have been kept from you.”

“Is that it? Is that your excuse for lying to me? Fuck that, Raava, I’m tired, too tired for this bullshit” I inwardly grumble, and fall onto my bed without bothering to take anything other than my sneakers off. I roll on to my side and watch the face-down vampire, motionless, easy to mistake for a dead person. Suddenly her shoulders lift slightly, there’s a loud exhale, and then, nothing. I guess Raava’s right about the breathing thing, and I can’t help but feel curious about other stuff. Like how I’ve seen her eat and drink, seen her reflection, seen her smoke pot, and bask out in the sun as though she’s actually enjoying herself.

Is it all an act?

It all goes against everything we’re taught, and it’s hurting my head just thinking about it.

I tuck my pillow under my arm, watching Asami for a while longer. She eventually shifts from her ridiculous face-planted position, rolling into a more natural one, laying on her side. She looks so peaceful, and so human. It pains me to know that’s not the case, and that she and I will never be friends. But still, I can worry about that later. For now… for now, she looks cold. I dunno. Maybe I’m over-tired, but I end up climbing off my bed, grabbing a blanket and pillow from my wardrobe, tucking her in and shoving the pillow under her head.

Then, I lay atop my covers, and watch her for a while longer, torn somewhere between feeling curious and mortified. Despite my fears of being eaten, the physical exertions from today’s battle quickly take their toll, and my eyes feel heavy, too heavy to fight against. Just… too heavy.

--

It’s a beautiful day, and it’s a day that I remember well. There’s only a few clouds in the sky, and the sun’s shining brightly whilst we sit on the field beneath the protective shade of my favourite oak. It’s our den. Our special place.

“Penny for your thoughts?” Meyla asks, distracting me. I’m sat between her legs, facing away, and she’s busy platting my hair whilst leaning her back against the oak tree. She often complains that my hair’s too long and I should cut it down a little, but I can’t say I agree. If I cut it, she wouldn’t be able to braid it, and I’ve always enjoyed it when she plays with my hair, not that I’d ever admit that.

“Nothing really. Just, this is nice. I remember last year thinking that the Academy would be a hell of a lot scarier.”

“Yeah,” she chuckles, “So, are you nervous about the move?”

“To cube three? Yeah. A little.” I answer. Truthfully I’m just sad that we’ll be split up, though hopefully only for a short time, since Mey’s one of the top earthbenders in our age group. “What about you? Any jitters about the driving test?”

She pauses in her ministrations and I crane my neck backwards, grinning at how deep in thought she looks, how fierce her brilliant-green eyes are when she frowns like this.

“No, I’m actually quite comfortable behind the wheel. Been told I’m a natural,” she grins, pushing at the back of my head so that I tilt it down, and allow her to finish her work. She ties a single, blue ribbon at the end of the tail, pushing it over my shoulder so that I can see her handiwork.

“Nice. I just wish it stayed like this,” I lie. I often mess it up on purpose just so she’ll have to do it again. I pull away from her with some regret, because I really like how it feels when my back is pressed against her, when she’s close to me.

Yeah. It’s nice to have such a good friend on campus, and I often wonder what I’d do without her. I shift forwards onto our blanket, lay on my belly, and idly jiggle my legs in the air behind. Mey quickly joins me, laying to my left, grinning widely. I really do love her dimples when she beams at me like this. And her freckles, yeah, they’re pretty cute too, especially when she blushes.

“Say, Korra…” Meyla says, looking shy all of a sudden, transfixed on her hands as she twirls her thumbs together.

“Hmm? What’s up?” I mumble.

“Last night I… dreamt about you,” she smiles, then bites her lip. I feel kind of buzzed at the sight, and I don’t really know why.

“Oh? Was I cool?”

“You’re always cool. But this time…” she looks away, shakes her head.

“You can’t stop there. I’m curious now!” I say, elbowing her playfully.

“You uh.. Well… we kissed,” she says, looking to the ground, her cheeks flushed red.

“Oh.” I wasn’t expecting that. Nor was I expecting my heart to suddenly thud in my chest, like it is doing right now.

“Sorry, it’s silly. I don’t know why I told you,” she says, grinning at me. Damn, I really do love her dimples.

“No… I ... Uh,” my throat’s dry all of a sudden, and I cough, “what was it like?”

“Hmm,” she pauses, as though lost in thought, “How about I show you?”

My jaw hangs slack, my heart beating harder than ever, and my cheeks suddenly red-hot.

“I-I mean, oh, I don’t know. It was a dream, I’m sorry, I-” Meyla stutters, panics, and it’s actually kind of adorable.

“I’d like that,” I say, or rather my mouth says, because I don’t remember telling it to say that. I’ve never kissed anyone. And I like Meyla. She’s a good friend. So I guess… why shouldn’t she be my first? Someone I trust, someone I like, a good friend.

She shuffles a little closer, slides an arm across my back, and slowly leans in, closing her eyes. She smells so nice, like a pot of honey mixed with sugar, and when she’s just an inch away and I can feel her breath on me, something takes a hold of me, I don’t know what, but I close the gap, threading my fingers into her hair. Her lips are soft, they’re only there for a second, and I feel a pang of regret as soon as they’re gone.

“Again?” I whisper.

“Again.” She agrees, and this time, she closes the gap, this time, her hand cusps my cheek, and her kiss is eager, as eager as my own.

I’ve never felt like this, never allowed myself to feel anything, really. But it’s taking over, and I feel more alive than ever before. My best friend… she’s kissing me, and it feels so right. Is it always like this with other girls?  My thoughts drain away when she’s suddenly above me, and now we’re doing a lot more than kiss, her hands are roaming above my clothes, and I’m surprised to find that I wouldn’t change it for the world.

“Should I… stop?” she asks, whispering in my ear.

“N-No,” I mumble, pulling her lips back to mine, since I’m already missing them so.

It’s clumsy. We’re clumsy. We don’t even really go all the way, or at least, I don’t think we do. We kiss, a lot. We touch, a lot. And afterwards, we cuddle, still clothed, watching the Sun as it begins to set.

“Hey, Korra,” Meyla whispers, holding me from behind, and I clutch her hand to my chest.

“Yeah?” I ask, smiling at the sound of her voice.

“I love you.”

“I love you too,” I say, with a soft smile.

It’s okay for friends to love each other, right?

--

I awake to find myself covered in sweat, tears in my eyes, and that I’m groping a hand to my chest, where there’s supposed to be another hand. Mey’s hand. Why am I dreaming about her again? Shit! I miss her. I really, really fucking miss her. My best friend. My first kiss. My first love. All three, though I didn’t realise it at the time.

I look to the side of the bed, seeing that the vampire hasn’t moved, and I clench my fists, glaring at it. To think that one of these… things took Mey away like that. They fucking ate her, right in front of me. They shouldn’t be protected by law. They’re all the same. Monsters. Fucking monsters.

My bleak thoughts are suddenly distracted by a loud groan, and I watch as Asami buries her face into the pillow, clenching it at the sides. “Fuuuuuuuuuu…” she mumbles into her pillow, “… uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu …”

I scowl, wondering how long the theatrics are going to go on for.

“… uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuck,” she finally finishes with a growl, then lifts her head from the pillow, blinking sleep from her apparently now-human eyes. She looks at me, frowns, and then looks around the room, clearly confused. Then she sits up, crosses her legs, and pushes one hand into her hair, pushing the thick strands back across her forehead then holding her palm in place, as though nursing a sore head. “What happened? Why do I feel like someone rammed my head into a wall? How the hell did I end up in your room?” she mumbles each question, raising an eyebrow at me.

“You don’t remember?” I ask, feeling somewhat doubtful. I glance down towards the hole in her jacket, and she follows my gaze, gasping.

“No! I don’t believe it!” she exclaims, and I smile to myself at her clear realisation. Yeah, I’m onto you, and now you can get the hell out of- “my jacket! My favourite jacket! God damn it Korra, what did you do?” she stands up and paces the room, and I look at her, rolling my eyes, wondering if she’s expecting me to actually buy this. She must detect my obvious cynicism, for she pauses mid-step, suddenly smirking at me. Before I can say anything she crouches down in front of me, her lips curving upwards further, and her green eyes level with my blues, staring right into them.

“Just… fucking with you,” she purrs, then stands up and starts to feel around inside of her jacket, “Aha!” she exclaims, pulling her phone out of an inner pocket, “Was worried the feral might have broken this. He was a mean one.” She says, tutting and expressing a half-grimace whilst quickly checking her screen.

“Asami, what the fu-”

“Look, I know you have vamp-issues. Hell, the whole world knows,” she folds her arms, and glares at me, “but I need you to stay quiet about this.”

“Why the hell should I?” I ask, quickly standing to my feet in outrage.

“You mean other than the fact I could snap you like a twig?” she scowls. I knew it. They’re all the fucking same, “You owe me. For your life, and for my damn jacket,” she holds it out, poking her fingers through the hole, “I mean just look at it! Look! For fucks sake.”

“I’m not making promises with a damn walking corpse,” I growl.

“Excuse me?” she asks, her voice dipping to a growl, and I feel a moment of terror when I see her eyebrow twitch, “A corpse? Really? A living, breathing, bleeding corpse. I think perhaps you should engage your brain before you move your mouth-flaps,” she sighs, zipping her ruined jacket up, looking down and shaking her head when she trails a finger over the circumference of the massive rip. “I’ll see you next lesson. Go ahead and tell everyone, I’ll deal with it. Shame you’ll come across like a whining, ungrateful child, though.”

Ouch. That hurt far more than it should have. I scowl at her back as she exits my dorm with a sarcastic wave and a smirk. “Fucking vamp,” I mutter.

“I heard that!” she shouts.

So, this is just great. I’m more confused than ever, and I think my head might actually explode. I lay back down on my bed, staring up at the ceiling, resting a forearm on my forehead. Just who the hell is she? And how old is she? Did she know Kyoshi or am I jumping to the wrong conclusion?

“Raava?” I ask, inwardly.

“She’d probably answer your questions… if you asked nicely,” Raava suggests.

“I don’t make nice with monsters.”

I’m sure I hear a disappointed sigh in response, and then nothing more. Seems I’m pissing everyone off today.

Whilst I get changed, preparing for this morning’s lesson, another question forms in my mind. Why is a vampire even here, at the academy? I think it’s best to talk to my uncle, since if Su was anything to go by then they’re obviously in on this, whatever ‘this’ is.

--

The first hour of the morning’s lesson - Mathematics, with Kya - is cancelled, and instead all students of all cubes are summoned to the large sports hall down the east wing, a hall that doubles up as an assembly area when needed. When I turn up, I see my class mates are already there, sullen faced, and I feel like the most selfish bastard in the universe when I realise that I almost forgot about Jonas. I mean, we never spoke much, but that shouldn’t matter.

I find the Krew, and stand near them, biting my tongue when Asami decides to stand nearby, like she has any fucking right. Uncle Unalaq stands in front of everyone, and speaks into a microphone, expressing his deepest sympathies for our loss. He tells us when and where the funeral will be, should we wish to pay our respects. He then spends a good half-hour reminding us that this is why we’re here, that these are the true horrors of the world, horrors that ‘only we can stop’. Yeah, sure. That’s why the only way last night’s horror could be stopped was when an even worse horror stepped in to even the score.

Su bumps shoulders with me and subtly nudges me over to the side of the hall, “hey, how are you holding up?” she asks.

“Fine,” I mutter, folding my arms and scowling across the hall.

“I see you took care of our… erm… problem,” she says, following my gaze towards Asami. The vampire’s busy putting on an expression of sympathy for her pretend-classmates, even having the audacity to hug Mako and Bolin. My friends, touching her. It makes me feel a little sick to watch, honestly.

“I want an explanation,” I mutter, glaring at Su from the corner of my eye.

“I know. Your uncle and I want to see you straight after he’s done here.”

I clutch my left arm nervously, not taking my eyes off Asami. Who knows what she’s capable of? She could snap at any moment, rip everyone in this hall into two, and there’d be nothing, not a single damn thing, I could do to stop her. To stop it.

Chapter Text

“Sit down, Korra.” Unalaq commands. He’s stood to one side of his chair behind his large, old mahogany desk, and his expression is currently unreadable. Su’s already sat herself in one of the two leather chairs in front, and she smiles, gesturing at the vacant seat beside her. I feel like I’m five years old, and about to get the scolding of my life, but I sit anyway. What else can I do?

Unalaq pulls his seat forwards, and also sits, folding his arms upon his desk, and tapping his fingers, frowning, as though deep in thought.

“Let me make this brief. As you rather unfortunately now know, Asami is a sane. You will not provoke her. You will not reveal her identity to the other students, and you will certainly not attempt to harm her.”

“And what’s to stop her harming us!?” I exclaim, slamming my hands on the arms of my chair as I’m filled with a sudden rage. He glares at me in complete silence, his frosty gaze penetrating me to the core as though daring me to speak again. I don’t.

He stands, takes a book from a shelf two down from the top, and brushes the dust from its cover with the side of his hand. Then he flicks through the pages, planting the large tome on the desk in front of me, and pointing. I crouch forward to look, finding a picture of something not quite human. It’s not the best drawing in the world, but it’s clearly a feral - there’s grey, wrinkled skin from head to toe, and almost lance-like elongated claws on the tip of each finger. There’s a second picture right beside it, a close-up of the head; a long, matted mane around the back, filled-in figure eights for a pupils, and a flattened snout with wide, pulled back nostrils. The worst part has to be the mouth, warped into a monstrous shape with the lower jaw protruding out, and several needle-sized fangs exposed.

“This is the first ever ancient feral in recorded history.” Unalaq says, tapping his finger firmly on the drawing.

“Mad Lars?” I ask, raising an eyebrow.

“Oh so you do pay attention in class? Yes, Lars was a sane, almost two hundred years old. Mad as a hatter, and incredibly strong, but quite harmless. It’s rumoured that he never killed a single human, and despite his insanity he was one of the first vampires in history to form what we now call blood contracts.”

I don’t know all of the specifics, probably because the topic disgusts me, but recent laws allow a human to negotiate a contract, and supply their own blood to a vampire. It’s supposed to be mutually beneficial, but the thought of it sends a shiver up my spine, makes me think that humans are nothing more than blood bags to them, and the payment is just a formality.

Unalaq sits down again, and continues in a resigned tone, “One fateful day, a band of monster hunters thought it would be a fantastic idea to cage poor old Lars, torture him, and starve him.”

“And then he turned feral and killed hundreds, I know.”

It’s a catalyst we’re taught about early on, in basic vampire studies. Any sane has the potential to become feral, and that’s probably the biggest reason why I just don’t trust them, even though it’s supposed to only happen when the vampire is starved within an inch of his life, or unlife, or whatever-the-fuck it is. Some sort of survival instinct kicks in, and they change, they mutate, and then there’s no going back. That’s all I know. If you ask me, it’s best to just kill them all – if there’s no sanes, then there can’t be any ferals, either.

Unalaq sighs as though reading my mind, then folds the book closed and rests his palm atop it, “Hundreds, you say? Thousands, actually. It took everything the Kyoshi warriors had to take him down, and even then, at a great cost.”

“How did they manage it?” I ask, struggling to believe that even Kyoshi’s most elite could stand up to one of those things.

“That is a good question. And now, we go full circle. Yesterday you encountered an ancient - a feral vampire over a hundred years old - and from what I hear from Su, already quite injured.”

“Correct. It only had one arm.” Su nods. I’d almost forgotten she was here, since Unalaq’s presence practically fills the room.

“And in the end, how did you defeat the injured ancient?”

I open my mouth, then close it again, and look away. I finally see where’s he’s going with this. “You’re telling me it’s because we can’t beat them? That’s why you’re allowing a vampire in?” I growl in frustration, threading my fingers into my hair, “Are you insane!?”

“Did she or did she not save your life, Korra?” Unalaq raises his voice.

“I don’t care! I’d rather die than see her like that, like them, like-”

“She is not a feral! She did not kill your friend!” Unalaq finally loses his shit, stands to his feet and slams his hand on his desk causing his ink well to topple over. The black, thick liquid oozes in a trail, falling right off the edge of the desk, but he doesn’t even look at it. “I can only imagine our school has failed miserably if you cannot see such an obvious distinction,” he hisses.

“If they’re so fucking harmless then why the secrecy? Why the bullshit and the lies?” I ask through gritted teeth, holding back my tears of frustration.

Unalaq takes a deep breath, apparently trying to regain his composure, “the laws have only just changed, child. Many would see her, see them, as you do. Nothing more than monsters.”

“And you don’t?”

“I did, once upon a time. Not anymore.”

I laugh, shaking my head, but stop myself when I see the fierceness of his gaze.

“It is no laughing matter. Whilst we grow old and feeble with age, ferals become stronger. The academy will eventually be outnumbered and outmatched, and all of us will be fodder, meat to the slaughter.”

“So you’re saying we’ll all die?” I ask, feeling suddenly afraid. I didn’t realise things were getting this bleak.

“If we continue as we are, it is likely. Our strength alone is not enough. Out of desperation, we contacted the vampire council, asking for help…”

“You approached the vampire council?! Don’t they hate us?”

The vampire council, from what I understand, are like the head honchos for all vampires, supposedly keeping them in check and preventing mass slaughter of the human race, or something like that. Four elders rule, and now I think about it, I think the same four have always ruled. I make a mental note to do more research into it.

“Hate is too strong a word. We have a mutual enemy, and so they agreed to send us one of their best.”

“And you’re saying we have no choice but to work with them?”

“Not if we want to survive. And by ‘we’, I mean all of humanity, in case that wasn’t clear.”

“But… what’s in it for them?”

“So long as ferals exist, humans will never trust vampires. The other reason is rather obvious – if humanity is obliterated, they too will die.”

“Yeah. No more blood bags for them to chow down on,” I mutter, ignoring Unalaq’s scowl. I let out a long, drawn-out sigh. “I don’t like it. I don’t like the lies, and I certainly don’t like having to lie to my friends.”

“Miss Sato has kindly offered to watch over us in these dark times. I cannot protect her if the entire school knows what she is, nor can we afford a full-scale panic if students realise we are vulnerable without her, or without the help of sanes.” Unalaq stares me right in the eye, and slowly stretches his fingers, pushing the tips together, “I have entrusted you with these secrets, Korra. Please give me time to work out a plan, it is all that I ask.”

At least some things are starting to make sense, but I don’t like it. I don’t like anything that I’ve been told. I growl to myself quietly, and lean forwards onto my knees, shaking my head. “Are you all in on this?  I mean, the teachers,” I ask, rubbing my temples.

“Yes. We’ll soon let the students know, too.” Su interjects, then places a hand on my arm, “It was meant to be a gradual process, get everyone used to the idea that sanes are on our side… but then that ancient attacked, and here we are.”

I close my eyes, leaning back into the soft cushion of the leather chair with a long, resigned sigh. “Fine. I’ll try. You better keep an eye on her though.”

“Indeed we shall. You are dismissed. If you need to talk further, Mrs Beifong will be available for your questions.”

And so, Su and I leave the room together. As soon as we’re outside, she lightly grabs my arm, speaking quietly, “I want you to know you can come see me any time. I get the feeling you could do with offloading a few things...”

“You could say that,” I sigh. Almost developing feelings for a friend, then finding out she’s a vampire, the same type of monster that killed the last girl that I loved. Yeah, that’s pretty high on the list of things I need to scream about, I’d say. And now, I can’t even talk to anyone about it. Maybe that’s why she’s offering.

“Well, you know where I am. Any time, Korra. I mean it,” Su smiles, then walks away, presumably heading towards the staff room.

I pull out my phone to check the time. It’s twelve, so Maths will be finishing soon. I decide to just skip it, and instead head towards the west exit, grabbing a coke as I walk past the cafeteria, then exiting the building through the large green double-doors.

I go to my spot. The spot I used to share with Mey. The spot I also showed Asami, though I’m regretting that now. I climb over the fence, and sit against the old oak, resting the back of my head against the etching of our initials - K & M - with a little heart all the way around. I close my eyes, enjoying the warmth of the midday sun, and smile at the bittersweet memories recently stirred by my dream. It’s almost like I can smell that sweet honey scent again.

“Miss you, Mey,” I whisper.

I wonder what she would have made of all this, of working with vampires. I just wish it hadn’t been Asami, since I kind of liked her, how she dresses, her voice, her smile, and her eyes. Such a fucking waste. I wonder when she got turned. I wonder how.

--

I must have dozed off, because the next thing I know, I’m awoken by a soft grip against my shoulder, shaking.

“… be late for class. Wake up!” someone says.

“snnnrt… Mey…?” I open an eye, finding a concerned pair of green eyes looking back.

“Oh, Hair, it’s you,” I mumble, still half-asleep. I notice the corner of her lip slightly raise, and something seems to light up in her eyes.

“Uh… hi Guns,” she says.

Oh wait, she’s a vampire, isn’t she? I didn’t dream it. The realisation forces me wide awake, makes my heart sink, and next thing I know I’m pulling my arm away, grimacing.

“Korra… I…” she tries to speak.

“We’re not friends. Don’t touch me,” I snarl. The tiny light that shone in her eyes fades away, and she suddenly looks tired. Her red lips shift into a straight, thin line, and she backs away, standing to her feet.

“I suppose you won’t even be civilised, then.” She says, shaking her head and sighing, “Look, I just wanted to apologise for this morning. I get very irritable when I have a… sore head.”

“Yes. A hangover. From my blood.” I scowl at the words, grabbing my wrist protectively at the exact spot where she fed.

“It’s not like I took it without asking.” She frowns.

“It’s not like I had much choice! If you’d turned feral, we’d all be dead.”

“I see. Well, thank you anyway.”

She doesn’t leave, just stands there, almost awkwardly, like she’s expecting something from me. Gratitude? Or maybe blood?

“So, am I the first Avatar you’ve tasted, or do you like to sample them all? I mean,” I stand to my feet, dusting myself off, “I’m pretty sure you tasted Kyoshi a few times, from what I’ve dreamt. Though it wasn’t her blood you were drinking.” I see her face turn pale, her eyes go wide and start to glisten, and damn, you’d think I’d just slapped her. I can’t stop though, it’s like this pit of rage inside me, frothing over, and she’s just there, stood right in the path.

“Maybe that’s your game – stalking avatars, because what was it that you said yesterday? When you were stoned? Oh yeah,” I frown, folding my arms and leaning against the oak tree, “I taste so good. So good, good, good. So what do you want from me? A blood contract? Avatar blood on tap?”

She just stands there, and takes it, all of it. Word after word. She could break me into two. Rip my lungs from my chest. Instead, she does nothing, and I don’t stop, even when I see a tear roll slowly down her cheek.“And how the hell are you even standing out here? In the sun? Without passing out?” I ask, waving wildly towards the big ball of fire in the sky, like it’s to blame for any of my anger.

“Sunscreen,” she says quietly, wiping away a tear.

“… what?”

“Sunscreen. Light doesn’t hurt us, it’s the UV rays that render us unconscious,” she explains, then suddenly throws her arms wide, finally reacting to my verbal assault, “And guess what! There are a million other things I could tell you that you clearly don’t know, but you’re too busy making shitty assumptions,” she scowls, “like all of that bullshit just now, how could you think any of that?”

“Because you’re a fucking monster?” I say, rolling my eyes as though it’s obvious.

She grits her teeth and balls her hands into tight fists at her sides, “I’m a person! And it’s clear you don’t know anything about me – not a single damn thing!”

More tears. Streaming from her eyes. I should stop. I should just hug her, if she’d let me after all this. But instead, my mouth spills forth more anger-fuelled words. “I know you like my blood, and I can’t even begin to tell you how much that freaks me the fuck out,” I say, clenching my wrist again.

She shakes her head, and wipes her tears away, sniffing, “I wouldn’t lay my fangs on you again if you paid me. You’re a fucking child, and you’re toxic,” she spits the word, then turns her back to me, “And for what it’s worth, you’re doing a pretty good impersonation of a monster yourself lately.”

“Fuck you.” I say, hating myself to my very core. She shrugs, finally walks away, and I hug my arms around my chest, thudding my shoulders against the tree over and over until it hurts, wondering what the hell is wrong with me.

“Well, that could have gone better,” Raava says.

“Really not in the mood,” I growl, “And I don’t suppose you’re ready to come clean about why you’ve been lying to me?”

“ Well, are you ready to admit to yourself why it is you ’re acting this way?”

“Oh, nice. Distraction tactics.”

“It is for your own good. You should speak to Su, like she suggested. ”

“Why should I listen to you? Everyone’s been lying to me. You. Asami. My Uncle.”

“Yet if you didn ’t harbour such a vindictive, bitter grudge , none would have needed to. ”

“If you say so. I’m going to next lesson,” I say, abruptly ending the conversation and checking my phone. Looks like I’ve missed lunch. What does it matter? I’m not hungry, anyway.

Chapter Text

I’m about five minutes late for the evening lesson - weapons and martial arts - hosted in the sports hall with Bumi Rosenberg, Tenzin’s older, and far hairier brother. He’s gesticulating his arms, explaining some crazy story to Yena and Sen who’re both looking at him as though he’s nuts. Usually it’d amuse me, but today, everything is making me feel exhausted. I nod, greeting Bolin, Mako and Dayla - another friend of mine from cube five, though we only really hang out in this lesson, being pretty well-matched sparring partners and all.

I look around the hall, at my classmates. They’re clearly still bummed out about Jonas. I know I am. Now that I think about it, he was actually quite good at sword fighting, and kicked my ass a couple of times in this lesson, though we’re not doing weapons training today. Bumi has this system where we’ll train with weapons one week, and hand-to-hand the week after. In either case, there’s no bending allowed, at least not during the actual sparring matches. Whilst we’re not allowed to use bending in sparring, we are sometimes shown impressive ways to combine weaponry with bending… Bumi had everyone wide-eyed when he demonstrated exactly how Tenzin does his air-blade manoeuvre. And then Mako once singed his eyebrows off when he tried to fuse flames with a blade. Hah, that was too funny; it took him weeks to grow them back.

“Sorry I’m late, sir,” I drawl the words as I walk past, sounding as enthusiastic as a lesbian at a male stripper club.

“No problem, kid. You up for some awesome sparring today?” He asks, punching his fists into the air and winking. Sometimes I wonder if he’s actually on some kind of drugs, since he’s constantly buzzing with energy, yet he’s over fifty years old.

“Yeah. Sure,” I lie. I would actually rather spend some alone time in the gym, especially since she’s in the room. I glance out of the corner of my vision, noticing that the vampire in question is mingling with Yena and Sen. She’s also chatting to Lianne - a short, brown-wavy-haired girl I don’t speak with much - and… they both just burst out laughing. I shrug to myself, turn away and bump shoulders with my spar-mate, Dayla.

“Hey, ready to kick my ass again?” I smile, as we walk away from the others, the whole class splitting up and getting ready for what comes next.

“Always a pleasure putting the avatar in her place,” Dayla chuckles. She’s dark-skinned, athletic, and comes from the northern water tribe, which is probably why we’re a good match. Her hair is a shade darker than mine, a hell of a lot longer, and two tails frame her face, tied at the end in small, white bands. It’s probably the same length I used to have mine, before I sliced it all off with a scalpel someone left by my hospital bed, the day after Mey was murdered.

I remember it well. The doctors freaked that I’d gotten hold of a knife, they thought I’d slit my wrists or something. Sure, maybe I’d thought about that, but dead people can’t get revenge, and that’s what kept me going, kept me alive. I told them I wanted to keep the hair I’d cut, and I tied it together with the same blue ribbon Mey would always use on my braid. Once I could walk again, I stormed straight to the graveyard and left my sheared hair secured by her tombstone - where it remains to this day.

“Hope you like it, Mey,” I whisper to myself, fiddling with the ends of my now shoulder-length hair. She always wanted me to cut it, after all.

“Hey, earth to Korra, come in Korra! What are you muttering to yourself?” Dayla waves her hand in front of my face, her bright, blue eyes dazzling in amusement.

“Sorry, just lost in a memory,” I smile, feeling a lump in my throat, “are we starting yet?”

No sooner have I asked the question, than Bumi blows his whistles, “Begin! And no face shots!” he commands. He tends to just launch us straight into things, says that warm-ups are for ‘pussies’, and besides, it isn’t realistic to expect you’d enter a fight already limbered up. Gotta admit, he kind of has a point there.

Dayla really has it in for me today, puts me straight on the defensive with a fist to my torso which I barely manage to block with my elbow. She swings her whole body around, her long tails of hair swooping behind her face whilst her leg blurs around from the side. I barely block the roundhouse kick, and it knocks the wind from me even though it hits my forearm.

“Come on Kor, you’re not fighting back?” Dayla taunts me. I smirk, and launch myself into a series of jabs, which she manages to block with raised forearms. She doesn’t block my leg sweep though - it connects with her shin, and she goes flying. Or she would, but I grab her forearm mid-fall.

“Careful what you wish for,” I pant, smirking. My mood’s improving as we fight, probably because I’m finally getting some aggression out of my system.

I’m about to launch another barrage when Bumi blows his whistle again, which confuses everyone, myself included. We usually spar for fifteen minutes non-stop, a test of endurance as well as martial arts prowess. “Today we’re mixing things up a bit, look to your left, that’s your new partner. Switch!”

Well, this could get interesting, I think to myself, pouting at a widely grinning Bolin.

“Don’t hurt me too much? Please?” He says, through clenched teeth.

I try not to. He’s built like a brick shithouse, and I honestly doubt he’d feel my punches unless I really went all out. He suffers a little in the agility department, but I wouldn’t exactly call him slow on his feet, just that carrying all that muscle is bound to have some drawbacks. He doesn’t manage to hit me once, and I manage to pepper him with a few loose jabs, which he flinches from, feigning injury.

“Piss off Bo, you’re not kidding anyone,” I laugh. The whistle blows again, and I turn to the left seeking my next opponent, instantly feeling my heart skip a beat. FUCK.

Asami glares at me, then looks behind me, probably hoping we can skip this. But you know what, fuck skipping it. Vampire or no vampire, I’d like to land a few punches on her, see if she can pretend to be hurt, see if she can lie to people with amateur theatrics.

She doesn’t say a word, just stares at me, the corners of her mouth slightly lowered. I find myself wondering if those tears earlier by the oak tree were real, that I actually managed to hurt the poor blood sucker’s feelings. I stare back, unflinching, raising my fists even before the whistle goes. And when it does sound, I throw the first punch, which is neatly blocked by a strong forearm. I don't stop, though. I punch again, blocked. Again. Blocked. Again, again, a-fucking-gain, switching between left and right every time. She blocks them all, and I feel frustration welling up, knowing that this is probably nothing to her.

Her eyes bore into mine between each punch, each block, like they’re transfixed on me and I’m her prey. But that’s when I start to really lose it… I see her staring like that and all I can think about is them, the ferals, chewing away at their victim, at Mey. I remember one of them turning around, glaring at me with a blood-smeared face, and this sudden acceptance and dread knowing that I was next. It stared… just like she is, right now.

I punch at her face this time, knowing its illegal, but she still blocks. I keep punching upwards anyway, my forearms starting to burn, and my knuckles getting sore like I’m attacking a fucking wall. She hasn’t retaliated once, just dances around me in circles instead, and I figure it’s probably because she can’t control her strength, since she’d break me into pieces right in front of everyone. We can’t be having that, can we? It’d ruin her disguise, her lies.

I see the feral’s eyes again, and this time I hear Mey screaming, too. It’s the most agonising sound, it’s tearing at my soul, and I grimace, feeling suddenly furious, this time staring right back into that fuckers face, my gaze silently telling him I’ll kill him, I’ll destroy him, I’ll smash him into nothing with one fucking hit-

-And all of that goes into a single punch, aimed squarely at his disgusting, bat-like snout. It’s faster than I’ve ever felt myself move, there’s a strange power in my gut, brimming up, flooding out, down my arm. My first two knuckles connect with a loud crunch, and the feral literally flies, a good ten meters.

“Korra! What the fuck?” Mako’s exasperated voice yells out, and I blink rapidly, clearing the red mist from my vision. Mako’s crouched over Asami, along with Bumi and her apparent new bestie, Lianne. She’s flat on her back, holding her hand to her nose, and when she slowly sits up, ribbons of crimson trickle down between her fingers.

“What the hell…” I croak, my jaw hanging slack, looking down at my trembling fist. My heart’s beating too fast, I’m tormented by a hundred emotions at once, but the main thing I feel when I look at Asami’s clearly pained expression… is guilt. What the fuck did I just do… what the fuck is wrong with me? I clutch a hand to my vest, squeezing the material into my fist, backing away slowly, wishing this were all some fucking dream, but it isn’t, I’m filled with a white hot panic, and it’s flooding my senses.

I run. I turn around, and I fucking run. All the way up the east corridor, back to the centre, and then north, figuring I should just leave campus. Leave, and never come back. I’m a piece of shit. I’m an absolute piece of shit, and I don’t deserve to be alive. Maybe that’s why my heart’s beating so fast, maybe that’s why I’m sweating like this. My own body is fucking itself over, I’ll die, and it’ll serve me right.

The panic consumes me, and I don’t even manage to make it off campus. I lean back against a locker, gasping for air.

Fuck, this is how I die. This is how I die. A heart attack.

“Korra!?”

I open my eyes, wheezing, dripping with sweat, to see Su rushing over to me. She places her hands on my shoulders, but I can’t even feel them, I don’t feel her hands. It’s like I’m numb, even my lips are numb. Maybe this is what happens when you’re about to go into cardiac arrest.

“You look like you’re seen a ghost. Come with me,” she says, forcing my arm over her shoulder, and leading me to the nurse’s office.

—

I don’t know how we get there without me dropping dead, but we do. My breathing has slowed just a little, but my heart is still racing, and Katara, the nurse, examines me quickly, checking my pulse, my eyes, everything.

“There’s no physical damage, except for a few cuts on her knuckles,” I hear her explain to Su.

Yeah, sure, no physical issues. It’s all inside of me. Festering away, killing me, like a plague.

“As I suspected.” Su says, with a nod, “Is the quiet room free?”

“Yes, for the rest of the day, actually,” Katara says, waving us both over to the back of the office. The quiet room? Therapy? How is therapy going to stop my heart from exploding?

“Come in dear,” Su says, helping me inside, then shutting the door. My whole body is trembling now, and it’s like I barely have the strength to keep myself up, “Take a seat,” she says, and I gratefully oblige, nestling into the wide, soft-backed chair, and pulling my knees up to my chest. At least I can die in a comfy chair, and not alone. It’s more than most people get.

“Korra, look at me,” Su says. So I do, though I feel like my vision is a little blurred. Probably another symptom of my impending doom. Su pulls her chair closer, wheeling it across the floor, then places a hand above one of mine, where it’s clutching my knee, “I want you to look into my eyes, and listen to everything I say. Understand?” I nod, scared that if I speak, it’ll somehow make things worse.

“You’re having an anxiety attack. They’re actually quite common, and they happen to most people at least once.” She squeezes my hand, “The main thing you need to know, is that they can’t kill you, even if it feels that way.” She tilts her head, smiling softly. Okay, so I won’t die. Or so she says, but what if she’s wrong? I frown to myself, not sure if I should listen to my heavily thumping heartbeat, or to her.

“Talk to me. Tell me what triggered this.”

“I-” my voice sounds strange to me, and my throat is dry as shit. Su seems to notice, because she’s quickly on her feet, grabbing me an ice cold water from the mini fridge they keep in here. I gratefully accept, swigging the liquid down my parched throat.

Carry on, dear,” Su prompts, relaxing back in her chair.

“I…” I grimace, allowing my knees to fall slack, holding a fist to my chest, “I punched her. I mean, Asami. I-I think <hic> I broke her nose.”

If there’s any disappointment at my words, I don’t see it in Su’s eyes. If anything, she appears sympathetic.

“Oh honey, I doubt she even felt it.”

“Maybe not physically…” I say, looking at my fist, remembering how sorrowful her eyes looked. Surprised. Shocked. Mainly distraught. I’m an absolute piece of shit.

“Be that as it may, right now I need to know what you’re feeling. Why did you do it? Why attack her?”

“I…” I’m about to lie, to say I don’t know, but I’m tired of bottling things up, just so fucking tired of it. “I saw… I don’t know. Flashbacks? The ferals.”

I start to explain everything that I felt, and everything that I saw whilst I fought. I tell Su that it wasn’t Asami’s face I punched, not that it’s any excuse. Shit, Asami will never forgive me for that, and I honestly wouldn’t expect her to. The more I speak, and the more I get off my chest, the calmer I feel. The next thing I know it’s all out, and Su’s busy making us a cup of tea at the kettle in the room.

“It doesn’t surprise me that a sane being on campus has re-opened old wounds, Korra. I think it’s a very human response,” she says, bringing me a herbal tea, which I accept, my arms still trembling slightly, “and not only that, it’s a girl that you’d started to like. It must have been a huge shock.”

“It was. And yeah, I liked her.”

“Well, she is a beauty. And I heard about your coming out,” Su says with a hearty chuckle, and I almost spit my tea out in surprise. I guess the whole campus knows, now.

Su goes strangely quiet, saying nothing more until we’ve finished our drinks, then she gently places her cup onto the side table next to mine, “Korra…” she frowns, leaning over, “back when we did therapy before… I always felt like you didn’t got everything off your chest. And what happened today pretty much confirmed my suspicions.”

“Huh? You want to talk about Mey? Again?” I raise an eyebrow. I’ve lost count of how much time we’ve already spent in this room, all the talks we’ve had, and each time me looking anywhere apart from at Su, usually at the lovely pastel green walls instead.

“Well, you’re older now. And you seem to have… accepted certain truths about yourself.”

“You mean that I like girls?” I ask, frowning.

“Korra, you didn’t just like Meyla. We all knew. ”

I frown to myself at the sudden, obvious truth of it all. Of course. I suppose it explains why everyone’s always been convinced that I liked girls. Mey. They all saw it, everyone that is, except me. Even after kissing her, fooling around with her, and writing our initials together in a tiny, etched heart.

“Do you remember waking up in hospital? The morning after we’d saved your legs?”

“No.” I say, frowning. But I do. I remember it vividly, and I hold a hand to my throat, remembering how sore it felt after screaming, after they told me it was real, not a nightmare. They had to sedate me, again and again.

“Korra, you’re 23 years old, you’re no longer a child. You can keep lying to me, or you can climb onto the path of recovery.”

“Recovery? I’m not sick.” I state, though I suppose it’s a stupid thing to say when earlier I felt sure I was about to drop dead.

“Mental health is just as important as physical, if not more so,” Su says, smiling sadly.

“So you’re saying I’m crazy?” I scowl, feeling suddenly defensive.

“Absolutely not. You’re human, and you had to watch the girl you loved be torn from you, in the worse imaginable way.”

“I…” I feel a sudden hotness at the top of my cheeks.

“Watching that happen to your first love, of all people… it would scar anyone. I don’t blame you for how you’ve been acting, Korra. I think the fact you’ve kept it together the past few years is a testament to your strength, and I think after today you’ll become stronger still.”

“I…” I suddenly sob loudly, trying to turn away in shame when hot tears stream down my cheek, and the next thing I know Su’s enveloped me, and I’m clutching onto her forearm, crying harder than I’ve ever cried in my whole life, speaking broken sentences between my sobs.

“I… I miss her.”

“I know, honey.”

“I miss her so much that it hurts.”

“Love will do that to you.”

I didn’t even know that I had all of this inside of me still, from all those years ago. I cry for the longest time, during which she never once lets me go, stroking my shoulders, not saying a word. But even as my sobs gradually die down, there’s still something gnawing at me, begging me to let it out.

“I’m… a traitor. I’m a fucking traitor,” I whimper.

Su pulls away, looking at me with a confused expression, “whatever do you mean?”

I look at the floor, biting my lower, trembling lip.

“Korra, please. Nothing will leave this room, you must know that by now.”

“I liked it,” I whisper hoarsely, shame burning at my cheeks.

“Liked what?”

“She bit me. I liked it,” I say deeply, through gritted teeth, a sudden anger at myself replacing anguish, “What kind of a freak am I, when I let the same monsters that took Mey bite me, and then fucking enjoy it?”

Su closes her eyes, and exhales loudly through flared nostrils, then sits back in her chair.

“I suppose this is our failing, as your teachers. We should educate better.” She tilts her head to the side, and smiles, “Unless a sane specifically wants to hurt you, then their bite gives… pleasure. It has always been that way, you’re not unique in this experience. In fact, it would have been far stranger if you disliked it.”

“How can being bitten, sucked at, feel good? That’s fucked up!” I exclaim, grimacing.

“It’s just biology, dear. Their bite injects endorphins, and you’re a human being, reacting to a chemical. That’s all.”

I frown, thinking it over. A scientific explanation actually does make me feel a little better about myself. It’s a bit like that one time when Dad told me all about how airplanes work, which really did help with my fear of flying, knowing what all the sounds meant, and that the wings wouldn’t snap off from turbulence.

“So, I didn’t… betray Mey?”

Of course not. You clearly prevented Asami turning feral, and saved us all.”

“She saved me first,” I counter.

“She did.” Su nods.

“She’ll… never talk to me again after this,” I sigh, leaning back into my chair, feeling sick when I remember the blood streaming down her hand.

“Oh I don’t know, I would assume you become quite thick-skinned at her age.”

“How old is she, anyway?” I ask, raising an eyebrow.

“Oh dear, I can’t tell you that! Ask her yourself,” Su chuckles.

“You think she’ll even talk to me?”

Su leans forwards, rests her elbows on her knees, and smiles, “If you make it up to her, who knows. How are you feeling, anyway?”

I ponder the question. I actually feel… kind of nice. Like, I’m much lighter all of a sudden, and I certainly don’t feel like I’m about to die, which is always an improvement. “Quite a lot better, actually,” I say, managing a half-smile.

“Excellent! We made fantastic progress today - but you have to promise to come back if and when you need to talk.”

“Okay. Deal,” I smile, standing shakily to my feet, “I’m gonna go get a bite to eat. Thanks again.”

Su winks whilst starting to clear away our cups, and I let myself out of the room, intending to head straight to the cafeteria and somehow explain all of this to my cube-mates, and to the Krew.

On the way out of the nurse’s room, I spot a pair of boots, visible just around the side of the private treatment curtain. I peep through the crack on the way past, and I cringe to myself, edging silently away. Asami’s in there, lying back on the long, white cot, having her nose tended to. Shit! I think she saw me. I hurry to the exit and I’m about to turn the handle, when I hear her voice shout out, and I grimace, honestly surprised she’s addressing me at all.

“Guns!” She yells, as Katara quickly pulls back the curtain, “nice punch,” she quickly adds, and I’m sure I see Katara chuckle silently to herself.

I don’t know what to say. I… can’t even look at her.

“It serves me right, telling you to get over Mey. I crossed a line,” Asami continues.

“Huh?” I ask, looking up, feeling confused. Asami’s nose actually looks perfectly fine, so I guess the dressing Katara’s about to place there is just for show, and it’s all mended up already. Her eyes, though… she’s looking at me coldly. Any kindness that used to be there… it’s… gone, and my heart plummets at the sight.

“You’ll need a reason for attacking me. And now you have one,” she says, curtly, maintaining her stony-cold gaze.

“But…” I’m about to challenge the idea. It doesn’t seem fair. I’m the bad guy here, not her, and I’ve surely done enough damage for one lifetime.

“Look, it’s an easy excuse, so let’s roll with it.” She sighs, and helps Katara to finish taping up the fake bandage, “I have bigger things to worry about, like trying to protect the entire damn academy. Let’s just… stay away from each other, okay?”

I clench my arm, and look to the floor, “Yeah. Okay,” I mutter, turning around and leaving the nurse’s office, feeling absolutely fucking terrible.

“I am pleased you are feeling better,” Raava says jovially, interrupting my misery whilst I walk towards the cafeteria.

“You call this feeling better? You must be confused.” I shake my head, then stop myself when a couple of younger students spot me, looking at me as though I might be mad.

“Yes, you are feeling better! The darkness that flowed around your aura is almost completely gone.”

“You can see stuff like that, huh?”

“Of course. You were losing it for a while back there.”

“Maybe I still am.”

“Undoubtedly. But now I can see you’ll get better. And I have much to tell you, when you feel ready,” Raava actually sounds excited at the words.

“Let me guess, it involves vampires.”

“Bingo.”

“… And given my vamp-phobia, that’s why you didn’t want to bring it up before.”

“Also correct.”

“So why don’t you just tell me now?”

“You’ll need to be sitting down.”

I chuckle, feeling a tinge of excitement at whatever she’s hiding from me, “Fine, let’s talk later. I need to eat, anyway.”

What a day. I’ve lost one friend, but regained another. It feels good to be back on speaking terms with Raava, at least.

Chapter Text

I feel beyond awkward when I walk into the cafeteria, since everyone’s heads keep turning, and it’s not even remotely subtle. News really does travel fast here, though I suppose it’d be the same in any school. I quickly pay for a grilled cheese sandwich and coke, then spot Jinora waving me over to our table urgently, and I’m grateful to notice that the Krew are looking at me with concern rather than apprehension.

“Korra, are you okay? I heard what happened.” Jinora says, chewing a piece of meatloaf. Gross stuff, don’t know why she likes it.

“I think so,” I sigh, sitting down, twirling my straw around inside the plastic seal of my cup.

“You look like shit,” Opal says, smiling.

“Gee, thanks. Wait, what do you mean?” I ask, pulling my phone out, hitting the camera button and going into selfie mode. “Well, fuck,” I sigh. There’s a swollen redness beneath my eyes making it more than obvious I’ve been crying. I’m suddenly painfully aware of why those kids stared at me in the hallway, and why I’m getting way more glances than I expected from students in here. Fuck, Asami would have seen me like this too, and I think maybe that’s why she didn’t lay into me, like I’d expected her to.

“So… You gonna tell us why you went all psycho?” Mako mumbles, with a yogurt spoon hanging out of his mouth as usual.

I sigh loudly. I hate having to lie, fucking hate it, but if it’s to protect Asami, and by proxy, all of us... “She badmouthed Mey.”

Opal and Jinora gasp together, “Nooo.”

“Yeah. She said I should be over her already. I just… I dunno. Snapped. Then I had to have therapy, again.” I roll my eyes, adding dramatics for good effect, though I don’t tell them that same therapy quite likely saved me from spinning straight off the rails.

“Breaking her nose seems a little excessive, Korra,” Kai says, wincing as though expecting a rebuttal.

“You’re not wrong,” I sigh, shaking my head, “I overreacted because my head’s so screwed up. And I feel fucking terrible.” That part isn’t a lie. I deserve to feel terrible, though.

“Uh oh,” Jinora mouths, looking past my shoulder. I turn around to spot Asami, walking down the corridor, wearing a dark purple jacket, crimson vest, grey jeans and her usual long, buckled, black boots. Long black hair frames her pale face, there’s a massive bandage strapped squarely to the front of her nose, and… unsurprisingly, she completely blanks me, walking straight past our group and heading three tables down. She sits next to Leanne, opposite Sen and Yena, then quickly pulls her book out and begins to study. I wonder why she even needs that book anyway – surely there’s nothing she can learn here.

“It’s obvious that you still like her…” Jinora states, following my gaze, smiling sympathetically.

“I… don’t know. I wanted to be friends at least. But I fucked up, badly,” I say, threading my fingers into my scalp, “How am I ever going to fix this?” I ask.

I look across the room again to see Asami scratching at the bridge of her bandaged nose, and smiling at her newfound friends when they appear to express sympathy.

“We’ll think of something, Kor,” Opal says, reaching out for my hand and squeezing it reassuringly.

“And when you’re old, grey and married, you can both look back and laugh at this!” Bolin grins, being ridiculously optimistic as always. If only I could tell him that she can’t even grow old. If only I could share anything with him, or with anyone! I think keeping this a secret is going to be a hell of a lot harder than I first thought.

I glance across at Asami’s table again, curiosity getting the better of me. This time Leanne spots me looking and gives me what I can only presume is some kind of death-stare, so I tear my eyes away quickly, unwrapping my sandwich and digging into my food.

“Do you want to go chill out in the square for a while?” Jinora asks, whilst I rapidly devour my meal. Damn, I was hungrier than I realised, and I think I might have to buy another one of these. Maybe I’ll just grab a coffee later instead.

I think on Jinora’s question for a moment, taking a long, loud slurp as I finish my coke, “Actually, there’s something I need to do first. I’ll text you later if that’s okay?” I say, smiling.

“You sure you’ll be okay?” Bolin asks, as I stand to leave.

“Yeah. It’s all good, Bo,” I grin, squeezing him on the shoulder as I stand up. I head towards the bins to clear up my tray, then stuff my hands into the pockets of my dark blue jeans, leaving via the west cafeteria exit, my pace increasing as I skulk past a certain table seating a certain pissed-off vampire and her pissed-off new girlfriend. Not that I’m jealous.

—

There’s a chill in the air today making me wish I’d worn my jacket, and the skies are overcast, threatening rain at any minute. I suppose in a few weeks autumn will rear its cold, damp head, not that I really mind the rain. It can make for fun water-bending fights, after all.

I’m headed to the campus cemetery, just down the south-west corner of the grounds. Its a bit morbid really - I mean, what kind of fucked-up school needs to have it’s own graveyard? This is the bitter truth of the living here, though. We all risk our lives, each and every single day that we’re here, and typically if someone dies, their next of kin arrange the funeral here. The more traditional tribes arrange for corpses to be airlifted home, but me, I think that’s just a little creepy - put me in the ground right where I die, for all I care.

It’s not a pleasant thought, knowing that we could be killed. But it’s not like we’re not forced into this. I mean, we don’t have to come here, it’s just that bending is such a rare gift that very few benders would say no to the chance for glory, and the chance to protect those dearest to them.

Thankfully, actual student deaths are few and far between, far more infrequent than they used to be. Mey’s was the first one in eight years - and even then it only really happened because we were careless. Other than field trips we’re usually out of harm’s way, since the school is well-defended, with powerful runes and magical barriers, mumbo-jumbo shit that I’ve been kind of been taking for granted, stuff that I’ve definitely wanted to learn more about ever since the strange werebat attack. 

I stand at the ground before Mey’s tombstone, smiling down at it, wondering how she’s doing… and whether she’s happy or not. Maybe she got herself another cute girlfriend to fool around with and flash her gorgeous dimples at. I find myself smirking at the thought, whilst sitting down and crossing my legs. I’ve been here many times, but this is the first time where I feel somewhat close to acceptance. Not quite there, but a damn sight nearer.

“Hey, Mey,” I say out loud, staring at her initials carved roughly into the stone. It’s silly, I know, talking to a piece of rock, but it makes me feel better.

I close my eyes, thinking about her, feeling sad to realise I can’t remember the intricate details about her face any more. Her dimples, sure, I’d never forget those. Or her red hair, which I may have curled around my fingers a few times. I imagine her walking towards me, wearing her favourite blue faded skinny jeans, the ones that showed off her ass so well.

“Hey, Korra,” she says, smiling. Yeah, seems I remember her voice pretty well, too.

“So… today was a hell of a day,” I chuckle.

“But a good day, right?” she asks, raising an eyebrow whilst sitting before me.

“You always were the observant one.”

“I’m the brain, you’re the muscle, remember?” she asks, rolling her eyes. She’s right though. We both started together at the Academy in cube two, since we didn’t need level one training, and for that first year she’d help me catch up to my studies whilst I’d help her in martial arts. We complemented each other perfectly, although eventually it evened out. The joke never grew old, because I never minded being her ‘muscle’, not one bit.

“Yeah. That’s right,” I sigh, “Say, Mey - what do you think about Asami?”

“She’s really pretty,” Mey says without hesitation, smiling, “I think you should look after her.”

“I don’t really think she needs that,” I laugh.

“Why, because she’s a sane?” Mey asks, folding her arms and scowling at me.

“Well - yeah. Practical immortality and all that.”

“But is she immortal here?” Mey asks, holding a hand to her chest.

“I… I don’t know what you mean.”

“They can be hurt. Just like us. You know that…”

“I suppose so,” I sigh, remembering Asami’s tears, both from my words, and from that huge hole in her chest, the hole that would have been in mine if she’d been there just a half second later.

“I can’t believe she jumped in front of that feral for you. That was kick ass!” Mey exclaims, spreading her arms wide. She always did gesticulate a lot whenever she got excited.

“Yeah, and look at how I thanked her,” I grumble.

“I’d kick your ass for that if I could,” Mey says, folding her arms, frowning at me, and tilting her head to the side.

It’s strange, but having an internal dialogue like this feels similar to when I speak with Raava. Technically I’m talking to myself this time, I suppose, but the whole conversation is so lifelike, and it’s just like Mey. How she’d look. How she’d react.

“Mey… I don’t know what to do…”

“Give her time. Give yourself time. And most importantly, stop being a jerk,” Mey chuckles, leaning forwards, reaching out and cupping my cheek in her hand, “Love you, KBear.”

“Love you too, Meyberry,” I murmur, realising it’s been a while since we used our pet names. I imagine her soft lips pressing against mine, like they would so often after our first time, and then there’s a bittersweet pang in my chest as she slowly fades away, her green eyes glistening, and her lips curved into a beautiful smile.

“See you later, Mey,” I whisper, opening my eyes. I crouch forwards, tidying up my hair bundle, cleaning the dust and dirt off her tombstone, and then shuffling back to my feet.

Today’s definitely been a strange day, I think to myself. And with whatever Raava’s going to tell me, I suppose things could get stranger still.

--

The first thing I do once I’m back in my dorm is to check my phone. Looks like I have a message from Bolin and Mako, and two from Jinora, all asking if I’m okay. I check the time, only realising then that I’ve been gone over two hours, and it’s already turned seven. I quickly text back to reassure them all that I’m fine, and I tell Jinora that I’m about to talk to my parents, like I do around this time every Tuesday.

Jinora: Say hi from me!

Korra: Will do. Don’t do too many Battleverse quests without me okay?

Jinora: I’lll do alllll the quests

Korra: NO DON’T BE EVIL

Jinora: Fine, I’ll play an alt.

She means an alternate character - very few players stick to just one main character in Battleverse, because they like to check out the other classes, races, and stuff like that. I lay the phone down on the table besides my mousepad, place the fresh coffee I grabbed on the way here to the left of my keyboard, then boot my PC up, sitting down and adjusting my web camera. As expected, my mother quickly sends a video call request, and I accept it to see her large, brown nose and not an awful lot else.

“Hey sweetheart,” Mum’s nose says.

“Mother. The camera,” I say, chuckling.

“Oh, damn this technology. Honey, fix it!” she asks Dad, and I hear him grunt as he stands up, then I see his wide, padded hand messing with the camera lens.

About five minutes and a few expletives later, I can finally see both parents, sitting together, smiling at me. Dad’s hair has started to go grey, something I usually tease him about. It looks good on him, though. Mum’s looking radiant as always, and I can only hope I look that good at her age.

“Sweetheart, your uncle called us earlier. Are you okay?” Dad asks, his brows furrowed.

I wonder how much Unalaq has told them. Do they think I punched a girl for no reason, the same bullshit I’ve had to tell my closest friends?

“You shouldn’t go around hitting girls, even if they are sanes,” my father scowls, “we raised you better than that, young lady.”

“Honey, reel it in,” I see Mum try to whisper, wincing at the camera, probably realising that their volume is way too loud for her to get away with it.

“So you didn’t hear the whole story then?” I ask, frowning, “You know, about my mental breakdown.”

“Not all of it. You know how your Uncle is like with things like that,” Mum says, “in either case, we’ve been really worried. Please tell us what’s going on...”

That’s so typical of my Uncle. He thinks anyone with any kind of mental trauma should just ‘get over it’. I’m just glad I’ve had Su all these years - I even heard her laying into Unalaq in his office once, properly yelling at him about not taking mental health seriously. I sometimes wonder who’s really in charge at the Academy.

“Okay, well, try not to freak out on me…” I say, taking a deep breath. I tell them pretty much everything, figuring if they’re going to hear this then it’s better coming from me rather than anyone else. Plus, they know exactly what state I was in after Mey died, since they both flew over here and saw it first-hand. They ended up dragging me back home for four months, and I honestly don’t remember most of my time home, other than the fact I suffered from severe depression. Shit, that must have been hard for my folks, and I can’t believe I only just considered that.

“Oh sweetheart, I’m sorry,” My Dad says remorsefully once I’m done, “But please, don’t punch any more girls.”

I burst out laughing, sniffling a little. It’s been an emotional ride today.

“Yes dear, that’s not going to get you any girlfriends,” Mum chips in.

“What… wait, I didn’t-” I frown. Did I come out to them?

“Oh sweetheart, we’ve known for years. It’s one thing to be a tomboy, but quite another to look at girls the way you used to.” Mum laughs, and I fold my arms, scowling down the camera.

“Well, you could have told me!” I growl.

“We told you all the time that you were free to love whoever you wanted,” Dad says, putting an arm around Mum’s shoulder. Oh great, they’re probably going to start smooching next. Gross.

“I didn’t think you meant that way,” I mutter.

“Anyway darling, if you need more time back home, you just let us know.” Mum says, “Your room is just like you left it.”

“That would be nice, but I don’t want to fall behind on my studies again… and I think… I think I’ll be okay now,” I say, smiling.

“So how’s Jinora and the gang? How are your studies?” Dad asks, promptly changing the subject, propping his arms on the table, beaming at me proudly. I laugh, and shake my head. It’s the same topic, week after week, but I never grow tired of it. I miss them as much as they apparently miss me.

By the time we’re saying our goodbyes, another two hours have passed. I’d usually log into Battleverse right about now, but I’m absolutely dying to find out what Raava has to say, and I’m about to switch the PC off when I notice I have an email notification. I’m not sure how long it’s been there, and when I check it I realise it’s from Sunday night, the same night I rolled into my dorm half-drunk.

==

[Need to talk …]

Guns - there’s… something I need to tell you. Mum’s looking much better so I’ll be heading back tomorrow, if you have time to meet up after school or something?

We definitely need to get stoned for this one. :-)

Asami -x-

P.s. This Battlebullshit game really does cheat, I’m gonna need your help.

P.p.s. You have to promise not to freak out.

==

“Fuck!” I say, out loud. Why the hell didn’t I get an email notification on my phone? I grab the device, frowning, and curse again when I realise the damn thing has logged me out of my email service provider, like it does do sometimes, and seemingly at random.

“Well, thanks a lot, phone,” I growl, throwing the evil device onto the bed and jumping onto the mattress, laying back and resting my arms over my head. I suppose things wouldn’t have gone any differently even if I had read the email sooner - the next time Asami and I met would still have been when she saved my ass, and I would still have freaked out precisely as much as I did.

“Raava… I’m such a-”

“Asshole?”

“I was going to say bitch, but that works too,” I sigh, closing my eyes. I can see Raava’s outline completely for the first time, and I smile at the image. She’s absolutely beautiful, a white-blue shimmering vision, with undulating tendrils of radiant light all around her kite-shaped form. “I can finally see you properly!” I say, grinning to myself.

“Well, of course! Do you not realise what happened today?” Raava asks, and I’m sure I hear a hint of pride in her voice.

“I… almost had a mental breakdown after punching Asami?”

“You sent her flying,” Raava chuckles. Okay, I definitely heard pride that time, “Or rather, we did. However, I would rather you didn’t attack innocents with my power - especially not Asami, of all people.”

“Wait... WHAT?” I suddenly sit bolt upright on the bed, staring into space, then closing my eyes again and trying to refocus on Raava’s image. “Are you saying what I think you’re saying?”

“Yes, avataaaar staaaate,” she drawls the words out dramatically, like she’s announcing a damn superhero title, “although, only for a second.”

“Shit. Shit!” I exclaim, trying to process all of this. That definitely explains my being able to land a blow. In the avatar state we’re supposed to be far quicker, much stronger, and it’s not solely about enhanced elemental control, “Wait, that means I actually did hurt her?” I ask, wincing.

“Probably, though I’d imagine it was more shock that stunned her, than actual pain.”

“Do you think anyone saw? I mean, my eyes would glow and stuff, right?”

“It’s doubtful anyone other than Asami is aware, given that the state lasted for less than a second. Her secret should be safe, for now,” Raava explains. That was a narrow escape then - had anyone realised it was an avatar-state punch, there’d definitely be questions raised over why Asami walked away with only a broken nose.

 “Wait… Does this mean I can only use the avatar state when I’m crazy angry?” I ask the question fearfully.

“Not at all. You felt completely sure of yourself, and that you would succeed in your goal without a single shred of doubt in your mind.”

I suppose she’s right - thinking back, I was pretty damn sure I’d kill that imaginary feral.

“Do you think I can do it again?”

“Since you even have to ask, then you may struggle. It is about knowing you can do it, Korra. No doubts.”

“Okay. I think I’m starting to understand,” I say, frowning.

I start to get undressed and change into my nightwear, since it’s now quite late, yet I hesitate before switching the PC off, wondering if I should email Asami back. But I mean, what would I even say? ‘Hey, sorry I missed this email and instead gave you hell for two days and then broke your nose but we’re cool, right? And you don’t find Leanne attractive, right?’

Wait, where did that last part come from? I shake my head, wondering why I’d even humour becoming jealous. Why get jealous over something or someone you’ve fucked over so badly that they can’t even stand to look at you? It’s like the literal definition of crying over spilt milk, and I’m better than that.

“Now that’s the confidence I like to hear!” Raava exclaims, her form glowing brightly in my mind.

“Hey, I never said you could peep!”

“You never ended our conversation,” now that I can see her, I can detect slight changes in her expression as she speaks. I think this one, the wavy lines in her centre creasing downward, would be akin to a pout.

“I didn’t know I had to. What should I do? Say goodbye every time we’re done?” I think sarcastically, rolling my eyes.

“Actually, yes. Now that you can talk to me, we’ll need a system if you want your privacy…”

“Oh.” I frown, realising that it actually makes perfect sense, “Well I’ll bear that in mind. I just need to wash before bed, then you’re going to tell me whatever the hell you’ve been hiding. Talk later.”

“Signing out,” Raava chuckles.

I smile to myself whilst heading to the washrooms bare footed, in my light- blue cotton pyjamas, carrying my toothbrush, soap and a towel bundled into my arms. The nearest shower/washrooms are situated between my dorm and Asami’s - the same place where I ended up healing my wounds recently - and I’m hoping to find them empty, since I’m not feeling particularly sociable…

… But of course, the fates are always crueler than that, aren’t they? I almost slam the outer door straight into Asami’s face when I nudge it open with my shoulder. She manages to dodge the wooden assault, barely, and after my heart almost stops I manage to breathe a sigh of relief.

“Are you obsessed with breaking my face today?” she asks, raising an eyebrow and clutching her wash bag to her chest. She’s got her hair wrapped up in a white towel, and seems to be walking around in nothing more than a white robe, and a pair of… fluffy, black slippers. With cat ears. I have to take a double-take.

“I- uh…” I can’t take my eyes off them. Her smooth, perfectly formed legs, ending in a pair of giant kitty slippers. I just… what am I even supposed to make of this?

“Oh, so breaking my nose isn’t enough? Now you’d mock my attire?” she starts to tap one foot, making Mr. Kitty’s over-sized ears bob around, and I raise my eyes to see she’s pouting like a son of a bitch, causing the square bandage taped upon her nose to raise slightly.

“No, I’m sorry, I’m so sor-” I wave my arms, really not wanting to damage our relationship any further.

She rolls her eyes and gently shoulders her way past me, “Just fucking with you, again. G’night.” She says, walking away, slightly shaking her head.

“Uh… night…” I mutter. I don’t know what I’m more relieved about - that I managed to avoid breaking her nose a second time, or that she’s shown some sign that we can maybe still speak to each other after all.

By the time I get back to my dorm, I’m wondering more than ever if I should email her back. She said we should stay away from each other… but then, why talk to me at all if that’s what she wants? Maybe I’m just getting my hopes up over nothing. She’s just being… civilised. That’s the word she used earlier at the oak, back when I was being anything but. Yeah, we can be civilised. We’ll have to be, we’re in the same damn class after all.

But then again the computer is turned on, the screen is glowing brightly, and her email remains open, staring me right in the face. Fuck it, if nothing else, I owe her this:

==

[re: Need to talk]

Hi Asami

I only just got this. There’s a lot of shit I haven’t told you, really, really messed up shit.

I’m not going to make excuses though, not after how I’ve been acting, and I don’t expect a reply…

But I did want to say I’m sorry.

Like really, really fucking sorry

P.s. Try a different class then, mage is tough.

P.p.s. I suppose it’s a bit late now, but I think I’m done freaking out.

K x

Guns

Korra

-K

==

I spend half the time deleting some parts and editing others. I don’t want to look too desperate, because it stops the message from sounding genuine. Then I hover over the send button, re-reading the email three or four times. Oh fuck it, the worse that can happen is she doesn’t reply. I hit send, then power down the PC and climb into bed, pulling the thin summer blanket over myself, and folding my arms over the top.

“Okay… you gonna spill the beans?” I think to myself, grinning when the image of Raava immediately flashes into my mind.

“Actually, I think it’d be best coming from the source…” Raava says, her form shimmering.

“Huh…?”

Her form flashes into a sudden blinding-white glow, then morphs into something very different… something smaller, something humanoid. It floats towards me, and the bright light ebbs away, replaced with robes of green and amber. The figure moves closer still, coming to a stop just before me. Her face is painted white, with red and black streaks arching over her closed eyes, and a golden, fan-shaped crown sitting proudly above long, dark brown strands of hair.

Kyoshi stands before me, one of the greatest avatars in history, her arms folded. For a moment, she looks peaceful, maybe even sleeping.

“Uh… hi?” I say, feeling more than a little intimated.

Her painted, red lips shift into a smile, then stretch into a wide grin, revealing her pearl-white teeth… and two sharp, perfectly formed fangs.

“Hello, Avatar Korra,” Kyoshi chuckles, her glowing, green, cat-like eyes staring straight into mine.

Chapter Text

Three hundred and sixty-six years ago - the outskirts of Chin Village

It’s the crack of dawn, and I watch with a proud, wide smile whilst the girls spar relentlessly within the spacious training area of the mansion. I had the grounds built especially for this, once I’d found my true calling in life - to help these women obliterate their fears, and to transform weak and frightened girls into ferocious fighters, thus bringing my own kind of balance to a world rife with sexism and injustice.

They’re doing well, each and every one of them, benders and non-benders alike. They grunt and gasp with their exertions, knocking the straw out of their assigned training dummies with loud punches and kicks, earning sore knuckles and sorer muscles from their ministrations. Some are stronger than others, as is always the way of things, but I feel sure that each and every one of them can defend themselves. At least, from the advances of human predators. The undead, the monsters and the horrors of the world which seem to grow worse every day - I’m unsure if the warriors are ready for that yet.

I am sure that given time they will be, this is all still quite new after all. They have the potential - there’s fire in their eyes, and their punches are fuelled with ferocity. It’s a far cry from those frightened women I found a year ago, nothing but cattle to the men here, raped and beaten constantly, forced into childbirth again and again. Of those who unwillingly fell pregnant, some raise their children here, whilst others leave them in Gaoling, to be cared for in foster homes. I do not judge in either case, for they did not ask for this fate. The men, the rapists… did not fare so well. They rot beneath us, chunks of flesh in the ground, right where they belong. I can’t help but crunch my heel into the gravel beneath, just thinking about them.

“Eleanor,” I walk over to her and adjust the position of her forearm, straightening her wrist, “Like this, unless you want a broken wrist, remember? Hit with these two.” I tap her first two knuckles.

“Sorry, Ma’am,” she grins, nervously. Eleanor is our newest and youngest recruit, only nineteen years old, bringing the current total to thirty seven. ‘Kyoshi warriors’, that’s what I affectionately call them, and though I never dared dream they’d live up to the name, it’s clear just by watching them that they soon will. It’s a fierce sight, a sight that our foes will soon learn to be afraid of. We paint our faces, white to show our pure determination, and then above our eyes, red to signify the pain we’ve endured, and black, meaning no mercy for our enemies, only the blackness of death.

I idly flap one of my fans open, then closed again, then open. It’s always been a habit of mine, and it keeps my fingers limber, or so I like to think.

“Renya, swing your hip more, I want to see some power in those punches!” I shout, and she nods vigorously, then redoubles her efforts.

It’s strange how many of these women thought themselves incapable of combat before I came to them. We are all human, capable of growth, of strength. I have proven to them that their body is like a fortress, no matter its size or shape, and their fist is like steel.

“Mau,” I stand behind the next woman, resting my chin on her shoulder, “You have good form this morning, I’m impressed,” I purr the words against the bronze skin of her neck, inhaling her salty aroma, and resting my palms on her waist.

“Kyoshi…” she growls my name with a wide smile on her lips, tilts her head to face me, and allows herself to be drawn in for a soft, delicious kiss, “I could do with a break,” she whispers, lightly clasping my lower lip between her teeth.

“Mmm.” I mumble, smirking against her lips, then pulling away, “Carry on, ladies! We’ll be back in an hour,” I yell, grabbing Mau by the hand, turning away from the training grounds, and grinning when I hear several of the girls giggle behind us.

“Wait for me!” another of my girls - Silvia - gasps, breaking away from her training and running towards us.

“Of course,” I smile, hooking my spare arm with hers, smiling as she unfastens her long, golden hair from its bun. I would never refuse any of my girls, after all.

We head towards the mansion, where we’ll soon partake in a very different kind of training. I should perhaps feel a little guilty for indulging in such pleasures whilst my girls sweat in the early morning sun, but then again, they are all free to do the same - I may plan out a strict training rota, but I do not punish those who deviate from it occasionally, else I would be a hypocrite.

—

Mau has always procured a particular assortment of sounds that I find quite addictive, a lusty gasp that she breathes when I lightly bite her neck, a gasp that becomes a deep moan when I take her breast into my hand, and a moan that becomes a throaty, succulent groan when I slide my fingers into her sweet, wet centre.

Oh, I know what you’re thinking. I save these girls from one sexual predator, only to prey upon them myself. That’s not the case. They come to me only if and when they wish to feel my touch, and I would have it no other way.

Mau bucks herself against my hand, and I break my teeth away from her neck only to find Silvia’s lips begging for mine. I kiss her hungrily, flicking my tongue lightly against hers whilst she touches herself. I tend not to limit myself to one partner at a time, for such a thing is rather mundane. Besides, my heart belongs to nobody, and my passion to any woman who would return it. I once allowed men into my chambers, but after seeing the horrors inflicted upon my girls, I find it almost impossible to do so.

I break away from Silvia's lips, and kiss my way down her torso, whilst thrusting myself into a heavily-groaning, soaking wet Mau. My tongue finds Silvia’s wetness, and gently swirls around her swollen clit, forcing her to grasp a fist into my hair. I don’t mind at all - In fact, I like it. I slide my free hand behind Silvia’s back, pulling her closer so that my tongue can dip into her entrance, and she cries out, then leans towards Mau, locking their lips together, and I’m delighted to hear them moan deeply against each other whilst I attend to their desires.

Silvia was a timid twenty year old, frequently molested and beaten, and I found her terrified, huddled in a corner, with dark rings around her bruised eyes. She had no idea that women were allowed to enjoy these kinds of pleasures, she felt convinced that we were tools, holes to fuck, and bellies to impregnate. She eventually started to watch me with my girls, and eventually, after many weeks of watching, she started to touch herself. Her first ever self-orgasm was a beautiful sight, and I still remember pulling her into my arms as she shed joyous tears.

Mau suffered her fair share of horrors too, her gorgeous bronze skin is still scarred all the way down her back from the flaying she had to endure. It took her nine months before she came to me for my special brand of comfort, and when she did I welcomed her with open arms and a soft touch, ready to stop at any time if she would ask it of me. I may be a fierce woman, but my girls, I could never hurt my girls. They each have their own haunted past, and they each mean more to me than life itself.

I can tell that both Mau and Silvia are close now. I press my palm down into Mau, giving her the friction she needs, keeping my fingers deep inside as she thrusts herself violently against my eager hand. Silvia's wetness is spilling out around my lips, and I squeeze my hand behind her tense shoulders, pulling her into my mouth, drinking hungrily from her, sliding my tongue up and down in solid, swift lines.

“Oh... Kyoshi… f-fuck me…!” Silvia cries out, suddenly spasming. It’s such a joy to see her like this, compared to that frightened woman just a year ago. Her fingers knot tightly into my hair, yanking my face down, and she bucks into my tongue, which I hold in place, letting her ride out her orgasm. Mau is close too, gasping, clenching onto the bedsheet with her fists, her knuckles turning white.

Suddenly, I’m distracted by a loud cough from behind. “Ma’am, apologies. A young lady seeks audience, hailing all the way from the fire nation.” My advisor, Helena, speaks from the entry to my chambers, and there’s a blush to her fair skin. She has never sought a private audience with me, and I am unsure whether she even has an inclination towards women, but she does always seem at least somewhat interested in my pursuits, since her gaze always lingers just a little longer than it otherwise would if she were uninterested.

I blink away my lust-fuelled haze, plucking my fingers from their damp, wet pursuits and sucking hungrily on them, then wiping Silvia’s delicious wetness from my mouth. Mau groans, clearly from sheer frustration. “I shall make it up to you, sweet thing,” I growl into her ear, and she responds with that throaty sound that I so do enjoy.

“How peculiar. Send her in,” I command Helena, squishing myself backwards into my mound of cushions and throws. I’m still fully clothed, though my robes hang a little loose from my ministrations, and my hair is messed up from being fisted between Silvia's desperate fingers.

I raise an eyebrow as a poor, young dear walks in, nervously standing before me, probably mortified at the sight of two naked women at either side of me. She looks so fragile, like a porcelain doll with long, black hair, painted eyelids and ruby lips. She wears a garb typical of the fire nation - a red kimono with gold trim - though it does seem tattered, as I suppose it would be from such a long journey.

“How may I help, fire nation?” I ask, smirking to myself. I do hope she hurries, for I’d quite like to get back to enjoying Mau’s wetness.

She suddenly frowns, her green eyes become determined as she stares into mine, and she clenches her fists, “I… I wish to join the warriors,” she declares. A bold statement, since I can’t possibly take on every single desperate woman that shows at my door. I refuse many who try, but in all cases I do at least send help to dispatch whatever problem they may be experiencing, and ensure that any other problems know she is protected by the warriors henceforth.

“And why, pray tell, would I want you? If you are in trouble, perhaps we can help, but to be a warrior…” I grin, placing a palm on Mau’s flush cheek, gently pulling her in for a deep kiss, “… you need a very special kind of fire inside your heart.”

She frowns at my statement, and places a hand on her hip, “So you mean, I have to like other girls?”

I burst out laughing, oh, this one is funny, “No, child. I mean your spirit, your resolve. These women have been through the starkest horrors, yet they now thrive because of it. I look upon you, and I see no survivor. Tell me, why are you here?”

She looks to the floor, then back to me, and I see her eyes darken, noticing for the first time that perhaps she too has suffered, “My father sold me as a sex slave.” She states loudly, her voice barely even cracking, “Apparently I have the kind of looks that men desire, so it was a rather… profitable venture for him.”

I relax my stern gaze a little, “How old were you when he did this?”

“Twelve,” she says, and her voice still doesn’t break. Perhaps she does have an iron will, after all.

“How is it that you now stand before me? Did you escape?”

Something in her gaze changes, her brows furrow, and I feel a strange sensation, something I haven’t really felt before. Excitement, perhaps. Or fear.

“I killed them all. Then I ran. Now I’m here,” she speaks with confidence, never once breaking eye contact.

I tap my fingers on one of the cushions to my side, and whilst Mau’s insistent nibbling at my neck is tempting me back to bed, I feel myself suddenly very interested in the stranger, “And your name?”

“My birth name is Sonna, but I wish for a new name. A new life.”

“Then defeat one of my best warriors, and you shall have your name,” I say, rising to my feet and grabbing my helmet, “Girls, feel free to entertain each other whilst I am gone,” I chuckle, not that they need my permission. I don’t own them, they are free to bed whomever they please, and in this case they waste no time, locking their lips against each other, writhing upon my cushions.

I affix my helm to my head, not bothering to tidy my hair first. “I hope you’ll make my sacrifice worth it,” I mutter to the young stranger, chuckling whilst I tighten my belt.

“I hope so too,” she says, and I notice only then that she’s lightly blushing.

—

“Are you a bender?” I ask, as we walk side-by-side towards the training grounds.

“No. But I can punch. And kick. And stab.”

“Oh, an unrefined fighter? How delightful. I shall pitch you against a non-bender, but I’d ask that you please don’t stab my girls.”

“I won’t. But I want you to pitch me against your best, even if it’s a bender,” she says, her expression fierce. I wonder why she would come all this way, only to set herself up for failure? Still, I have always respected a woman’s choice, and today shall be no different.

“Lee!” I yell to the young earthbender, and she runs forwards, her face behind a perfect mask of white, red and black, and her hair knotted up into a bun. There’s a time and a place to look pretty, and I make it a point that my girls know how much of a nuisance long hair is in combat. So, they shave it off, or tie it up, it’s their choice. It seems this stranger - Sonna - must already know this, because she’s busy folding her massive mass of jet-black hair into a neat, tight band behind her head.

“I need you to test this one, Lee. Give her everything you have, no holding back.”

“Understood, ma’am,” the girl pants, looking excited at the prospect of impressing me.

“This one can make the earth crumble, raise it beneath your feet or even hurl it against you.” I give the poor stranger some warning, feeling she deserves that much, “Be quick on your toes. And good luck, fire nation,” I say, feeling remorseful that she’ll probably fall down in two seconds. Such a pity, I would have liked to learn more about her.

“Warriors, I need a ring!” I shout, and they quickly break from their training to stand around, forming a wide circle around the two competitors.

“Whomever falls to the ground, or leaves the ring first, loses.” I yell, then clap my hands twice, “Begin!”

The new girl - Sonna - is fast, surprisingly fast, and has little trouble avoiding the first two rocks that Lee hurls towards her with a mighty kick. I fold my arms, already impressed that she’s survived the first barrage. She’s clearly untrained, fighting from nothing but instinct as she slides around, her robe billowing with her movements. Lee pulls her fist up, forcing the earth itself to shift beneath Sonna’s heeI. I wince, and most of the girls gasp, when the stranger almost falls right onto her ass, but instead she manages to roll, bouncing straight back onto her feet and, surprisingly, charging straight for Lee.

What’s more surprising is that she jumps straight over the earth barrier that Lee forces up, and uses it to leverage herself forwards with her hands on the edge, launching herself straight at the bender and slamming her palm straight into the unsuspecting woman’s shoulder. Lee is forced straight to the ground, landing in a cloud of dust with a loud thud.

The girls gasp, and I clap loudly, feeling genuinely impressed, “thank you, ladies! Take thirty minutes, then back to it,” I shout, and they disperse, whilst talking animatedly about the fight they just bore witness to. I sometimes feel guilty that they train so hard, so long, day after day. But it’s the only way they’ll survive out there, I know it, and they know it.

 “Lee, don’t feel bad. I think we all underestimated this one,” I chuckle, raising an eyebrow at the outsider whilst holding a hand out to help Lee up.

“Of course not ma’am,” Lee replies in a half-broken voice, standing to her feet, dusting herself off and then heading away sullenly. Perhaps I’ll check in on her later to make sure she’s okay, although since she prefers a male touch I shan’t be able to rely on my usual charms.

“Well, I’m rarely impressed, but that was quite the show,” I say, squeezing the outsider on her shoulder. She doesn’t even flinch from my touch. I pull out one of my fans, and twist it to the side, “You’ll humour me?” I ask, shining the silver edge into the sun. I wouldn’t expect a vampire to be able to stand in broad daylight like this, but I’ve learnt to take nothing for granted.

“Of course,” she says, loosening her robe, and exposing more of her long, ivory neck. I flatten the silver casing against her exposed flesh, and she doesn’t flinch, nor does her skin redden.

“Well, that’s good enough for me,” I declare, flipping my closed fan around in the air, grabbing it, and tucking it back into my belt. I fold my arms and look at the new recruit, gazing slowly up and down, until we lock eyes, my curious brown to her determined green. “I shall name you Asami, for the morning has been made all the more beautiful by your presence.”

It’s the first time I see her smile, and it stirs something deep inside of me.

—

I awake to the sound of fighting, screaming cats.

“Nnnngh… Jinoorrrraaaaargh…” I never did change that fucking alarm tone, did I? I sit up and blindly grab for the infernal device, swiping my thumb across the screen, shutting off the damn wailing. Then I blink slowly a few times, fall back onto my mattress with my arms thrown wide, and stare numbly at the ceiling for a few minutes.

“Are you okay, Korra?” Raava asks, sounding a little panicked.

“I’m… confused, and curious. But pleased to announce, not freaking out,” and I’m really not. I feel quite calm, all things considered.

“That is good. I have to admit, I felt worried that it may be too soon for this particular truth.”

“Is there more? There has to be more, right? I mean, Kyoshi was human in everything I’ve seen so far, and so was Asami, for that matter.”

“It is a relief to see you’re this interested. Yes, there is much more. Perhaps we can continue tonight?”

“I’d like that. We’ll talk later,” I think, smiling at the prospect.

“Very well. Have a nice day, and try not to break Asami’s nose.”

I snort loudly in laughter at that one, swivelling and kicking my feet off the bed. To say I’ve spent the entire night living someone else’s memory, I actually feel quite refreshed, and I definitely feel turned on.

“Kyoshi, you fucking player,” I chuckle to myself, grabbing a towel ready for a much-needed cold shower.

Chapter Text

One very cold shower later, I’m feeling invigorated, refreshed. And more than anything else, ecstatic that my stupid mensies are finally over, at least for now.

Yesterday still feels like a blur, and quite possibly the the biggest emotional roller coaster I’ve ever experienced. Today, I feel generally calm, but still a little anxious. I mean, Kyoshi, a vampire? Really? I guess I can finally understand why Raava has been so edgy towards me, and so secretive. There’s just no way I would have accepted this before, hell, I’m not so sure I even accept it now. Although… if Kyoshi were a sane, then they really can’t be as monstrous I’ve thought them to be all this time. Kyoshi and her warriors, according to the history books, pretty much saved the entire world in the great feral wars. Monsters don’t save the world, do they?

Shit, I bet a vampire avatar would be a force to be reckoned with, a tide that’d easily turn a war, and I can’t help but feel excited at the prospect of seeing it through Kyoshi’s eyes. Maybe I’ll get to see her smash some ferals into mush with her fists, a little like that dream I had where she fought them tooth and nail, assuming those things were ferals. It was too dark to see, and it was all over so quickly.

I’m lost in thoughts like these all morning, and I barely even acknowledge Bolin as we head to Monster Studies. Huh, now that I think about it, this marks exactly one week since I first saw Asami, strutting out of the headmaster’s office like she owned the damn place. She’s already sat in class, her face buried in her book, as usual. I really am dying to know why she pretends to study like that. Is it all part of the act? She tilts her head up as though sensing my stare, and I realise then that she only looks slightly older than the Asami in my dream. Maybe it’s the massive bandage that ages her, or maybe it’s her eyes, probably carrying hundreds of years’ worth of wisdom.

She doesn’t hold my gaze, doesn’t really give away anything with her expression, and just returns to her book instead. Man, I just hope my email didn’t piss her off further. I can actually start to guess her age now that I’ve learnt a few things. She was human in the memory, unless she’d developed some immunity to the red rash that vampires get when exposed to silver. On top of that, she can’t have used suncream back then, since it didn’t exist. So yeah, definitely human. I think Kyoshi was born almost four hundred years ago, and Asami can’t be much older or younger than her, so…

I’m distracted from my daydream when a small piece of chalk flies into my cheek, lightly stinging, “Any plans to join us, Avatar?” Miss Beifong scowls. Ah, I missed her so, I truly did.

“Sorry miss,” I raise my hand for the roll call, “I’m here.”

Seems whatever Unalaq has planned must already be coming into play, because the entire morning is focused on the subject of vampires, including going over older stuff that we already knew, and re-affirming differences between ferals and sanes. Differences that are not always obvious, which is why there have been cases of frightened, freshly turned vampires being slain, thought to be ferals. It’s mainly due to the fact that new ferals still appear humanoid, except unable to hide their fangs, form coherent words, or control their hunger. Miss Beifong reminds us that the key thing to look at is their eye - a feral’s pupil is always split into two, looking almost like a colon. The older the feral gets, the closer the dots move together, eventually forming an almost hourglass shape.

All of this I already knew, but the next part of the lesson surprises me. Lin talks about sanes in a somewhat positive light, explains the benefits of a blood contract, which is new, since they usually describe it in a very negative manner. She even mentions the pleasures that can be felt from the bite of a sane! It’s a brave move, and certainly seems to have piqued everyone’s interest. I wonder if they kept it from us before out of fear we’d all want to rush out and get bitten - you know, the same reason they didn’t teach sex ed at school once upon a time. Perhaps my conversation with Su helped get it out into the open, although it would have have been useful if I’d known it sooner.

We pause for a twenty minute break, Mako and Bolin pull their chairs up to my desk, and we start to discuss the recent topic. Sometimes on class breaks we go out to get coffee or snacks, but the brothers seem to be really invested in today’s lesson, so we’re settling with plain old bottles of water for refreshments today.

“The blood contract thing sounds sick,” Mako says, doodling a stick man on my journal. I don’t know why he has to deface my book all the time, but I’m kind of getting used to it.

“I dunno, if Opal were a sane, I might like being bitten,” Bolin grins, and I roll my eyes, finding it almost painful to have to hide the fact I know exactly how it feels. 

As they argue over whether being fed upon is gross or great, I keep glancing across at Asami, who’s sharing something in her note book with both Leanne and Dayla. They all seem to be terribly fascinated by it, whatever it is. It seems she’s making more and more friends each time I look at her, and I think that’s a good thing. I sigh, thinking that hopefully they’ll do a better job than I did.

“Did Jinora tell you her idea?” Mako asks, changing the topic when he notices that my gaze keep travelling.

“Hmm?” I ask, chewing the end of my pen.

“About a welcome box, for Asami. She said she’d text you.”

“What? Oh…” I snap back to reality, checking my phone to find the message from Jinora which details the specifics. Sometimes, for new students, we put together a sort of ‘bundle’ to help them settle in. I can’t see why we shouldn’t do the same for Asami, especially seen as far as everyone is concerned she’s just a regular, normal, new student. Plus, maybe I can add some personal touches to it, since I have a few ideas on what she might enjoy.

Me: Okay, wanna do it over lunch? You got any spare posters etc?

Jinora: Sounds good. We do - meet at your dorm. We’ll bring a box.

Before long, lesson resumes, and so does the study on sanes. I’m surprised to see Miss Beifong reveal morsels of new information, like the fact that sunlight might hurt ferals, but can be blocked using regular sunsreen with sanes. And the no-reflection theory? Bullshit, like I always suspected, though it’s nice to see it formally announced. I mean where did that even come from, anyway? Then she reiterates a few points that we all knew, for example that garlic and crosses don’t do a single damn thing to a vampire, whereas silver does, causing a nasty, red rash the second it contacts their skin - on a sane, that is. Ferals practically melt when silver touches them, so needless to say, we’re stocked to the brim with silver weapons and silver bullets - though guns are rarely used. Most creatures are way too fast to bother shooting at, and ferals certainly are.

Then Miss Beifong reveals a couple more snippets that raise a few eyebrows amongst the students. I raise mine too, figuring I should at least pretend to be surprised.

“A sane is not cold blooded. They run at normal body temperature, in fact, in most cases, a few degrees hotter.” I knew that. Asami’s touch, her lips, they felt hot against my arm, and I blush at the memory.

“Lastly, a sane can and will consume ordinary human food and drink,” yup, knew that, having seen Asami stuff her face. I wonder if Lin will mention that vampires can smoke pot, and I have to suppress a giggle at the thought, “but it provides little in the way of taste or nutritional value, thus is participated in largely for social purposes.” A light-bulb clicks into place at that one. Five sugars in her coffee, or stuffing her face when she has the munchies. Hah, I guess Asami found a few ways to circumvent the bland taste issue. I can’t help but tilt my head back and look across the room, expecting her to be buried in her book, and nearly falling off my chair when I see her watching me.

“So you’re saying, they’re basically indistinguishable from humans?” Mako asks, after raising his hand. Trust him to ask something so… sensible.

“If they so choose, then yes.”

“Well shit,” Mako says, wincing when Miss Beifong glares at him for swearing, “I mean, uh, that means they could be here, doesn’t it?”

“Yes,” the teacher says, and I’m disappointed to see the obvious result, a chorus of gasps echo around the room, and students eye each other with newfound suspicion.

“All students are tested with silver, as are teachers,” Miss Beifong continues loudly, clearly annoyed by the dramatics, “But I should make it very clear that the laws were changed for a reason. Sanes are not monsters, in fact they fight ferals, as we do. You should probably be more frightened of me than you are them,” the teacher scowls.

“I doubt you could rip my head off with one hand, no offence,” Mako grumbles, and I wonder if he’s gone mad, arguing against Miss Beifong of all people.

Well, at least the reasoning behind today’s lesson is starting to make sense. I knew this had something to do with my Uncle’s plan - changing the curriculum, thus trying to change how students think. It seems a bit late in the day to do it now, but then again, I suppose it has to start somewhere, and I very much doubt anyone will react quite as badly as I did when they eventually discover a sane is amongst us. The sooner it’s announced the better, because I can’t wait to stop the cloak and daggers, and the secrecy surrounding all of this.

Miss Beifong spends the final hour of lesson explaining the recent changes in vampire laws, reiterating that killing a sane is considered to be murder, in the same way that killing a human is. She also announces a new rule which nearly makes me fall off my fucking chair - students over twenty-one are now allowed to enter a blood contract, so long as it is honoured off-site. That’s a far bolder move than even I anticipated, but I suppose it helps reinforce the view that sanes are to be trusted. Yet, I don’t trust them. I mean I’ll obviously try, with Asami, but I simply don’t like the idea of selling our own blood, of being lower down on the food chain. I don’t expect I’ll ever be okay with that, but the law is the law and ultimately if one of my cube-mates did it, I’d just have to deal with it.

—

At lunch, I grab a sandwich and then quickly head to my dorm, where Jinora and Opal are already stood waiting, their arms full of tubes, brightly coloured paper, and one very large cardboard box.

“Okay, let’s do this!” I say, grinning as we enter my room.

We eagerly start to fill the box with random bits and pieces, more than half of which Asami won’t need, but hey - it’s a tradition. So, unopened toiletries, shampoo, conditioner, a new hairbrush, a new notebook since I’m sure hers will soon be full, and a black beanie which I bought a while ago but never got around to wearing.

“She won’t need any of this you know,” I mutter, “I mean, did you forget the stinking rich part?” If I’m honest, I almost had forgotten. She doesn’t seem to lord it over anyone, the fact that she has money, that is.

“It’s the thought that counts, young padawan,” Opal giggles, wrapping up a set of pencils in rainbow paper.

“We’re the same age, Opal. And what’s with all this fucking glitter?” I scowl, trying to prise it from under my nails.

“Asami is a girl, and therefore will appreciate pretty things,” Jinora says curtly, sprinkling another layer of the evil stuff into the box. I can’t help but think this plan may backfire, what with the potential glitter explosion in Asami’s dorm.

I peer around my room, smiling at a sudden idea, climbing onto my bed and starting to gently tug at the corner of one of my posters.

“Korra, isn’t that your favourite?” Jinora mumbles, her mouth currently holding a thick tube of glue whilst she starts to decorate the outside of the box.

“Yeah, but she can have it,” I chuckle. It’s a poster of a woman and her giant cat, and I’m not even sure where the characters are from - probably just original characters for this artist. The woman is bronze-skinned, Amazonian, very attractive and well-built with long black hair. Behind her stands one gigantic, ass-kicking panther, which takes up a good ninety percent of the poster. The green panther eyes remind me of Asami, and I think maybe that’s why I’m drawn to the idea of giving it to her. I roll it up into a tube, and place a hair tie over it. “Try not to get glitter all over it,” I scowl, placing it into the box. Then I reach about under my bed, hoping I have some left… “Aha!” I grin, pulling out a six pack of those munch-monster onion crisps Asami took a fancy to.

“Why on earth would you give her those?” Opal mutters, whilst helping Jinora secure a large cardboard yellow star to the box.

“She ate an entire multipack when we got high,” I laugh, and then widen my eyes at their shocked expressions.

“You… did… what?” Jinora gasps.

“You got high?” Opal puts a hand to her mouth, “And without us? Korra!”

“What? It was Asami’s idea, not mine, and wait… Opal, what?”

“Eh, Bolin and I… partake… sometimes,” she smirks, “It improves certain… experiences,” she says, wiggling her eyebrows.

“Gross. Do not want to know. Gross. Please stop.” I scowl, waving my hand in disdain whilst her eyebrows wiggle more ardently.

“Oh, so you’ve gone from maybe bi to full on dickophobe lesbian?” Opal chuckles.

“NO! I just don’t want to think about you riding Bolin’s di-” I shake my head, “I am so not talking about this,” I growl, ignoring Jinora who’s practically doubled over, shedding tears from her laughter.

“So, your first time being high. Look at you, breaking rules,” Opal smiles, elegantly cutting out a new cardboard star, “Did you like it?”

“And did Asami take good care of you?” Jinora coos.

“Jinora, you are far too interested in that woman,” I sigh.

“Well, if I didn’t have Kai…” she begins, then I launch a pillow at her. Jinora’s always been openly bisexual, something I now admire after seeing how much of a struggle it was for me to come out. Kai doesn’t mind one bit, I guess it’s because whilst they might joke about it and compare tastes in women, they’re fiercely loyal to one another. It’s a really healthy relationship, especially to say they’re quite young.

“And yes Opal, I did enjoy it,” I smirk, realising I haven’t told them the biggest news, “It helped me connect with Raava if you must know,” I finish, grinning at their stunned faces.

“Really? And you didn’t tell me?” Jinora says, looking quite hurt.

“I wanted to master the avatar state first, otherwise it felt like non-news,” I sigh, shaking my head.

“It’s still news!” Jinora exclaims, “But… I suppose I forgive you. What’s Raava like?”

“She’s a tad sassy, but all in all, pretty freakin’ awesome,” I say, beaming.

“So did Asami just guess it might help you connect to Raava?” Opal asks, drawing an invisible glue outline on that star, no doubt for even more glitter. Damn it.

“Yeah, she did. She called it alternate meditation,” I chuckle, wiggling my fingers into airquotes.

Jinora suddenly frowns, with tiny pieces of paper stuck to her fingers, “Hang on, she did all this for you, and you punched her in the face for one little remark about Mey?”

I roll my eyes, “I told you, I had a complete meltdown!” I growl the words, hoping that if I sound pissed off the subject will soon be dropped, “I totally flipped at the mention of Mey, and lashed out. Hell, I even thought we had ferals in the room,” I add that as an afterthought, in the hopes it’ll throw her off.

“Oh, didn’t realise it was that bad. I mean, hallucinations? What brought that on?” Jinora mumbles, trying to tug away aforementioned scraps of paper between her teeth.

“I honestly wish I knew.” Read: I honestly wish I could fucking tell you.

Thankfully that particular line of questioning is soon dropped, and the topic swiftly returns to how we should ‘definitely not be putting any more glitter in this fucking box!’ Before long, we’re done. We put a few more bits in, mainly posters from modern movies that we never got around to placing on our walls, until the box is pretty damn full.

“Wanna see if she’s in?” Jinora asks whilst we each carry a corner of the giant box down the hall. The fucking thing leaks glitter on the floor the whole damn way, so it’ll be obvious where it came from, even if the onion crisps didn’t already make it clear.

“Uh - probably best not to,” I grimace, not really wanting to have the box thrown back into my face in front of everyone.

And so, we quietly leave it by Asami’s doorway in all of its starry, glittery glory, and a giant “Welcome to RA!” written boldly on the front. Nobody will steal it - campus doesn’t really suffer from theft, since there’s no real need for it here. We’re all given a fair weekly allowance, pretty much the same as a salary. It’s up to us to manage our budget, and pay for our clothes, travel expenses, and food. It raises as we advance through the cubes, since our cost of living goes up. In cube five we earn just over minimum wage, plus we don’t have to pay rent, or bills, so all in all it’s not a bad deal.

—

This evening is reserved for pure bending training, not meditation like last Wednesday. Certain lessons are only taught fortnightly, since we’re ultimately to focus on our combat skills more than anything else, although we missed the last bending lesson because of the random werebat attack. Bending is always held outside, within a large arena north-west in the campus grounds, custom built for this exact purpose.

We don’t have a specific teacher for this, and I haven’t quite figured out their rota - but it’s usually hosted by Iroh, a handsome, middle-aged fire-bender who only ever seems to turn up for this lesson. I swear I never see him around campus at all otherwise. Opal tends to swoon over him, much to Bolin’s chagrin, but I don’t really get what the fuss is about. Uh, in hindsight, I guess there’s possibly a logical reason for that. When it’s not Iroh, we either get Kya for water bending, Lin for earth and metal bending, or Tenzin for air bending.

And, unsurprisingly, today it’s Iroh. He moves forwards, marching until he’s pretty much dead centre of the arena where he proudly fists his hands at his sides. He does love his dramatics. Then he orders us - as usual - to split up according to our bending type, and that’s when I notice that Asami has vanished. I suppose it hasn’t been formally announced that she’s a non-bender yet, let alone a vampire. Man, this school sure loves its secrets. Wait… that means… she might be back at her dorm now. With the glitterbox bomb. Shit!

Anyhow, panic over exploding glitter box aside, for warmup, I get my pick of the four arenas, though I tend to cycle it so I don’t accidentally favour one element. Today’s is fire, and I pair up with Mako, shooting fireballs at imaginary targets, and kicking our feet in roundhouse swings to see who can do the biggest flame arc. It’s good to keep things competitive sometimes, so long as we don’t take it too far and get pissed off at each other.

“Hey Mako!” I yell, “Can you do this?” I launch myself into the air with a jet burst from my legs, thankfully having the ability to summon wind to cushion my fall.

“No, I don’t feel like a bruised ass today, thanks,” he mutters. Yeah, the first time I showed him, he totally tried it. He can’t air bend. His bruises lasted for weeks.

After warmup, we spar against each other, trying different techniques against opposing elements, for two whole hours. That’s just too much, if you ask me. It even drains my stamina, and supposedly I’m the master of elements, if you really want to call it that. What I mean is, I have an extra energy source, namely Raava. And yeah, since this tires me out, I’m not surprised that by the end of the lesson everyone else is practically falling over.

Still, we’re meant to be the best, protectors of the world, monster slayers. I suppose it’s this harsh and this long for a reason. I rub my tired forearms, deciding very quickly that I’m definitely not going to the gym after this.

“Cya later, sharkbrows,” I yawn the words at Mako, ignoring his scowl at the old petname. It takes me back to our second date at Benders, where I got tipsy and laughed at his massive black eyebrows for an hour, convinced that they looked like sharks. I suppose it’s a less embarrassing story than the hulk-smash one… I think I should just quit drinking, honestly.

We head to our separate dorms, though I grab a coffee on the way, and text Jinora to see if she wants to play Battleverse for an hour or two tonight. I’m hoping to take my mind off things, such as how Asami might react to her unexpected gift. She’ll probably deposit it back on my doorstep full of horse poop or something.

—

When I get back to my dorm, I check my phone to find I have a reply from Jinora, refusing my generous offer to play Battleverse.

Jinora: No can do, hanging with le sexy Kai tonight

Me: Awww. Okay.

The only new emails I have are spam, this time something about an investment opportunity, and that girls are ‘available now!’ in my area. I guess even the spambots must know about my budding lesbianism, then - yay! There’s nothing from Asami, but I didn’t expect a reply, like I told her. Still, there’s a part of me that’s disappointed all the same.

I spend a couple of hours having a nice, long shower, and then watching random memes and funnies that have been posted on the blogs I follow. I really like the cat ones, they always tickle me. Then I get dressed, head to the cafeteria and get takeout, figuring I might as well get on top of my studies so I have less crap to deal with this weekend. It’s hard not to get distracted, especially with the damn internet right there, in front of me, and more cat memes begging me to look at them. But, I manage it, and before long it’s just turned nine. Time for some Battleverse, even though my gaming partner has abandoned me.

I pause at the character select screen, determined to play for at least an hour before bed, since if I sleep at this time I’ll royally screw up my sleep cycle. It’s hard to resist the temptation though, since I’m very much hoping Raava will share more of Kyoshi’s history with me tonight. Okay, no sleep. No bed, not yet. Maybe I’ll just play my main, Drakk, though Jinora would be mad at me. I don’t really enjoy my alts all that much, but when it comes to angry Jinora, or crappy lower level character-

Just when I’m about to click play I’m interrupted by a polite triple-knock at my door. It seems a little late for anyone to visit, but I open the door anyway. My heart almost skips a beat when I see who it is, and how damn stunning she looks in her usual boots, a faded red top, skinny black jeans and a purple leather jacket. And her hair… I don’t know how she does it, but it’s like it has a presence of its own, cascading down her shoulders, framing her face in perfect black strands.

“Can I come in, or will you try to punch me?” Asami asks, and I groan, knowing that I’m never going to live that one down.

“All out of punches, I think,” I sigh, holding the door open, then walking over to my bed and flopping onto the mattress, “Uh, sit there if you want,” I point to my computer chair, since it’s the only additional seating I actually have in here.

“Thanks,” she says, closing the dorm door and wheeling out the chair, but swivelling it the wrong way around when she sits so that the cushion of the seat is held at her chest, and her legs straddle the back, “I got your email. And your box,” she says, tilting her head, “Is this how you normally react when someone asks you to stay away?”

My heart sinks at the words. So, as I feared… I’m nothing but a nuisance to her, and this is every bit as hopeless as I thought. I suppose if we can’t be friends, I should at least be honest with her. “I’m sorry. I’ll try harder, it’s just not so easy when Raava… um, I mean, Kyoshi, has started to share her past with me. And you’re in it.”

“Oh, really? I suppose I shan’t be able to keep many personal secrets then,” she says, looking quite displeased, not that I blame her. She idly swings in the chair, and somehow manages to bump the desk into my shelving, causing an open tube of glitter from earlier to fall, covering her in pretty, shiny flakes. She puffs out a gust of air, blowing glitter from her lips, and I can’t help but laugh at the sight of a seriously pissed off Asami, covered from head to shoulder in pink, silver and gold glitter. She gives me a death stare in response.

“Sorry.” I abruptly stop myself, “You look kind of cute like that though. It’d be even better with those kitty slippers.” Oh, that was a brave move, even by my standards. But there’s nothing. Not even a laugh… she just stares at me, no smile, but I’m relieved to say, no scowl either. Just a long, painful silence. And so I do what I always do in awkward silences, and try to fill them. “Look, I know I’ve messed up in every conceivable way, but I was hoping to start over, I know it’s a big ask-”

“Korra,” Asami speaks, but my mouth carries on regardless.

“-and that I don’t deserve it, because I said awful things, I mean actual shitty, unforgivable things, and-”

“Korra.”

“And I kept saying them even though you got upset, and then I broke your no-”

“KORRA.”

Okay, that time I stop talking, since she’s starting to look pissed off, and that’s really not what I want right now.

“I’m three hundred and eighty seven years old,” she states, staring right at me whilst folding her arms.

“Huh?” I frown, confused by the sudden change in topic.

“You’ve been honest about your Kyoshi dreams… that you are privy to parts of my life I may not wish you to see,” she sighs, shaking her head, “And in return I want you to know… I heard you yesterday. You also asked Su how old I was, now you know.”

“Oh.” I pause, trying to process what she means, and then I suddenly realise - she was just in the other room that whole time I was having a fucking breakdown, so she must have…

“I didn’t mean to invade your privacy. We can block most things out, but when it’s literally next door, and there’s no background noise to mask it out… it isn’t so easy.”

I clutch a pillow to my chest, suddenly feeling very exposed. But then again, it does make us almost equal. I’m learning her secrets, and she’s learning mine, purely accidental or coincidental in both cases.

“Is that why you’re even talking to me?”

“Partly. I didn’t realise you had such a burden, a massive reason to hate us.” She frowns, and flicks some glitter out of her hair, “I mean, I saw the news articles, but didn’t appreciate how you felt about your friend. Things are very different when we lose someone we loved,” she sounds remorseful at the words, and I see a great sorrow in her eyes.

“I don’t… hate you…” I say, managing to genuinely smile at her for the first time since this whole mess started.

“No?” She smiles back, pointing at her nose.

“I hate ferals. I was just messing things up in my head. I’m really, really sorry.”

She drums her nails on the hard plastic at the back of the chair, looking into my eyes as though deep in thought.

“Then let’s do what you’ve suggested, and start over,” she eventually declares, standing from the chair.

“Really?” I ask, grinning ear to ear, unable to hide my elation.

“Yes. And how about we start with a hunt. Just you and I?” She raises an eyebrow, and there’s a fierce look of determination in her eyes.

“A hunt... for what?”

“I’m going to go ahead and guess you have at least one memento from Mey. Preferably clothing that she wore, unwashed.” Asami’s lip curls into a smile at the words, and her assumption makes me flush bright red.

“W-What do you-” I splutter.

“Not like that, dimwit. A scarf, or something.” She says, rolling her eyes, and removing her pretend nose-bandage.

“Oh. Oh!” I quickly hop off my bed, and rummage in my top drawer within my wardrobe, pulling out the cream-coloured fluffy scarf that Mey would always loan to me. I rarely wear it, and I’m sad to say I can’t detect her honey-like smell on it anymore. Asami grabs it from my outstretched hand, holds it to her nose, and inhales deeply with her eyes closed.

“Grab what you need. We’re going,” she mutters, wrapping the scarf around her own shoulders.

“What?” I ask, kicking on my hunting boots, grabbing my jacket and wondering what the hell is going on.

Asami’s eyes shift, her round pupils flatten into a single, vertical slit, and she growls in reply…

“To kill the bastards that murdered your girlfriend.”

Chapter Text

“Wait, aren’t they already dead?” I ask, still feeling bewildered as I hurry after Asami along the northern wing corridor.

“Didn’t you ask your teachers that?” she speaks over her shoulder, “It’s not guaranteed they were killed. Ferals are fast, and they try to escape when in real danger.”

“I… uh. Shit, I never did ask,” I realise with a frown. If I’d known those monsters were alive this whole time, would I have done something stupid? It’s probably best that I didn’t think about this before.

“If they are still alive, I’ll find them,” Asami declares, as we hurry towards the car park, “And if not, maybe we’ll find their friends. Assuming you remember where the attack happened?” she turns to face me whilst pressing a button on her key fob, causing a nearby car to beep into life. It’s some sort of convertible, with the hood currently down, and I almost dance in excitement once I get a closer look.

“Holy shit! You have an R8!?” I exclaim, running towards the vehicle, stroking my hand over the glossy, red finish, “I’ve always wanted to ride in one of these!” I can’t believe she has an Audi R8. And it’s the convertible model too - a Spyder. I guess she really does have money.

“When you’re done drooling over my baby, are you going to answer my question?” Asami asks, chuckling to herself as she jumps into the driver side. It’s a little eerie watching her green eyes glow at me in the dark, but I think I’m already starting to get used to it. Maybe it’s less frightening because she’s adorned with all that glitter, who knows.

“Uh, yeah. It’s about three miles out of campus, on the sharpest bend,” I answer, getting into the passenger seat and buckling up.

“Ah, old bendy. Okay.” Asami says, bringing the engine to life with a glorious growl. I almost forgot about the nickname of that particular bend, and many drivers have veered off the road there, not expecting a hairpin turn. Of course, Mey’s car being flipped had little to do with the road itself.

“Wait, how do you know about old bendy?” I ask. I mean, Asami’s only been here a week.

Asami brings the car to a stop at the campus exit, where she swipes her ID across the scanner. Ever since the Mey incident, as I’ve heard teachers affectionately call it, they set up these gateway scanners, only allowing us in and out if we scan our ID. It makes it sound like a prison, but it’s not that bad - we still have free reign to come and go, the only difference is the whole place locks down if there’s any kind of monster alert. Had this system been in place five years ago, Mey would still be alive. 

“Hmm. I suppose even if I don’t tell you, Kyoshi will,” Asami eventually answers, frowning in thought whilst the security bar rises, and the tall, razor-wired security fence swings open, “I know this place well, Korra,” she grins, and glances at me from the corner of her eye, “after all, Kyoshi and I founded it.”

My jaw hangs slack, there’s suddenly a hundred questions on my lips, and Asami starts to laugh at my no-doubt puzzled expression, although mainly keeping her focus on the road ahead as we pull slowly away. “I-but-what-”

“As I tried to tell you before, there’s a lot you don’t know. About sanes. About me. About pretty much everything. No offense,” she says, smiling as her hair starts to slightly undulate in the wind.

For once, I’m literally lost for words. And this time, it’s her turn to fill the silence, talking in almost giddy-like tones whilst she drives us down the road.

“You should have seen Unalaq’s face when he realised they’d sent me to help. Hah!” she says, her lips twisting into a wide grin.

“My Uncle knows you?” I ask.

“He knows of me. He probably thought he’d get to retire before I turned up for an evaluation.”

“An evaluation?” I frown.

“I check the place out every thirty years or so. I’m hoping that once sanes are… tolerated, I can take on a more permanent role, as a teacher.”

“Wait, so you’re like… his boss?” I ask, feeling suddenly amused at the idea of a cowering Unalaq.

“Uhuh. I could haul his ass out if I weren’t happy,” Asami laughs, but then her eyes seem to darken in thought, “he’s doing… okay, all things considered.”

“Oh!” I gasp, a sudden realisation occurring, and at Asami’s quizzically raised eyebrow, “Your notebook. I kept wondering why you had to take notes. Evaluating?”

“Evaluating,” she agrees, “You have some pretty good teachers, but I had to set a few things straight, especially since they were encouraging sanephobia.”

“Hence today’s lesson?”

“Hence, today’s lesson. And where the hell did that no-reflection thing come from? That wasn’t a thing thirty years ago,” she says, scowling in disbelief.

“I know!” I exclaim, “I never really believed it. I did check for your reflection once, though.”

“Oh, so you suspected? How… observant,” she smiles, flicking a rogue strand of hair from her eyes.

“You just seemed a little too perfect,” I grumble.

“Oh, did I now?” she asks, with a hint of amusement to her tone, “Anyway, Korra…” she suddenly frowns, and I’m slightly anxious about what she’s about to say, “what the actual fuck is with the glitter? I don’t think I’ll ever get that shit out of my room, or my hair,” she scowls, trying to pull a few more flakes out of her hair, keeping one hand on the wheel and both eyes on the road.

“It wasn’t my idea!” I exclaim, but end up laughing at the sight anyway. Asami’s driving quite slowly and carefully, presumably because she doesn’t want any loose grit to damage the paintwork on this bad girl. I try to look ahead on the road to get my bearings, realising that it seems very dark out tonight, too dark, really. Oh, right. “Uh, Asami…”

“Hmm?”

“… Headlights?”

“Oh. Shit! I always forget,” she tuts, twisting the stick to her right, immediately illuminating the road ahead, “Better?”

“Yeah… hah.” Well of course they can see in the dark, just like ferals can. I mean, that should have been obvious.

We ride for a couple of minutes in silence, and I’m soon lost in thought about what lies ahead. Those things that killed Mey, they could still out there, still alive. I’m getting angry just thinking about it, about them, and their evil, twisted faces… maybe that’s why Asami’s bringing me here, helping me to find closure on this whole fucking thing.

“Okay, we’re here,” she says, pulling the car over well clear of the road, and turning off the engine. She then pauses, tapping her fingernails on the wheel. “Korra, there’s something you need to know,” she says, turning to face me, “about the ferals… on your field trips.”

“Oh? Yeah. I’ve killed three so far,” I say, grinning.

“That’s great, but…” I notice her hands clench on the wheel, and her brows slant downwards in worry, “I need you to be prepared for the real thing.”

“Huh?”

“A feral at full strength isn’t so far off that wounded ancient you found. I mean, it was barely an ancient, just turned a hundred so far as I could see.”

“What are you even saying?” I ask, feeling beyond confused.

She sighs, “I’m sorry Korra, but the ferals on your hunt are… captured, then weakened with a little silver injection. Practise for the students. It’s just safer that way.”

“Are you shitting me?!” I exclaim, frowning in disbelief.

“No. Towards the end of cube five you’d deal with the real thing. The practise is meant to build student confidence… gradually.”

“So I’ve never really killed one?” I ask, feeling extremely disheartened at the thought.

“You have! Just with a little… uh… help,” she winces apologetically, holding her thumb and forefinger close, “but you can’t lose confidence. Tonight, we’ll need the opposite,” she says, unbuckling her seatbelt, “In fact, we’re not leaving this car until you get your glow on,” she says with a grin, turning in her chair to face me, and folding her arms.

“Erm… you know I can’t do that yet, right?” I frown.

“My nose would beg to differ,” she laughs, “come on Korra, it’s like riding a bike.”

“What? No it’s not-”

“Does this help?” she grins widely, and her fangs suddenly extend, “Come on, don’t you wanna punch me?” she growls.

“You son of a…” I can’t believe her…

“Hmm?” she smirks, and raises an eyebrow.

“You can’t just - I can’t just -”

“Sure you can. Rawr!” she extends her fingers up in a pretend cat claw stance, “Evil vampire, comin’ to getcha.”

“You think you’re funny? Fucking asshole… vampire… motherfuck!” I stutter the cuss words, folding my arms and scowling, caught somewhere between outrage… and… amusement?

“Fucking human,” she pouts, which is quite the sight given that she now has fangs sticking out beneath her upper lip.

“Blood sucker,” I growl.

“Blood bag,” she smiles.

“Fang face,” I laugh.

“Fangless,” she counters.

“Is that supposed to be an insult?” I ask, rolling my eyes.

“Obviously,” she grins, proudly flashing her perfect fangs.

“Well… you have… freaky eyes.” I say, rapidly running out of ideas.

“You should talk,” she smirks, twisting the driver mirror so that I see my eyes, and that they’re starting to glow in a faded white-blue.

“How the fuck…” I almost recoil from the strange sight.

“That’s just from harnessing some inner sass. I know Raava quite well, after all,” she says, shrugging, “plus it seems riling you up does the trick quite nicely.”

“But what if I can’t keep…” I start to talk, and notice my glowing eyes begin to fade the second I doubt myself.

“Oh no you don’t,” Asami suddenly leans very close to me, brushing a strand of hair behind my ear, and I’m sure I feel her lips brush past my cheek, “keep the glow on, and maybe I’ll kiss you after we’re done,” she breathes the words against my ear, causing my heart to pound, a shiver to tremble up my spine, and when she pulls away I see my own eyes reflected in hers, brighter than ever before.

“That’s better,” she chuckles, ruffling my hair. “Now let’s go put that power to good use!” she exclaims, getting out of the car her side, and closing the door behind.

It’s only then that I notice I’m able to see her, or in fact that I can see everything, almost as though it’s daylight. I step out of the car, close the door and stretch out two hands, facing palm up, summoning flames above one in a bright, amber glow, drawing up a spiralling mass of gravel and rocks with the other, then fusing them together with air in front of me, like some sort of…

“That’s very impressive, but save it for the ferals. Come on!” Asami laughs. I scatter the flaming rocks onto the rough concrete of the road, and hurry towards her, feeling lighter on my feet than I ever have before.

“So, the avatar state…” Asami speaks as we sprint, occasionally sniffing at Mey’s scarf and slightly adjusting our direction, “You should have already realised that you can see in the dark. Physically, you’ll be almost as quick as a feral now, and just as strong,” she says, not even sounding remotely out of breath, “Then add your elemental power, and you should be able to pulverise them.”

“You really think so?” I ask, realising that I’m not out of breath either. This power is amazing… I feel like I could run all day, and never tire.

She chuckles, tilts her head to look at me, “I know so. Don’t be afraid, okay? I’m really just here as a backup plan,” she says, then beams at me. I could never have imagined that a glowy-eyed, fang-bearing vampire could demonstrate such a beautiful smile, but I suppose I’m learning many truths lately.

“I’m not afraid,” I state, feeling my heart pound in my chest, “I’m excited.”

“Good.”

I notice that Asami’s pace keeps increasing, though I haven’t yet struggled to keep up with her. Is she testing me? Seeing how I can cope with the avatar state? We’re definitely moving faster than a normal human by now, evident by the fact that the scenery almost blurs around us as we run, and by how slowly that little rabbit down there is moving, like he’s trapped in slow-motion or something.

“So, you can really smell Mey on them? After all these years?” I ask.

“Rotten flesh can have an odour for years. It’ll be trapped under their nails, or matted into their manes,” she explains, then grimaces at me, “Uh, sorry…”

“It’s okay.” I say through clenched teeth, my excitement rapidly dissolving into something else… into anger.

“We’re near.” She suddenly halts, holds a hand backwards, sniffing the air, “They don’t detect us yet. I think there’s…five. No, six. The two you saw were part of a nest… only one of them is here.”

“You get all that from your nose?” I ask, feeling honestly astounded.

“Scent is like hmm… GPS,” she tries to explain, “or radar, it’s just another sense to us. Hard to explain,” she shrugs, and I guess I can quiz her more on it later. “So, do you want to do this the easy way, or the hard way?”

“Explain…”

“Easy way - trap them in their nest, set it on fire. Some might escape, or run,” she says, frowning, “Or, the hard way - we use your blood to draw them out. To a feral, it’s irresistible, so they’ll all attack at once.”

“Can we even take down six of them?” I ask, frowning.

“Easily - you’re the Avatar! Just think about Mey, and you’ll be fine.”

I clench my fists, “Then I want to do it the hard way. I want to see them suffer.”

“Good girl,” Asami purrs, apparently pleased with my choice. She pulls her silver-bladed dagger from her boot, “Now, where shall we cut?” she asks, grinning wildly, as though she’s a little too excited by the idea.

“Uh, here,” I pull back my jacket, showing the top of my forearm.

“Don’t worry, we only need a little,” she reassures me, lightly drawing the blade across, barely scratching my skin. I’d say maybe three or four blobs of blood pop out, and I’m about to ask if that’s enough when I hear a sudden, piercing screech. Then another. Then a whole chorus of them.

“Holy shit,” I frown, amazed that it could work so efficiently, “I’m glad I finished my period!”

“Indeed. That’s something else I need to get re-added to the curriculum since someone clearly removed it,” Asami frowns, then shakes her head, “Anyway, get ready,” she ducks her stance down, crouched defensively, “take them in one hit if you can, so they can’t flee.”

I hear them first, scratching away at the dirt, rustling the bushes above their underground nest, growling and hissing as they climb out. Then I see them - their eyes, glowing bright green, almost like a sane except tinged with amber. They claw their way out from beneath the mass of shrubs and thorns, and then they stand before us, crouched low, snarling, stepping side to side as though deciding what to do next - I guess they weren’t expecting to see a sane stood out here with their ‘food’. One towers taller and appears more muscular than the rest. He stares at me, and that’s when I know, I just fucking know, it’s the same one that looked at me that exact same way, back when I was pinned under the car, watching him eat Mey. I clench my fists tightly, feeling Raava’s power ebb through me stronger than ever before.

“You want the big one. I’m sure you realise why,” Asami mutters, wrinkling her nose.

“What about the rest?” I ask.

“They’re infants - mere fodder. Worry about yours, he’s the toughest.”

“Oka-” I pause, because they’re charging straight for us, or more specifically, for me - since I’m their food, and even though I can see so much more clearly now, Asami is still just a fucking blur. The small ones don’t even get close, they’re there one moment, then there’s a cloud of red mist, and they’re suddenly missing a head. “Holy shit,” I mutter, then refocus, frowning when I see that the big feral is almost upon me.

This is it. This is my chance. For you, Meyla…

“You fucking…” I grit my teeth, summoning sharp blades of wind fused with bright hot flames, and spinning them both into a large, lethal ball at my left palm, “BASTARD!” I yell, smashing the flat of my hand straight into his face, and easily avoiding the outstretched claw slicing to my left. He’s too fucking slow, and my right hand arcs up in a fisted uppercut, punching into his ribcage, crunching bone, then bringing with it a massive, pointed spike from the ground. It impales all the way through, continuing to stretch out until he’s suspended from a giant rock spike, dangling least five meters in the air. And… he has no head. Or shoulders, for that matter.

“Nice.” Asami raises an eyebrow, staring at the corpse whilst tugging a lump of glittery, wet feral meat from her hair, “Seriously, this stuff gets everywhere,” she sighs, flicking the glistening lump away.

“Well, glitter is evil,” I laugh, then suddenly feel a little queasy. My legs start to wobble, and I start to feel faint...

“Steady on,” Asami says, her voice soft, and calm, as she gently guides my arm over her shoulder, “That was awfully impressive for your first Avatar-state fight. You did well. But try not to pass out, okay?”

“Okay,” I mutter, stumbling along, suddenly feeling weak as a kitten whilst she guides me.

—

As requested, I manage not to faint. Somehow.

Asami helps me into my seat, puts the seatbelt on and then leans into me, kissing me lightly on the cheek. “As promised,” she whispers.

I’m so distracted by the kiss that I don’t even notice her get into the car, start the engine and turn us around. I’m content to just lie back and watch her for a while, feeling as though I’m in a strange sort of half-asleep state. Her fangs have gone, yet her eyes still shine. I feel like I’m finally getting used to the sight of them, but the feral blood stains beneath, not so much.

“Hey, Asami…” I say, my voice sounding as tired as I feel.

“Hmm?” She remains focused on the road, smiling.

“Thanks.”

“Anytime.” She turns to me for half a second to wink, and if I had any energy I might blush at the sight. “So… Kyoshi. I take it you know about her?” she suddenly asks, raising an eyebrow.

“You mean that she was a sane?” I ask, yawning. I can see in the side mirror that I appear as though I’ve been in a horror show too, since feral blood is matted in my hair, on my hands, under my nails. And I only fought one of them.

“Yeah. Sure,” Asami smirks to herself, as though enjoying a private joke, “so… you’re okay with it?”

“I guess I have to be. I haven’t found out how she changed yet - she’s human so far. You both are.”

“Well, I won’t spoil it for you. But let me know if you need any blanks filling in and I’ll… think about it,” Asami’s pupils shift back to a normal, round shape as we pull up to the gate, “but only if you get me more of those onion munchy monster things, they’re like fucking crack.”

“I’ll see what I can do,” I laugh, and stretch my arms above my head. “I have to say, you’re taking this well considering I might find out your deepest, darkest secrets.”

“I’m getting used to avatars sharing their past lives with one another. My biggest concern used to be that Aang would see Kyoshi’s antics and have a damn heart attack, hah!”

We both laugh at that one, and we’re still laughing about it whilst we walk down the northern corridor, her arm over my shoulder, mine around her waist, and both of us covered head to toe in gross, bloody feral parts.

“I need to shower,” I chuckle.

“Me too,” she laughs, and then there’s a brief but awkward silence.

“Uh…”

“Separately,” she says, smirking, and I try to ignore the fact I feel a small pang of disappointment.

--

It turns out that Asami can sing, and I mean really, really sing. And she isn’t embarrassed to do so, which is evident since she’s humming away in the second cubicle next door, knowing full well I can hear her. It’s oddly soothing to listen to, even when trying to scrub all the grossness out of my hair.

I eventually hear her turn off her shower and get out of her side, so I finish towelling myself off, and quickly put my pyjamas on.

By the time I leave my cubicle, I find her at the main mirror that extends the entire length of the wall down one end of the outer room, sat down on one of the chairs with a white towel tightly wrapped around her body, and another wrapped in her hair. She’s taping a fresh fake nose-bandage to her face, and once she’s finished, she pushes the chair backwards, turns to face me, and… I end up being drawn to her kitty-slippered feet, again. “Seriously, the slippers. Why?” I ask, raising an eyebrow.

“I like them. Why else?” She looks at me as though it’s a ridiculous question, and I just shrug, deciding it’s best to just leave it.

I step to the communal sinks, which are just to the right of the mirrored wall, lean over one and start to brush my teeth, stealing glances across at Asami when she does the same. She catches me looking, and I’m sure it must be intentional because it’s only then that she casually extends one fang, brushes it, and then repeats on the other side. She tilts her head towards the light, runs her tongue over each of them, as though she’s admiring herself, and then retracts both fangs.

“Enjoying yourself?” I mutter, putting my things back into my washroom bag.

“Gotta keep them clean,” she shrugs, smirking as she puts her toothbrush back in her own wash bag, and zips it up.

I exit the room ahead of her, holding the door open this time to avoid potential nose breakages. “Night, Hair,” I yawn.

“Night, Guns. And try not to enjoy the Kyoshi porn too much, okay?” she laughs, heading in the opposite direction, toward her dorm.

I’m about to make a witty comeback, but honestly, I don’t have one. I’m just glad she’s taking this in her stride, since it must be quite disconcerting to know that pieces of your history are being exposed, bit by bit.

—

I lay back in bed, my head upon my pillow, and a large grin planted on my face. My tired head is buzzing with everything that’s happened tonight. I’m so happy that Asami and I are friends again, or at least on our way to being. And the hunt… whoa. Asami just… I don’t know, exploded five ferals like they were nothing. And I used the avatar state properly, at last! I don’t believe it! Oh man, I should text everyone right now. Except, I’m so tired, and it’s late. I’ll do it in the morning.

“You seem very happy,” Raava says, blurring into my vision.

“Of course I am!” I grin, “Didn’t you see it?”

“Yes. I am always present in the avatar state, but you knew that, since it’s my power.” Raava says, and I’m sure I detect smugness in her tone.

“Bah, it’s my power too,” I pout.

“Indeed it is. You did well, Korra. Do you know the feral you killed was a near-ancient?”

“Really?” I gasp.

“Really. Never doubt yourself, and never doubt me. Together, we are unstoppable.”

“I think… I’m finally starting to believe that,” I say, smiling. A near-ancient? With one attack? Whoa. I hold my palm up, staring at the wrinkles and lines of my skin, feeling amazed that I could do that.

“As you should. Would you still like to speak with Kyoshi tonight?”

“I thought you’d never ask,” I say, grinning as I get comfortable. It’s a little later than I’d like - just turned twelve, and I might be exhausted from the hunt, but I don’t think I’d be able to sleep if I didn’t get to see what happens next.

“My… aren’t you the eager little pup?” Kyoshi suddenly appears before me, her painted face intimidating, as always.

“Maybe I just enjoy a good story?” I say, smirking.

“I see. Did you enjoy yourself tonight?” she asks, and I wonder how she could even know about any of it. I guess it’s because we’re all linked, through our memories, past and present, all entwined within Raava’s spirit.

“I… did, In fact, it was probably one of the best nights of my life.” I say, feeling surprised at the sudden revelation.

“Asami will have that effect on you,” Kyoshi says, smiling, her fierce gaze softening at the name. She pulls a fan out, flips it open and stares at her reflection upon the silver edge. “Do you know, she was instrumental in shaping the warriors?”

“Oh? This I have to see,” I say, quickly feeling myself pulled into Kyoshi’s consciousness, and into her past.

Chapter Text

Three weeks later - the Kyoshi estate

“I’m not sure that I follow,” I say, frowning at the diagram upon the scroll before me. Asami’s drawn a design for a ‘special’ fan which she insists would be lightweight, easy to use, and lethal, if I just give her permission and the resources to make a pair. “I use my fans to enhance airbending, but why would I want the warriors to use them? Will they waft our enemies to death?”

“What? No!” Asami exclaims, pacing the room, and I can see she’s starting to get flustered because her cheeks have turned bright red. If only I could see this passion in my chambers, yet she hasn’t come to me, not even once after I recruited her three weeks ago, “They’re light, they’re sharp, and we could adapt your style into something that works without bending,” she glares at me, waiting for an answer, and there’s such fierce passion in those dazzling green eyes that I find it almost breath-taking. I am surprised by just how drawn I am to her, not that it matters, for I do not entertain my own feelings or passions when it comes to my girls, only theirs. I want them to be happy. I wish to please them.

“Kyoshi?” She folds her arms, looking clearly angry. Out of all the warriors, she is the only one who dares to address me this way, often receiving surprised glances from the others. Still, I do not comment, nor do I chide her, for it entertains me.

“If it will placate you, I shall make the arrangements. You wish to craft one pair to start with, correct?”

“Yes. I just need some silver, and access to a forge.”

“Just silver you say?” I smile, knowing as well as she just how rare the resource is. Ever since finding out that it can detect and destroy the vampire a year ago, if has been in high demand indeed.

“Please. Just a fifth of an ingot,” the way she looks at me right now, I feel as though I could trust her with my very soul. I can only hope that I am not allowing myself to be biased in my decision.

“Very well, now return to your training, warrior.”

After she leaves, I tap my closed fan against my hand, wondering what on earth this woman has up her sleeve now. She’s been absolutely relentless in her training, already earning a nickname amongst the others - hurricane - for she never stops. I sometimes wonder if she is fuelled with a spirit similar to Raava.

“That is doubtful,” Raava speaks, peering into my thoughts, as always.

“I know. But she has to get it from somewhere,” I think, chuckling to myself.

“Is that… admiration I sense? From the mighty Kyoshi?” Raava gasps.

“Oh stop this nonsense. You know I do not entertain such thoughts,” I think, with a sigh.

“But perhaps you should?”

“Absolutely not,” I state, feeling angry at the suggestion. I have no time for romance, matters of the heart. Pleasing my girls is one thing. Giving myself, quite another. Simply not practical. And yet, I think of those green, fierce eyes… and. No, it’s improper. It won’t do. I am here for them, to serve their needs alone. That is how it is, and how it will always be.

“Yet you yearn for her…” Raava sighs.

“Raava, do you mind?”

“But it is okay to feel this way!”

“It is not, and I do not. Please may we change the subject?” I fold my arms.

“Very well. I believe the fans may be a good idea.”

“Oh? Then let us see what she comes back with…”

—

One week later

We stand outside my private quarters, and I lean against the wall of my home, finding the day to be mild, and the sun pleasant against my skin. Asami stares at me inquisitively, though her expression is hard to read when she wears our warpaint. I fold her new design open, and then closed again, each time smiling at the almost pleasant sound of metal sliding smoothly against metal. Then I run my fingertip across the unfolded wing, feeling the razor sharp blade, then hissing, and sucking on my finger.

“I told you it’s sharp, Kyoshi,” Asami sighs, placing her hands on her hips.

“Because you crafted the edges into silver blades?” I ask, raising an eyebrow, and using my own saliva to quickly water-bend the tiny wound closed.

“Yes! It was all right there on the diagram,” Asami exasperates, rolling her eyes, “Now are you going to let me demonstrate? Bearing in mind I haven’t perfected any kind of technique for these yet…”

“Certainly,” I say, passing the fan back over and pointing to one of the three dummies in my yard.

Asami unfolds a fan in each hand, steps forwards into a crouch and swoops both arms in a wide arc, starting from the centre, and ending with her arms at either side. I frown, wondering quite what she’s trying to achieve, and then my lips form the word “Oh,” as I see the centre of the dummy split into two, and its entire torso fall backwards.

—

Two months later

Asami has still not visited my chambers, but is probably for the best, for I am no longer sure that I could trust my own actions around her. It shames me to my very core to admit it, but I am smitten. She is strong, she is smart, and she is beautiful. I see other warriors looking at her as I do, and I can only hope that she at least seeks comfort with them.

I feel angry at myself that I have been unable to prevent this from happening. Feelings that I would never usually entertain have planted themselves deep within me, like the sharp sense of need shooting through my veins almost every time I see her. A need to be held, to feel her lips against mine, to be caught in her arms and make love as two people should. It is a fool’s dream, and it seems quite unlikely she would be interested anyway, having had ample opportunity to visit me if she were.

My girls still come to me, and I am able to find a fleeting sense of peace when I pleasure them. Yet my mind often wonders, and I am perhaps not giving them my full attention, like they deserve. When I touch them, I now imagine how it would feel if it were her, touching me. I grimace at the thought, pleased that only Raava and I shall ever be privy to such secrets.

Asami notices that I am looking at her, and I quickly turn away, feeling ashamed.

“Perhaps you should just tell her,” Raava suggests.

“I shall do no such thing,” I chide her inwardly.

“So you will just suffer?”

“There are worse fates. So long as my warriors are happy, then so too am I.”

“Do you believe you can switch your heart off so easily?”

“I shall have to try,” I think, staring across at Asami again. She moves so elegantly that it’s hard to believe she has become one of my finest warriors in just three, short months. And not only that, she has consulted frequently with me to design such wonderfully effective fighting techniques, techniques which are now employed by every single Kyoshi warrior.

Flashes of light dance across the training yard, as pairs of silver-tipped fans flicker in the evening sun. These weapons are perfect. I have lost count of how many times we have had to replace or repair our training dummies, so lethal are the blades. We have successfully tested them against vampires, finding that even the lightest slice will cause the creature to flinch, cower in fear, such is the pain of the wound. A correctly performed neck swipe sees the creature decapitated, thanks to Asami’s clever design, to make the blades lock into shape when a button is held at the base of the fan.

--

A week later

“I am not sure we have anything further to refine,” I say, curtly. I have found it easier to distance myself like this, to speak with Asami as I do all my warriors. We stand once more at the small training area of my private grounds, and I am starting to feel uncomfortable having her around. I cannot trust myself, to keep my eyes where they should be, my heart closed, and my will focused on the warriors alone.

“You think the techniques are perfected?” Asami asks, raising an eyebrow, “You know, the lives of everyone depend on this. I think we should spend more time on it.”

“I see. Tell me, what else did you have in mind?” I fold open my fans, spread my arms, and stand before a rock-formed training dummy, having grown tired of replacing the straw ones.

“You’re so formal again today, Kyoshi,” Asami sighs, rolls her eyes, and stands ahead of me, evaluating my posture. She then leans forwards and adjusts my arms slightly, trying to perfect my stance, “Hmm. Okay, how about if you were to thrust this arm,” she says, gently guiding my forearm forwards, pulling me down into a crouch. Today, she seems to be getting a lot closer than usual, and whilst she has moved backwards to accommodate my new position, she is now close. Too close. I can almost see her brain ticking over, trying to calculate the next stage of whatever move it might be that she is formulating. So close are her eyes, and her lips. She realises I am staring, and tilts her head, then smiles. And I do not know how, or why, but I feel the palm of her hand upon my cheek, and realise that she is moving closer still…

“Stop.” I say, my throat dry. And she does, her face giving no sign of any sadness at my rejection.

“Sorry,” she smiles, “I’ll think on this one a little longer and get back to you, if that’s okay?”

“Of course,” I sigh, standing to my feet. She walks out of the training area, away from my private quarters, and I have honestly never been so tempted to shout her name, to beg her to come back. But I do not.

“Kyoshi…” Raava sighs.

“Silence. I do not wish to hear it,” I growl.

--

Four months later

The Kyoshi warriors are finally a force to be reckoned with, and if my head were clearer, I would practically burst with pride. Our silver-tipped fans strike fear into the hearts of the undead, and we have started to erase entire dens of various beasts - vampires, werebats, ghouls. I have heard reports of a far worse evil which looms from the fire nation, in the far west, but I suppose we shall deal with that when the time comes.

The setting sun glows on the horizon, clearly visible across the lands, brightly shimmering upon the distant sea. Usually it calms me, so spectacular is the view, and I’m reminded time and again why I picked this spot to build my chambers, so high above the others, just to be able to look upon this wonder. Today, the sight does not calm me. Yet again, I end the day frustrated, unfulfilled, even after giving pleasures to those who would have me. I am tired of feeling this way, empty, and like a shell. The most terrible thought occurs - that I am starting to regret the day that Asami entered my life - a stupid and selfish thought, given all that she has accomplished, and that she alone has strengthened the warriors more than I ever could.

I am wretched, allowing my physical urges to guide my thoughts, my actions, and my mood. I thrust my knuckles into the stone dummy again with a loud, agitated grunt, causing another crack to split open, and a handful of dust to rain down. I need to focus, I need to switch off everything that I feel. I can’t continue be distracted like this, constantly. But when I see her train, oh, the thoughts she puts into my head, of having her touch against my skin, her lips… no. I’m doing it again. It’s improper, and it’s wrong! I please my girls, with my hands, lips, and tongue. I don’t allow them to touch me, I don’t want them to - I never have, and I never will. But with her, with Asami, I just… why does it have to be so different!?

“Argh!” I grit my teeth and punch the rock with all of my strength, forcing it to crumble into two pieces, ignoring the pain that shoots up my arm. “Stop imagining things which you cannot have!” I growl to myself, feeling infuriated by my own stupidity. Why am I even humouring these thoughts, why am I continuing to torturing myself?

It shouldn’t be like this. Asami has left me alone, since our… encounter. We have managed to devise some new fighting manoeuvres, but I have had her use the other warriors to plan them out, no longer trusting myself to be in her vicinity. I wish I could say the forced distance has helped me to change the way I feel, but alas, it has only made things worse. I fear for my mind, for my very sanity, if I do not do something, and soon. But it seems that there is nothing I can do, other than suffer.

“This is what happens when one tries to suppress the heart, Kyoshi,” Raava says.

“And what would you have me do? Think about it!” I inwardly snarl the words.

“Perhaps she would understand?” Raava suggests.

“She most certainly would not. How could she, when even I don’t?” I growl inwardly, summoning up a huge slab of earth for my next assault. I slam my fists against the concrete, again and again, trying to tire myself out so that I’ll be able to find a peaceful night’s rest. Usually when I feel this way, suffering this kind of frustration, I will attend to my own needs, privately. Lately even that doesn’t feel like it’s enough. She plagues me, like she’s in my veins, and under my skin.

“Kyoshi!” I hear her yell, and I wonder if I might be hearing things, or if this is some kind of twisted joke, a trick of my mind. But no, she is here, waving as she walks up the pale yellow stone path.

I curse under my breath, quickly tightening my robe, and trying to straighten my hair. “How may I help?” I ask, curtly.

She smiles, and her eyes soften, “There you go again with the formalities. Nobody’s here. Just me.”

If only she knew it’s the only way I’m keeping calm. “Okay, but… did you need something?” I ask, raising an eyebrow.

“I wanted to check you were okay,” she says, tilting her head. She’s removed the Kyoshi warpaint, her black strands of hair hang loosely, and the amber sun catches in her dazzling eyes, “You’ve seemed a little… out of sorts lately.”

So, it has been that obvious? Then I am failing my girls, and I am failing myself. “I’ve had… things on my mind,” I say, idly running my fingers over my knuckles. Then I frown, wondering why I just admitted this to her.

“What the… Kyoshi…” Asami hurries over, her smile gone, concern clear in her eyes as she runs her fingers over my hands. Her touch forces a tremble down my spine, and I’m dearly hoping it doesn’t show. “Look at what you’ve done to yourself…” She whispers, and I follow her gaze down, only realising then that my protective bandages have shredded away, and my knuckles are caked with my own blood, blood which drips freely to the ground.

“It’s nothing,” I mutter, quickly drawing water from a nearby bucket, and focusing a sphere of fluid on one hand at a time. The wounds quickly seal shut, and most of the blood is drawn away with the water, which I throw to one side.

“It’s not nothing…” Asami says, suddenly grabbing my hand tightly, “Do you think I can’t see that you’re in pain? I see it in your eyes, every single day!”

I frown, turning away, trying to hide the fact that her words move me, “What do you me-”

“Kyoshi… do you think I don’t know?” she interrupts with a heartfelt whisper, holding my hand to her chest, and at that moment I feel if my heart thumps any harder I may die. How can she know? She must mean something else. “I know why you didn’t kiss me all those months ago. I see how you’ve looked at me ever since, with guilt in your eyes,” she says, placing her other hand upon my cheek, forcing me to return my gaze to hers, “I don’t want you to feel guilt. I… want you to feel something else.” The last words are whispered against my mouth, and before I can turn to run, her lips are upon me, and I am undone.

I close my eyes, savouring her soft kiss, relishing this one small moment even knowing that it won’t last. I even allow my hands to slide up her back, to lose myself in her touch, and her scent. She pauses, her mouth held close, her breath hot against my parted lips, “I was hoping that you’d come to me, but I know you’ve been afraid,” she nudges her nose against mine, then kisses me again, and I don’t fight it. She presses herself against me until I am held against the wall, and I still don’t fight it. I can’t. She feels amazing, and she takes my very breath away. I return her kiss, my heart soaring, but in pain all the same, knowing that this will only end one way.

And it does. Her hand slides between the folds of my kimono, soon threatening to slip beneath my belt, and it’s then that I quickly snap back to harsh reality, gripping her wrist, perhaps more tightly than I mean to. I expect that to be the end of it, no further questions, but instead I am shocked to my very core by her words. “I’ll stop if you wish, but know this,” she says, kissing my lips again, and locking her gaze upon mine, “you are a woman, in every sense of the word - I know it, because I have wanted you from the moment I first saw you.”

“But… I…” I finally find my voice, with broken words spoken through clenched teeth. My cheeks flush red with shame, hot tears welling at their surface, making me appear weak, making my grip tremble as I keep her wrist trapped. I hate this. I hate myself.

“We don’t control the bodies we are born with, Kyoshi,” she murmurs against my neck, and I feel myself weaken further still, my grip loosening, her arm freed. This time I don’t tell her to stop, thinking perhaps it’s for the best if I give in, and she just finds out. She’s going to hate me. They all will. Yet when her hand slips lower, beneath the bindings that restrain me, where she finally finds my secret… she doesn’t recoil. She doesn’t react at all, there’s no gasp, no hesitation. Instead, she gently strokes her hand against me, slowly down the hardened shaft I damn the day I was born with.

“A-Asami,” I croak her name through stunned tears, scarcely believing she’s doing this. And that I’m letting her.

“You’re the most amazing woman I’ve ever met,” she whispers, her palm soft and warm against my cheek, her smile gentle, and genuine. She kisses me again, and then again, not showing a single sign of repulsion as she continues to caress me. It’s at that point that my tears flood freely, for the first time in over fifteen years. The last time was when Raava told me she was unable to ‘fix’ me - my words, not hers - and that she could only tighten my vocal cords, keep my voice from breaking. Nothing more.

Asami silently takes my hand, and leads me indoors, closing the door quietly behind. She slides her arms around my waist, presses her lips against mine, and eases me further into the room until I lay back upon my bed. She slackens my belt off, then slowly parts my robes, running a palm across the bandages around my chest, the binds that secure small bags of sand against me. And then she reaches to her side, into the belt of her loose kimono, pulling forth her favourite silver dagger.

“Is this okay?” she asks, holding the blade above my bandages. I see nothing but kindness in her eyes, and compassion, yet I’m torn. None have peeled this disguise from me, none have exposed me unto the world in my natural form. None other than my parents, at least. But the thought that she might accept me, the hope that I could feel her lips upon me, a hope I would never in a million years dream could be possible-

“Yes,” I whisper, surprised at how hoarse my voice sounds.

The cold blade tickles up the middle of my torso, then I feel the bandages fall away, and I can’t help but sigh at such sweet release when the sandbags fall to the side, fresh, cool air dancing across my chest. The relief is soon replaced with panic, I realise I’m now exposed, the illusion completely broken, and I worry that Asami wasn’t expecting this, that she may have hoped she were wrong about me… what if…

She flattens a palm to my chest, throws her dagger to the side with a loud clatter, and leans into me, crushing her lips against mine. I raise a quivering arm, slide it up her back, and pull her into me, moaning, scarcely able to believe that this is happening at all.

“If you don’t like anything, just tell me to stop…” she whispers into my ear, but I’m too overwhelmed to speak, so instead I nod, and sigh into yet another sweet kiss. She trails her lips across my neck, then my torso, and I feel a deep rumble in my throat when she runs the tip of her tongue across my chest, slowly around every crevice, every dip and peak. Her touch is soft, her caress gentle, and she returns to kiss me each time that I’m feeling even a sliver of doubt, as though she can sense it.

Before long my body reacts to her touch by itself, and sounds escape my parted lips, sounds that were alien to me before today. I’m so lost in her, her kind words, her constant reassurances, that I barely notice when she climbs upon me, frees me from my lower bindings, and eases herself backwards. I feel a sudden wet warmth slip around me, and I groan with her, my own noises strange having never felt such pleasure before. It’s such a new experience… the way it feels, her hot centre wrapped around me, it’s almost indescribable. It’s bliss. It’s heaven, like nothing I could have dreamed.

She falls forwards as we rock our hips together, her palms flattened to the mattress beside my head, her hair dancing against my torso, her cheeks flush, her eyes lidded.

I must be blessed today, for I experience three new things:

I make love with a woman, and she to me.

I learn how it feels to be accepted, completely and utterly.

I sleep with a lover in my arms, a smile on my lips, and tears of joy, damp upon my cheeks.

—

Kyoshi stands before me, staring intently into my eyes, “Do you wish to know why I showed you this?”

“Yes…” I say. I can’t deny that I’m touched, honoured that she’d shared something so sacred.

“You will need to understand why I made a certain choice surrounding Asami’s fate. You need to know what she meant to me.”

“She was your world.” I state, knowing it’s the truth.

“Korra… She set me free. She was my everything.”

--

As if by some miraculous feat, I manage to wake up five minutes before my alarm goes off, and like last time, I lay on my bed and take a few minutes to digest the latest dream, the latest memory.

“I thought Kyoshi was a woman?” I eventually think.

“She *was* a woman, Korra.” Raava chides me, and I’m sure I see her scowl.

“No, not like that - I mean in my first dream about her, with Asami. There were definite lady parts.” I frown in confusion, whilst clambering off my bed.

“Those were your lady parts. Your dream, mixed with her feelings, and her memories.”

“Oh, so you’re saying I’m just a pervert?” I pout, frowning as I pull a pair of socks on. It’s starting to get colder outside, so there’ll be no more bare-footed shenanigans.

“Indeed.”

I blow a raspberry sound out loud, “I’m still gonna put it down to Kyoshi’s influence.”

“If that makes you feel better… pervert.”

“Hey!”

“You’re the one addicted to Kyoshi’s story.”

“I… am not!” I scowl into thin air. I’m glad there are no cameras in my room recording this.

“Okay, I won’t tell you the rest then.”

“You’d better!” I pull my plaid shirt on, fastening the buttons. Wait, when did I buy this? This is such a damn gay shirt. I shake my head in disdain… how can I have been so oblivious, for so long? “I mean, we’ve had all this drama, and we haven’t even gotten to the vampirey parts.”

“Is that excitement that I sense? About sanes of all things?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I think, refusing to admit I’m hooked on Kyoshi’s tale. “Anyway… I know Asami is kind of acting cool about all this, but do you think she knows I’m seeing stuff at this level of detail?”

“Probably,” Raava chuckles, “though at her age I suppose she’s seen it all. I can’t imagine it would make her too uncomfortable.”

“Do you think I should tell her?”

“Possibly.”

“Really useful, Raava.”

“I aim to please.”

I sit in front of my dresser, and run my brush through my hair, tugging at a few knots. Even at this length, somehow the knots happen. How and why will always be a mystery to me.

“I can’t believe Kyoshi was a trans woman, though. I bet that was tough.”

“It was a tragedy - watching her grow into an adult with such pain in her heart.”

“I bet. And back then, there would have been no support for things like that.”

“No. But she had Asami, eventually.”

“Yeah,” I smile to myself, pausing whilst tying my trainer shoelace, “I can see why that might make things a whole lot better.”

I’m a little disorientated, and feeling unsure whether the throb in my chest is from the remnants of the dream, namely Kyoshi’s feelings. Yeah, I’m pretty sure they’re hers, not mine, and I’m sure that they’ll clear away soon enough. It’s strange that whilst I tell myself this, I’m holding my hand to my cheek, just where Asami kissed me last night. I’m sure it didn’t mean anything, it was just Asami’s special form of… encouragement. And it worked. And that’s that.

“Talk later, Raava,” I think, smiling as I leave my room, pleased that I have time to grab a coffee before today’s lessons.

Chapter Text

I feel ashamed.

I’ve been so self-absorbed, so lost in my own world, that I didn’t realise Jonas’s funeral was today, after last class. I almost missed it, and if not for Bolin and Mako I probably would have. They literally had to stop me in the hallway after I’d taken a shower, both donned in smart, black suits, asking me why I wasn’t ready yet.

What surprises me is that I’m actually crying, along with everyone else. Sure, I feel like shit that Jonas died, but it didn’t affect me, I didn’t even know him. But now that I’m here, seeing just how many people did know him, and just how many people have been hit so hard by this, I have to wonder - when did I get so cold, and so damn heartless? Everyone from cube five is here, as well as most of four and three, and it’s pouring with rain, rain that masks our tears as we listen to Jonas’s friends and family speak their farewells.

His parents wanted the funeral here in the end, and they’re stood over by their son’s coffin, dressed head to toe in black like the rest of us, watching, crying as he’s lowered into a hole in the ground. They spoke first, said he had a lot of friends here, more than back home, and looking around I can see that it’s true. He was only twenty-one, and had advanced to cube five pretty early, which is why most of those who get up to speak are from cube four, his previous classmates.

And now Lia’s moved over to be with his parents, the mother is holding her close, and they’re all crying, together. I wonder why she’s over there. She’s the girl we found during the werebat attack, cowering under a table, the one that Yena made friends with. She stands with Jonas’s parents, doesn’t move away, and that’s when I realise that they’re her parents, too.

“Shit, she’s…”

“His sister, yeah,” Yena sighs, standing at my side, softly shaking his head, and I grit my teeth, thinking maybe I’ll try talk to her later, after the dust settles. She doesn’t know me, but looks like we both suffered loss at the same age. Seventeen.

Once those closest to Jonas have spoken, I walk up to the casket to pay my own respects, just after Bolin and Mako have finished. I run my hand across the smooth, polished coffin lid, wiping rain from it, and I’m surprised to notice I feel anger above all else. Anger at the injustice of this, but mainly anger at myself. I’m the fucking Avatar! I should have been able to prevent this! I need to get stronger. I will get stronger.

I furrow my brows and clench my fists as I walk away, making a silent vow to Jonas that nobody else will die here, not a single soul, not on my watch.

“You okay, Kor?” Mako asks when I return to stand with the group. Everyone’s here, but Jinora, Opal and Kai didn’t really know Jonas. Still, they came out of respect.

“I’m good. But, uh, sorry, back in a minute,” I say darting towards Asami when I spot her, stood with her two friends, Leanne and Dayla.

“Asami, can I talk to you a sec?” I ask.

“Huh? Sure. Back in a min,” she says, and Leanne looks at me in what can only be described as absolute disgust. I suppose it’ll take a while until I’m forgiven for fact that I’m the reason Asami is walking around with a nose bandage.

We walk away from everyone else so that we can talk privately.

“I think your friend hates me,” I chuckle, “not that I blame her.”

“Oh she’s fine. Just over-protective,” Asami says, glancing back at Leanne, then over towards the coffin, sighing. “I feel bad for the kid’s family... I just wish I’d gotten there sooner,” she says, hugging her long, black jacket around herself. Her thick black hair is matted in wet strands, stuck against her face, soaked through from the heavy rainfall.

“You saved me, and everyone else. But that’s not what I wanted to talk about.”

“No?”

“No. I… need your help.” I frown, following her gaze across the cemetery at the still-exposed coffin. I guess they’ll be burying him soon.

“In what way?” She asks, raising an eyebrow. She probably thinks I have some nerve asking for anything, after everything she’s already done.

“I want to stop shit like this from happening again. I’m tired of being weak.”

“Hmm.” She tilts her head slightly, giving me a curious look.

“I can’t even see you move when you fight, even when I’m in the avatar state. But I can do better than that, right?” I ask, desperately hoping she says yes. She looks at me as though deep in thought for a few seconds, the rain dripping down her chin. Then she exhales loudly and shakes her head.

“Everyone can get stronger, Korra. Especially the Avatar.” She yanks up her collar, shaking loose several drops of water, “Just meet me by the west exit tonight, around nine.”

“Okay. Thanks.”

“Don’t thank me yet,” she chuckles, then heads back to join Leanne and Dayla. I wonder if she’s dating either of them, feeling a strange pang of jealousy. Oh, there they go again… Kyoshi’s lingering feelings, and at a damn funeral, of all times.

—

After the service, most students head back to the cafeteria, although very few buy anything substantial to eat. Maybe just a sandwich, or a packet of chips.

“What a depressing day,” Jinora says with a deep sigh, as we all sit at our table.

“Funerals will have that effect,” I mutter, chewing on the end of my plastic straw. I’ve bought a coke and nothing else, feeling anything except hungry right now.

Bolin starts to twiddle his thumbs, looking glum, “I’m gonna miss Jonas,” he mutters.

“Oh? I didn’t know you knew him,” I say.

“Yeah, we’d hang at the library. We were like study buddies.”

“Shit. I’m sorry, Bo,” I sigh, shaking my head, reaching across the table and taking his hand in mine. I really have been too wrapped up in my own world, and I’m becoming a terrible friend because of it.

Mako sits down next to his brother, puts an arm around his shoulder and gives him a squeeze, “I got your favourite,” he grins, pushing across a thick wedge of chocolate cake.

“Thanks bro…” Bolin sniffles, though he just pokes at the cake with his fork instead of actually eating it.

“Anyway, there’s some good news at least,” Opal says, smiling at me, clearly trying to change the subject for Bo’s sake.

“Such as?”

“I saw you talking to Asami back there. You’ve made up?” she asks.

“Really? No way!” Jinora exclaims, quickly twisting around in her seat and staring down the cafeteria towards Asami’s table.

“Jinny, why don’t you just ask her out and be done with it?” I grumble.

“Oh Korra, the things I would do to that woman,” Jinora purrs, turning back around and wiggling her eyebrows.

“I’m right here,” Kai says, rolling his eyes. Jinora leans across and pecks him on the lips, and I smile, thinking they’re such adorable nerds, but then I almost choke on my drink when I watch Asami turn in her chair, and raise an eyebrow questioningly at Jinora’s back. She notices me, silently mouths the words ‘What the fuck’, and I burst out laughing. Everyone looks at me as though I’m losing my mind. Maybe I am.

“Sorry, Sorry,” I choke, trying to fend off further laughter. Turns out I don’t have to try too hard, because the laughter dies in my throat the second I see Lia walking down the corridor, pale as a ghost, dark circles under her eyes.

“I wish I could do something for her…” I sigh, shaking my head.

“She’s probably grabbing some stuff from her dorm,” Bolin says, “she’s been stopping with her parents since it happened.”

Everyone in the cafeteria is pretty quiet after that, probably because everyone saw what a state Lia was in, and like me, felt like shit all of a sudden.

I grab a sandwich before leaving, deciding it’s best to keep my strength up. Then I play Battleverse for a couple of hours with Jinora, though I’m nervous the whole time about what Asami is planning. I even text her, to try and get more information.

Me: So, what are you planning for our big date? :-)

Asami: You should be so lucky

Me: Seriously though, what should I bring?

Asami: Yourself.

Me: Oh, so funny.

Asami: I try. Just be there. And eat something.

Me: Why?

Asami: You’ll need plenty of energy for what I have in mind ;-)

And now I’m thinking back to last night’s dreams, or memories, and Asami, writhing around above me. Fuck! If only Kyoshi hadn’t shown me certain… things, I’m sure this would be a whole lot easier, and my thoughts a whole lot cleaner. “Focus, Korra,” I say, then wince and shake my head when I cause my giant Orc warrior to fall to his death off a bridge. This does not bode well.

—

“She showed you what?” Asami says, snorting with laughter, shaking her head at the words, “that son of a bitch…”

“So you’re not upset?” I ask, raising an eyebrow. I really thought I’d get into a lot more trouble than this, but she’s just laughing it off. Never saw that one coming.

“Why, because you’ve seen me naked?” she asks, then pushes herself away from the wall, reaching into her outside pocket and pulling out a box of cigarettes.

“Well, uh… it was fairly intimate,” I explain, blushing.

“I bet it was,” She sighs, and I notice a trace of sadness in her eyes, “but I won’t lose sleep over it. I’m too old to get embarrassed about shit like that,” she pulls a single cigarette out of the carton, and a metal zippo lighter from an inner pocket in her jacket. “Besides, I trust ‘Yoshi. If she showed you, there’ll be a good reason,” she sparks up the cigarette, her eyes dazzling with the yellow flame, then inhales deeply. “And, now that I think about it… I don’t think she’s ever told anyone else,” she says, blowing out a long wisp of smoke.

“Really?”

“Well, the warriors found out, but other than that…”

“Huh.” I mumble, feeling quite honoured at the revelation, “Anyway, since when do you smoke?”

“Rarely. Calms my nerves on shitty days like this. Not like it’ll kill me,” she chuckles.

“Wait, do vampires even have nerves?”

“Shh!” she hisses, and I realise my mistake, since we’re stood just outside the west exit and anyone could be listening.

“Sorry,” I grimace.

“Yeah. Let’s go,” she says, still frowning at me and my big mouth. I follow her in relative silence, so that I don’t fuck anything else up, and it looks like we’re headed to the bending arena. It should be pretty much empty at this time of night, and ordinarily would be, but I guess people are pissed off from the funeral because there’s bright sparks of fire, sounds of shattered ice and cracked earth, and loud curses and grunts.

“Tsk. We’ll have to go someplace else. Follow me.” Asami says, flicking her finished cigarette onto the floor and stomping it out beneath her massive boot.

We sneak off campus grounds, towards my oak, and then way, way past it. By the time we come to a stop I think we’re close to the outer perimeter fence, but it’s fairly dark, so I can’t be sure.

“Thanks, by the way,” Asami suddenly says, folding her arms and staring at me, her green eyes reflecting the bright white light of the moon.

“For what?”

“Being honest. About Kyoshi.”

“It’d feel wrong if I kept it from you. Like I was… I dunno, spying or something.”

“Well, I appreciate it,” she smiles, then looks up towards the moon as a large cloud drifts over it, “Anyway, what’s with your horny little friend?”

I frown, wondering what she means.

“You know, the one that wants to ‘do things’ to me,” Asami laughs.

“Oh, Jinora?” I chuckle, “She’s only messing around. Maybe you shouldn’t eavesdrop on other people’s conversations!”

“Maybe her boyfriend should do his job a little better.”

“Hey! Jinora’s like a little sister to me. Do not plant those thoughts into my head, thank you very much,” I scold, prodding my finger into her shoulder vigorously.

“Ow! Stop it!” Asami recoils, pretending to be hurt, “Anyway, did you know that your innocent little sister is following us?” she asks, darting a glance backwards.

“What!?” I’m about to turn around but Asami places her hand behind my neck, forcing me to stay in place.

“Don’t make it obvious!” she whispers between clenched teeth, rolling her eyes. Then her lips suddenly stretch into a menacing grin, “Hey, do you wanna fuck with her?”

“What is it with you and fucking with people!?”

“How else do you expect a four hundred year old to stay sane?” She pouts. “Come on! It’ll be fun.”

“Fine. Actually, wait - it depends. Will it hurt her?”

“Of course not,” Asami scowls, “Just come here, and put your arms around my waist.”

“Are you shitting me?”

“Nope. Do it,” She says, with a wide smile, and it might be dark outside but I can sure as hell see her wiggling her eyebrows.

Well, this is just great. If I don’t do as she asks, she’ll know somethings up, namely that I’m suffering some temporary crush after those damn dreams. It’s a no-win situation, so in the end all I can do is go with it. I slide my arms around her waist, barely daring to look her in the eye in case she can read my thoughts, and my heart starts to beat rapidly. It’s so quiet out here… I’m suddenly painfully aware that she could hear my heart quite easily, if she wanted to. Damn it… damn those feelings from Kyoshi’s visions, making me want all kinds of things I shouldn’t want, and making this far more awkward than it should be.

Asami slips her arms around my shoulders, pulls me close enough that we’re practically touching, then rests the side of her lips against my cheek. I exhale slowly through my nose, trying to keep myself calm, but in my head all I can think about is how warm her lips are, and how if I just tilt an inch to the left, I’d be kissing them right now.

“She’s behind us,” Asami chuckles, “Quick, grab my ass.”

“What?!” I almost choke.

“Just do it!” she orders in a loud whisper, and I hesitantly slide my by-now trembling hands around, and just kind of… rest them there, not daring to do much more. “You call that a grab? Fucking hell Korra, just squeeze it!”

I’m really wishing I hadn’t agreed to this now. I stretch my fingers out and squeeze into her firm ass, somehow managing to suppress a groan. I swear my cheeks have never burned this hot, and I’m sure she’s going to know exactly what I’m thinking when she next sees my face.

“Okay, now kiss me,” Asami whispers, pulling away, looking at me with a mischievous expression.

“I… w-what?” I stutter, then frown, “No!”

“Aww. So close.” Asami sticks her lower lip out, and that’s when I suddenly realise...

“Wait, Jinora can’t even see in the dark, why are we…” I feel Asami start to shake with barely-concealed laughter, pulling away from our embrace. “You motherfuck- she isn’t here, is she? You… you bastard!” I seethe.

“Oh come on!” Asami suddenly roars out with laughter, doubling over, almost in tears. She prods a finger in the centre of my chest, “You get to dream-fuck me, so it’s only fair I get to have some fun.”

“I… but… you… oh, for fucks sake!” I fold my arms, scowling, “I hate you,” I growl.

“Now I don’t believe that for one minute,” Asami states, composing herself, removing her bandage, tossing it to the side and wrinkling her nose. “Anyway, playtime’s over. We’re here.”

“What’s here?” I ask, still fuming. It’s too dark for me to see much, though there’s just enough moonlight to see Asami’s pale skin, and sharp, menacing eyes, still damp with tears of laughter.

“It’s nice and open, and it’s private,” she explains, placing a finger under my chin, “it’ll do for what I have in mind, oh cute little avatar,”

Despite my anger, I gulp at the words and my heart races, again. Damn her, and the effect she can have on me, so easily. “And what would that be?” I manage to ask in an even voice, refusing to surrender to more of her games.

“It’s glow time. We’re gonna fight,” she grins, her eyes shifting almost instantly, and her fangs sliding down.

“Hah, did you forget the broken nose from last time?” I smirk, feeling Raava’s power surge through me as though it’s second nature, already. And that’s when I do see the surroundings – we’re stood in a wide, clear grassy field, just by the outer perimeter fence. Plenty of room to spar, and nobody would have any reason to be out here.

No sooner have I taken in my surroundings than she’s suddenly behind me, pinning my arms so that I can’t move an inch, and it’s painfully obvious that she could snap me in two, “Last time, I didn’t fight back,” she breathes the words hoarsely, her lips right against my ear, and from the sudden fire between my legs I’m not sure whether this fight will make me stronger, or drive me crazy.

“Okay, one point to you.” I growl, shrugging off Kyoshi’s lustful memories as Asami releases me, laughing. “But you’re so damn fast… it’s insane!”

“Have you ever tried speed reading?” Asami asks, folding her arms and leaning against my shoulder. I’m taken aback by the change of subject.

“Huh?”

“You know, where they flash up one word a time, faster and faster. Trains your brain to digest the words without an inner voice.”

“Oh yeah, I tried it once. It was exhausting,” I frown, “Are we going to start reading or something?”

“Hah! You’re adorable. We’re going to try something similar,” she explains, and then she’s right in front of me, barely a blur of motion, her palm cupping my cheek, “I’ll take it slow to start with, just for you,” she purrs.

“Damnit, Asami…” I growl.

“Is something bothering you?” she asks, smirking playfully.

“Stop fucking with me,” I sigh.

“Busted!” she laughs, “Anywayyyy. I want you to stop trying to process what you’re looking at, just see it instead. We can speed your brain up if you trust your instincts,” she says, moving back a few paces. “Now, follow my movements closely.”

I watch her as she crouches a little lower, and starts to sidestep around me. Sometimes she walks all the way around, forcing me to turn on the spot, and sometimes she backs off a little, or suddenly changes direction. “Relax, Korra.” She says, and I’m acutely aware that she’s speeding up a little, then a little more, and now she’s pretty much leaping from spot to spot, “Don’t blink,” she laughs, and I notice she’s moving faster still, because everything else seems to blur away as I trace her movements. “I’m going to attack, so good luck stopping me,” She warns, “Get ready!”

And then I’m bowled over with a sudden dive, from the right side. I felt sure she was to my left, but clearly not, because now she’s pinning me to the ground, “That was good,” she smiles, standing from me and helping me up, “You only lost me right at the end. Ready to go again?”

“I’m ready,” I say, taking a deep breath, dusting myself off, and trying to relax a little more.

It comes more naturally to me this time, watching her. She doesn’t follow a set pattern, I suppose because that would make it too easy. She speeds up again, this time much more quickly, but I see her, with bright, gorgeous cat-eyes, boring into mine. She swiftly hops from spot to spot, almost feline-like in her movements, and I now mourn the fact I didn’t see her take down the ferals. “Here I come,” she warns, and this time when she blurs towards me I grab her wrists, spinning her with my weight and slamming her to the ground.

“Yes! Amazing!” she grins, laughing beneath me, her wrists trapped in my palms, her abdomen between my thighs, and I swear I’ve never wanted to kiss anyone this badly in my entire fucking life, fangs or no fangs.

Aaaand… I’m pretty sure Kyoshi’s influence didn’t drive that urge. Well, shit. I’m screwed. I guess the feeling’s I’d started to develop for Asami are still there, even though she’s a vampire, and that just makes me a massive fucking hypocrite.

“Going to stay there all night?” Asami purrs, and I shake my head, realising all too well she could force me off if she wanted to, “Sorry,” I grin awkwardly, standing to my feet, feeling way too hot all of a sudden, “Was that… uh… full speed?”

“Almost. You’re certainly very talented, Korra. That took Kyoshi two weeks to learn.”

I blush at the unexpected compliment, “You’re kidding, right? She was like, one of the greatest avatars in history,”

Asami smiles, though I see a hint of sadness in her eyes again, “Yes. She was.”

I’m starting to realise the only thing that seems to get under Asami’s skin at all is when I mention Kyoshi. Even back at the Oak, when I lost my shit, she only lost hers once I mentioned that dream. Maybe I should hold off the Kyoshi talk, since the last thing I want to do is make her unhappy.

“So you’re saying I’m good, basically?” I change the subject, smirking, and she ruffles my hair in response.

“Don’t get ahead of yourself. There’s a lot more you’ll need to learn.”

“I’m guessing we’ll need to practise a lot more?” I ask, trying not to sound too hopeful at the prospect of being pinned to the ground by her.

“A lot more, yes. It has to become second nature to you.”

“Okay. And… thanks.”

“For what?”

“Helping. Doing all this. You really don’t have to.”

“Yes, I do. I can’t have you dying on me,” she sighs, pulling out her packet of cigarettes.

“Careful, you sound like you’re growing fond of me,” I chuckle, though I soon stop laughing when I notice that her fingers are shaking, just a little, as she lights her cigarette.

“I wouldn’t go that far,” she blows out a wisp of smoke between her two fangs, “Just get ready. I’m not holding back this time.”

Chapter Text

Six months later - The Kyoshi Estate

I heard the rumours. An invisible enemy, they'd say, with no way to defeat it. Such nonsense - there is always a way to defeat your foe. I would know, for many have stood before me, and all have fallen. Yet when I hold her trembling hand, with fingers so frail I fear they may break at my touch, I feel something I have never before felt. Powerless. 

"There must be something we can do!" I yell at my advisor, Helena, a woman I have grown close to these past three years, as though a blood sister. But she simply looks at me remorsefully, her eyes damp with tears.

The nightmare began four months ago. I watched, as did we all, as the first warrior fell to the strange disease. It is a horror to behold. At first, it seems as though the victim is simply tired, easy to mistake as a result of rigorous training, or the terrible pains that some of the girls face each month. But then, every single one of her muscles will ache, and her body will weaken until she can scarcely even stand. Within a week, she is bed ridden, unable to move, or eat. She will smell of decay, and suffer in waves of agony as her own body shuts down. And not long after, she will find the sweet, merciful embrace of death.

"Please!" I yell at Helena again, begging her to fix this, as though she even can. Asami is dying, right in front of me, like the other five I have lost. The rags beneath her are sodden with her sweat, and she is so pale, so frighteningly pale. She did not even tell me. She stood proudly, continued to fight, never allowing the disease to show, until she collapsed in the middle of her training, and has been unable to stand ever since.

I pull her frail fingers to my lips, kissing them, not caring if I suffer the same disease.

"Why didn't you tell me?" I whisper against her trembling hand, speaking to her through choked words, knowing it is cruel to make her answer, that it only adds to the pain.

"I didn't wish to burden you, my love," She croaks the words, her voice barely recognisable, and it rips me apart from the inside out. I would do anything to stop this, anything at all.

I hold her hand to my chest just above my aching heart, tears streaming down my cheeks, wishing I could pour my own vitality into her. She winces and then cries out, writhing whilst another flood of agony washes over her. I have seen it before. By the end of the hour she will be gone to me, and I feel sure that I will die with her.

"Kyoshi... I'm so sorry..." Helena whispers, her palm warm against my shoulder.

"We are done for." I breathe the words deeply, feeling lost to despair. I move my free hand to Asami's belt, lightly unhooking her silver dagger, and staring at the sharp blade. "Leave us." I command, my intent made clear.

"Kyoshi... you can't-"

"I can, and I shall," I say, running my thumb over the blade, checking its sharpness. I am pleased to see it cuts easily. It will make the next move, a swift stab to my heart, all the simpler. I hear Raava telling me I mustn’t, but I tune her out, ignoring her voice for the first time in my life.

"The girls need you. The whole world needs you!" Helena states, gripping my shoulder, and looking at me with a sudden fire in her eyes. I wonder where this sudden determination has sprung from, especially with such a terrible sight before us.

"I entrust them to you. I have seen you fight, and you are the strongest, perhaps even stronger than I. Now, go."

Still, she doesn't leave. I glare at her, feeling I will force her if it comes to it. Her face contorts into a grimace, as though suffering an internal struggle, and then she frowns, "There… is a way. To save her."

"What? And you did not tell me sooner? What is it?" I ask the words quickly, dropping the dagger and clutching Helena’s green kimono in my fist, but she turns away, and I hear Asami cry out in pain again. Time is short. "Tell me!"

Suddenly, Helena's face... it... it shifts. Her eyes change, becoming beast-like in appearance, and with an otherworldly glow. "The foes you slay are not vampires, Kyoshi. They are mindless beasts," I watch, in horror, as two ivory fangs extend downwards, "We are vampire. And we fight with you, from the shadows, as we always have."

"What is this... nonsense..?" I whisper, recoiling from the sight.

Helena grabs my wrist and speaks urgently, "If you genuinely cannot live without her, then I will change her. She will live on, as I do."

I realise almost immediately what is being asked of me, "You would have me destroy her humanity?!"

"No. I would have you enhance it!”

Suddenly, I feel another hand reach out, limply brushing against my arm. "Let her." Asami says, her voice quieter than ever, her breathing ragged.

"But..." Never have I been so torn. I wish to slay the monster that has revealed itself to me, yet I’m sure I see sympathy in its eyes, and dare I say... humanity. Perhaps my own desperation is causing my mind to play tricks on me.

"I don't want to die. I'm... scared..." Asami whispers, and then her words break into an agonised, terrible cry as her body convulses with yet another spasm of pain.

"She's dying. I have to move, now." Helena urges me, and all I can do in response is numbly nod my head. I am ashamed to admit that had it been any other warrior, I would have allowed her death, allowed her to find peace in the next life. But my selfish heart wins out, and I take the one chance that I am offered, even though it will change Asami’s life forevermore.

I watch as Helena slices a sharp fingernail across her own wrist, and quickly places the red wound to my lover’s dry, broken lips. At first, there is nothing. Perhaps it is too late, for Asami's body no longer moves, and I am unsure if she is even breathing. Then, I see her eyebrow twitch, and her mouth moves as she... drinks. My face twists into a grimace, I am disgusted, and yet I cannot help but watch. Asami suddenly grips onto Helena's forearm and drinks hungrily for a few seconds, then pulls away with a loud, raspy gasp, her mouth stained crimson, a river of blood flowing from her lower lip. She collapses to the bed again, and starts to convulse in pain, crying out louder than ever, her limbs jerking around, her fingers tightly fisting into the bed sheets.

"What did you DO?" I roar the words at the monster, and pick up the dagger from the bed, intent to sever her head.

"Just watch," Helena growls, and then she is behind me having never moved, holding me tightly and pinning my arms. Her strength is inhuman. I summon forth Raava’s power, fighting back with all that I have. I try to pull my arms free, I cannot. I try to stamp my foot down, send the very earth against my tormentor, but she wraps her leg around my thigh. I would even twist my head and breathe fire in her face, but this too is impossible. I am her prisoner, completely and utterly. All I can think is that this is like a cruel joke, as she forces me to watch Asami suffer and writhe, dying to whatever was just inflicted upon her. And I allowed this! It is my fault!

"I cannot promise she will live through it, but this is the change, it is how it works. She will be reborn, or she will die." Helena states the words clearly, her body unflinching as she keeps me held in a vice grip.

"You bastard!" I choke through hot new tears, even though I know Asami would have died either way. Her body falls still, and I know now that I have failed her. I should have let her die naturally, for now, I may have condemned her to hell instead.

I tug and thrash against the monster’s grip again, trying to pull myself forwards as though I can change what is happening, but I am still not allowed to move, and finally I grow weak, overcome with despair, my heart crushed at the sight of my love, her body unmoving, her chest still.

Suddenly, Asami sits upright, gasping for air as though she had been drowning, and clutches a hand to her chest. Her face has changed, she appears with the same beast-like eyes as Helena, and a pair of fangs slowly creep down from her lip, causing her to wince.

“Ow,” she mutters, and curiously prods her finger into the new protrusions. My heart thuds in my chest at the sight, unsure what to think or feel, like I am trapped between fear and joy.

"She made it!” Helena exclaims, finally releasing me, then dashing towards Asami. I watch as she checks her over, peering into her mouth, widening her eyelids and staring into her pupils, “She is perfect. But she must feed quickly, lest she become one of the very beasts we fight against."

"What... do you..? I-I don’t…" I feel weak, unable to speak, and so very overwhelmed. Too many things are happening, all at once. Asami appears alive, but changed, and I should feel elation, but… she is a monster now. A monster who I expose my neck to anyway, at Helena's gentle insistence. A monster who kisses my exposed flesh, also guided by Helena, like a newborn child learning to feed. After scarcely a pin prick, I feel her lips suck against my flesh, and Asami drinks from me. I do not stop her.

Today I turned my love into a beast, so selfish am I, so unwilling was I to lose her. I am wretched as can be, but what I am most ashamed about, is how good her bite feels upon me. It does not last long, and when she is done, her skin is practically glowing with vitality. Asami is restored, and for just one moment, I feel sheer elation at the sight. But then I realise the cost. She is a monster, she is the very thing we were trying to rid the world of, and she cannot stay here.

"Get out. Both of you." I choke on the words, feeling destroyed as I speak them.

"Kyoshi..." Asami whimpers, sounding genuinely hurt. I am surprised that a monster could harbour pain, and feel that it is likely a ruse, to fool me as Helena has all these years with her fake human skin.

Asami slowly backs away from me, and I see tears form at her eyes. But then, the slits of her eyes widen and she grins almost menacingly, her new fangs a horror to behold. I am fearful that I may have to put her down if she attacks, but instead, she suddenly laughs, and there is no menace to the tone. "Always so serious, my 'Yoshi," she purrs, running a finger down my cheek, and onto my lower lip, which she flicks. And then flicks again. And yet again, making strange blubbering baby sounds with her own mouth each time she does so.

"What... is going on here?" I ask, clutching onto Asami's wrist to prevent her unusual assault.

"I'm not sure," Helena answers, appearing perplexed. Her eyes have turned back to normal, and I no longer see fangs at her mouth, “the change was perfect. I saw no damage.”

I am not sure what she means by that, and what an imperfect change would be, but Asami’s mind must surely be damaged for she is acting like a child, and a child that harbours too much energy, for sure.

"Perhaps it is your blood?" Raava suggests, "You are not quite human yourself, after all."

"I'm going for a walk!" Asami suddenly declares joyfully, and I watch, my jaw hanging slack, as she practically bounces off the bed, not a care in the world, then heads outside.

I venture after her into the cool breeze of the night, only to find her stood in the yard, in the midst of what appears to be a heated argument with three stone dummies. She kicks out at one of them, causing it to disintegrate in an explosion of dust, "... and that's what you get for hurting my ‘Yoshi!" Then she turns to face the other two, waving her finger, “Now, have you learnt your lesson?”

"Helena..." I growl, glaring at the beast-woman.

"It must be the avatar blood... I-I didn't know. I'm sorry," the woman stutters.

Asami turns around to stare at me, her eyes still wild and glowing eerily. "I feel amazing," she laughs, striding towards me. She takes my hand, places it to her cheek, and I am surprised at how hot her skin feels, how soft, "I feel so alive, ‘Yoshi. And I love you, so much..."

Her words move me, sounding so genuine it would be hard to find any deceit. "I..." The words catch in my throat. Of course I love her, but is this still Asami, or is she a monster now? And how long will she act this way? What if my blood has damaged her mind permanently?

As though detecting my concern, Asami's expression softens, and she gently slips her arms around my waist, resting her chin on my shoulder. "I always said I’d follow you to the ends of the earth," she sighs into my ear, and holds me in a tender embrace, "But if you'd have me leave, then I understand."

She smells the same, she feels the same, and she remembers her promise to me. She is the love I felt sure I'd lose, yet by some miracle still lives, and here I am, about to turn her away just because she is... different now. Different by my will, by my choice no less, and different in a way I cannot even begin to comprehend.

I am so torn, but when I bury my nose into her hair, and inhale deeply, feeling her warmth, feeling her love, I know for sure. She is still here, she is still my world, and my mind is made up without any further doubt.

"Stay," I sob the word, holding her tightly, finding myself unable to let her go after all.

“Really?” She whispers.

“Really.”

"Good,” she states jovially, her mood switching in an instant. She flicks her surprisingly hot tongue across my ear, forcing a shiver up my whole body, and pulls away to look upon me, grinning widely. I gasp at the sight, her newly developed fangs and slitted eyes striking fear into me, but also stirring something else. I run my finger slowly across her lower lip, realising with sudden clarity that I… want her. I am consumed with the sudden need to make love with her more than ever before, and I feel my cheeks burn at my depraved thoughts.

“I know what you’re thinking,” Asami smirks, then falls upon me, kissing me deeply with her blood stained lips, and that’s when I know that I am truly perverted, for the sight nor the taste do not deter my intentions at all. “Let’s go take care of your lady pole,” Asami growls, and I splutter, turning red I am sure, more so when I see Helena’s shocked expression.

"I told you not to call it that!" I exclaim, feeling my cheeks burn almost raw with shame.

"I shall... leave you two alone, then?" Helena shrugs, then walks slowly away.

"No! You cannot leave me with -argh!" I feel myself yanked towards my chambers, my hand caught in Asami's as I am pulled towards my cruel fate, a fate I surely deserve.

—

Kyoshi stands before me, and for the first time without her warpaint, her brown hair hanging freely. Her cheeks are bright red, and she’s looking anywhere but at me.

"I'm not sure how you survived that one," I say, laughing as she shakes her head.

"Nor am I. It is likely that I still have the bruises."

The usual blackness around us warps, until we’re suddenly stood in the campus square, swathes of green and yellow surrounding us, and a beautiful, clear blue summer sky up above. I find a bench and sit down, and Kyoshi follows, sitting right beside me.

"After seeing that, I can’t help but think I had a lucky escape," I laugh, remembering Asami's antics when she drank from me, where she only really cared about rubbing up against trees, not me. Pew pew!

"I detect a hint of jealousy, Korra," Kyoshi leans back on the bench, folds one leg over her knee and smirks at me.

“I don’t know if it’s jealousy, or fear,” I admit, smiling.

"You need not fear her.” Kyoshi rolls her eyes, “Asami would never abuse her strength. Soon, I learnt to trust her again, even in her new form."

I smile, knowing she’s telling the truth. Then I look up at the sky, wondering what Asami will make of tonight’s dreams, of me almost watching her die.

"You think about her a lot," Kyoshi states.

“Oh, sorry.” I mumble. I sometimes forget that we’re linked through Raava, and Kyoshi can see into my head just as much as I can into hers.

“You do not need to apologise. I would be happy for you to court her,” Kyoshi smiles as I almost choke in response, and she stretches a finger out to allow a small, blue butterfly to land.

"I don't really think it's up to me, to be honest," I say, once I’ve got my breath back, "I mean, for one thing she thinks I'm a child." I recall with a grimace the times she’s used that word, even though I deserved it, both times.

"Ah yes.” Kyoshi chuckles, “Korra, all humans are children to us, but we do not mean it in the literal sense."

"I don’t follow…"

"You are an adult, as we are. If vampires were to restrict matters of the heart to their own age group, then they would simply never love humans."

"And..?"

"Vampires do love humans," Kyoshi smiles, "and frequently! And in Asami's case, you at least have her attention," she says, looking sad for a moment when her new-found butterfly friend flies away.

"Erm - I do?" I frown, unable imagine how or why. I mean, she teases me relentlessly, but that doesn’t mean…

"Yes! Being the avatar is one thing, but punching her in the face like that!" Kyoshi laughs, balling her hand into a fist and smashing it into an open palm, "Even I never managed that, and we sparred frequently."

"You know, I’m not sure a punch in the face is high on the list on how to woo a girl," I say, frowning. Man, every time I think of my knuckles connecting with Asami’s nose, and the feeling of crunching bone, I feel sick, right to the pit of my stomach. Why is she even talking to me, and why am I even humouring the thought that she might one day… well, I dunno. Kiss me, but not in a messing-me-about way.

"It surprised her, and it is a rare thing indeed for a vampire to be surprised.” Kyoshi says, then suddenly leans over, whispering, “And then you saw through her movements yesterday, quite spectacular, by the way," she continues, elbowing me in the ribs.

“Uh, thanks,” I grin, running my fingers into the back of my hair nervously. I can’t believe I’m sat out here bonding with Kyoshi, let alone taking dating advice about her ex-lover, "So I just need to... keep surprising her?"

"As the old saying goes, just be yourself. And also, grab her ass harder next time. She likes that."

I feel a sudden warmth flood through my whole body at that memory, and wonder if it’s even possible to blush in a dream. It must be, because Kyoshi bursts into laughter, and I realise it’s the first time I’ve heard the sound. It’s such a beautiful sound, too, and I think I’m finally starting to see what Asami saw in her. There’s something special under all that rage, all that strength, all that intimidation.

“Do you find me attractive, Korra?” Kyoshi asks, raising an eyebrow, and I wince, having forgotten yet again she can see my thoughts. Then Kyoshi’s lips stretch into a shit-faced-grin, and it’s oh so familiar…

“You’re just as bad as her! Fucking with me,” I realise, and I can’t help but wonder if Asami got it from her, or the other way around.

“A bit of both,” Kyoshi laughs, holding up a finger, “And a healthy dose of Raava, too.”

"Yeah. Actually, Raava seems to remember an awful lot about your past…” I say, knowing that she only views parts of my life, usually when I initiate conversation.

"I gave her free reign to watch as she pleased, and so my life was hers from the first day we first spoke."

"Seriously?!" I exclaim, not even realising it were an option.

"Yes. I was eight. She stopped me from killing myself," Kyoshi says, smiling wistfully, “after that, I asked her to never leave my side, and she never did.”

"Whoa...”

"Do not feel obligated to do the same, Korra. Raava is a very understanding, and very patient being."

"Don’t forget sassy."

"Yes. Definitely," Kyoshi chuckles, then looks pained all of a sudden, “despite her mischief, Asami is probably lonely. If she would have you, I would be happy… so long as you treat her well.”

“Did you just… give me your blessing?” I ask, almost recoiling in shock. 

“If that is what you wish to call it,” Kyoshi smiles. "I am dead after all, speaking to you through Raava’s memories. I have no need to cling to an old flame, even one as bright as she."

“Well… thanks. She’s been an amazing friend, and I’ll try make her happy, whatever happens,” I say, smiling.

“Thank you,” Kyoshi beams at me, which I have to say is something I never thought I’d see. Then she grimaces at the sudden, loud, high pitched screaming-cat-wails that fill the space between us, "What is that infernal racket?!" she scowls, holding her ears, “Are we under attack? Have the ferals returned?”

"No. It’s just my phone alarm. I'll talk to you later?"

"Of course. There is still much to tell."

Chapter Text

I awake with a loud groan, clumsily reaching for my phone, putting a swift end to the eardrum-piercing cat screams, and then I look at the screen with bleary eyes. There’s one new text.

Asami: Hope you’re not too sore today after what I did to you all night :)

“Argh!” I groan in frustration. I’m sure she’s trying to kill me - she’s obviously well aware of the effect she has on me, and she’s playing me, fucking with me. Like I’m her new favourite toy.

“Raava, what am I going to dooo…” I inwardly complain.

“Why don’t you get your own back?” Raava asks, chuckling.

“Yes, I’ll out-sass an ancient being, good call,” I groan, then climb out of bed and start to get ready, casting my thoughts back to last night.

We trained for at least two hours, and yes, actually, I am sore today after ‘what she did to me all night’. She gave me her all, showing her full speed, and at first, it felt impossible to track her. But she was patient, we kept trying, and eventually, I got her. At least once, I’m pleased to say. The rest of the time, I ate dirt. I ate dirt so much that I’m sure I have grass stains permanently etched onto my ass. I suppose there are worse fates than being bowled over by a sexy-as-hell vampire, though.

I pause, with my cream-coloured vest pulled halfway down. Did I seriously just think that? Shit.

Well, sore as I am, I’m just glad it’s Friday. Half a day to get through, then I can relax, though I don’t really have any plans other than the gym. I pick up my phone again and frown at Asami’s text, then reply.

Me: I’m sore all over, thanks for that!

Nice and neutral. Not gonna flirt back, because then she’ll think she’s won, and it’ll only get worse. I tug up my dark blue slacks, and pull out a white hoody from my wardrobe, figuring it feels a little chilly today even though it’s supposedly still summer. Then I hear my phone buzz and excitedly reach for it.

Jinora: You up? Guess what!!

I try to ignore the fact that I feel a pang of disappointment because it isn’t Asami.

Me: What?? :p

Jinora: I’m transferring next Monday. And so is Opal!

Me: OMG really? Shit, when did that happen?

Jinora: Tell you about it at lunch. YAY! KORRA WE ARE GONNA BE CUBEMATES

I laugh, then suddenly feel a little nervous. If they’re moving to cube five, that means they’ll want to hang out a lot more. Not that I’m complaining, but how am I supposed to keep Asami’s secret… well, secret? I run a brush vigorously through my hair, frowning at myself in the mirror. I guess all I can do is see how it goes.

—

Yeah, things are definitely changing at campus. Su’s lesson - Monster Bio - is all about vampire biology today. It’s like the entire school is suddenly obsessed with them, and I can only hope it means the truth will be revealed soon. I wonder what the Krew will think about the fact I’ve knowingly been hanging out with a sane, and even crushing on her, not that I’d admit the last part. Or maybe I would.

“Okay, this is a normal sane’s eyeball,” Su says, drawing it out on the board with a tell-tale single vertical slit. Hah, she always starts her lessons with eyeballs, seriously. “And this,” she scribbles another eye, “Is a feral’s.”

You can easily see the difference. As I’ve mentioned before, the single slit is split into two halves, one resting on top of the other.

“Who can tell me what it’s called when the feral mutation begins?” Su asks, scanning the room for a show of hands. Practically everyone knows the answer to this one.

She points to Sen, “the tipping point,” he answers.

“Very good!” Su folds her arms, “What can you tell me about the tipping point… hmm… Dayla?”

I turn to look at my sparring partner, who’s sat at the back of class next to Leanne. She looks confused at the question, maybe even annoyed, then shrugs her shoulders. “Once it happens, there’s no turning back.”

“And?”

“The vampire is still lucid. For up to an hour.”

“Yes. And what should we do if we find vampire in this state?” Su asks, suddenly frowning.

“Kill it,” Asami states, no emotion evident in her voice as she idly twirls a leg under the desk.

“But, isn’t that illegal?” I mutter, deep in thought, chewing my pen whilst staring across at Asami. I still can’t believe she chose to sit next to me last week, though at least she looks like she’ll make it through the whole lesson this time. Then again, she doesn’t have her sick mother to worry about. I frown at the thought, almost slapping myself when I realise that Asami doesn’t even have a mother. So what the hell was wrong with her?

“Not once their eyes have changed,” Asami answers, then sighs deeply. I accidentally lower my gaze, looking at her gear-shaped pendant resting just above her cleavage. It looks silver, but I suppose it can’t be. Maybe chrome, or titanium. Maybe I’m not actually looking at it at all, finding it an excuse to stare at her cleavage, and maybe I’ve just been busted, evident by a subtle smirk on her lips. I quickly turn away.

“Very good. Most vampires in this state will actually want you to kill them, since nothing is more terrifying to them than losing their mind.”

“Well, I’ve always said if I turn into a vegetable when I’m older, I’d rather be dead,” Yena chips in. I heard his Dad used to suffer from Alzheimer's, to the point where he just sat, staring at a wall all day. I can’t even imagine what that’d be like.

Su laughs, “It’s not quite the same, unless said vegetable has teeth and rips people’s faces off. But I see your point,” she says, folding her arms. “Now, who can tell me about the change from human to sane?”

“Me!” I say, excitedly sticking up a hand. I mean, I just saw the damn thing happen in my dream. I ignore the sideways glance from my vampire tormentor.

“Oh? Go on then, dear,” Su smiles, sitting on the edge of her desk.

“Someone drinks vampire blood, then they go through all kinds of pain, almost having a fit. Then they’ll die or become a vampire,” I say, smirking. I suppose we already knew all this anyway, but I bet I’m one of the few to actually witness it.

“How much blood must be ingested?” Su asks.

“I… uh. A lot?” Damn it. So much for looking smart.

“Usually around half a pint,” Su smiles, “Which trust me, is a lot of blood. Do you know why it causes a fit?” she asks me first, then peers across the rest of the class. I look across at Asami to see her fiddling with her pen, then scribbling something in her book.

“Nobody? Okay.” Su pushes herself off from the table and chalks something on the board, looks very science-ey, balls attached to other balls with sticks, and a flying saucer, or something. Man, I hate this part of bio, it’s all nonsense to me. “Every single white blood cell is destroyed, and replaced with…” she draws something weird, flat, round and pointy, makes no sense to me at all, “… H-Cells. Which are, for want of a better word, mystical. Kind of like superhuman cells.” Su suddenly beams at us, “Needless to say the transition can, and does end in sudden death. Exploding hearts, ruptured lungs, that kind of thing,” she practically sings the words. She’s so fucking morbid sometimes, and I think it’s why I love her lessons so much.

“Is that why they don’t just run around turning everyone?” Mako asks, looking super interested in the topic. Maybe he’s having second thoughts about becoming a blood bag, hah!

“Well, that and the laws preventing such a thing, not to mention they need humans to be… well, food.” Su grins wickedly when the class groans at the remark.

“Why can’t they just drink vampire blood?” Yena asks. Huh, it’s a good point. I never thought about that.

“Because they feed on white blood cells, of course,” Su says, tapping at her first picture on the board. Okay, so they’re blood cells, not UFO’s. Well, all I see when I bleed is red liquid, so whatever.

I suppose it’s actually quite an interesting lesson, even if I can’t get my head around the drawings. Some of this stuff has been covered before, like the whole changing to sanes, or changing to ferals thing. But never at this level of detail, telling us how their actual blood morphs. It’s like the vampire council has opened some kind of information flood gate, or at least, I assume the council is responsible. Maybe I’ll ask Asami later.

“Okay, now for the fun part!” Su exclaims, and draws a quick sketch of pair of lungs, and a heart on the board, “The vampire respiratory system!” she declares. Well okay, I know a bit about this, and I’m excited to see how people will react when they find out about the breathing thing. Everyone thinks vampires are dead inside, powered by voodoo or some shit, and I suppose until recently I did, too. I peer across at Asami and catch her glance, then smile at her. She smiles back, shaking her head as though amused, and I suppose she’s probably bored listening to all this, or not, since she has to effectively study the teachers, make sure they’re not fucking up, and oh shit I’m staring again, at her amazing lips, lips I’d love to... I snap my head forwards again. Pull yourself together, idiot, I think.

“H-Cells are capable of carrying massive amounts of oxygen, which they then provide to the red blood cells in a vampire’s bloodstream,” man, this is really hurting my head now, but I suppose it kind of makes sense, “this means that a vampire rarely has to breathe,” Su says, and them smirks when the class, as I expected, erupts into a mixture of gasps and confused exclamations.

“It also means that their hearts beat very infrequently,” I bite my teeth on my pen at that revelation, causing the plastic case to crack open. Their hearts still beat? Holy shit! They’re just like us, but with slow-mo blood, or something. And… that means Asami has a heartbeat. I don’t know why, but the thought makes me feel suddenly warm inside, and now I’m looking at her again, and she’s caught me glancing again, and she’s smirking about it again. Damn it!

“Sooo… they look like us. They breathe, and their hearts beat,” Mako says, looking perplexed.

“Yes. They are like us, but with a very slow, super-effective respiratory system,” Su states, matter-of-factly, sitting on the edge of her desk again. “But if they become feral, their blood changes a second time.” Su pauses, and draws on the board again, this time it looks like two smaller prickly circles, “The H-Cells mutate, splitting into two - we call them U-Cells. It’s a survival trigger which strengthens the vampire, but sends them into a permanent, primal frenzy.”

I raise my hand, “and there’s no way to revert that, um, splitty-up thing?” I ask, feeling almost bad for the vamps that go through it.

“Sadly, no. Scientists have attempted to find a way to fuse U-Cells back together, but so far without success.” She says, dusting her hands of chalk, “Okay, let’s take a fifteen minute break.”

Bolin and Mako sit around my desk, whilst Asami joins her friends at the back. I kind of wish she’d join us one day, even though I know that’s selfish. Still, I can’t help but peer across the room, only to see she’s taken her notebook and the three of them – Leanne, Dayla and Asami, are huddled around it, deep in conversation.

“I wonder what’s got them all riled up?” I mumble, wondering if Asami’s sharing some extra Sane secrets with her new friends, and if so, why? Wouldn’t that reveal her identity, or something?

“Asami’s a big science geek from what I hear,” Mako yawns, “all this talk about blood’s probably got her excited.”

Hah, if only you knew, I think to myself, smirking.

We spend the rest of the lesson studying feral physicality, and how they change with age, becoming less and less human. Their manes and snouts freak me out the most, I think. Then again it’s a close call between that, and their claws, which become pitch black and razor sharp. Yeah, ever since seeing that fucking thing claw through Asami’s chest in one punch, I think the claws win.

—

“So, you’re both transferring?” I ask, stirring my noodles with my chopsticks, and I suppress a laugh when two very excited faces nod vigorously, “That’s awesome!” I grin, “so we just need Kai to get his ass into gear, then we’re all together!”

“Hey, I’m not quite the genius Jinora is. I don’t think that many nineteen year olds get into fifth,” he says, and even though he’s pouting, I can hear the pride clear in his voice.

We’re suddenly interrupted by a polite cough, and I turn to see Asami, sort of awkwardly smiling, standing at the end of the table and holding her tray. I don’t know how she does it, but she always looks so damn good - today she’s wearing a low cut white blouse, her hair hanging loosely across her shoulders, and thin strands of it cascading across her collar bone.“Mind if I sit here?” she asks, and though my heart’s beating just a little quicker, I can’t help but think she’s up to something, some new way to mess with me. I eye her suspiciously, but she smiles at me, sweet as sweet can be, and at everyone’s very polite and eager acceptance, sits opposite me, to the left of Jinora.

“Fallen out with your friends?” I ask, still idly swirling a bunch of noodles around my chopsticks.

“I felt like a change of scenery,” She shrugs, opening up her own box of noodles, and pouring a flavour sachet in. Then pouring another one in, from her pocket. And then a third. Everyone’s staring, and now she’s shaking the salt pot into her tub, over and over, and there’s like a fucking mountain of salt in there, which she then tops off with pepper. “What?” she asks, raising an eyebrow at everyone’s confused expression, “Hey, I like a little flavour.”

“A little.” Mako says, looking bemused.

“Sooo, when did you guys become friends?” Asami asks, quickly changing the topic. I realise she’s spoken to Bolin and Mako before, but I’m not sure she’s actually met Jinny, Opal and Kai.

“I met Opal and the boys in fourth cube, three years ago,” I say, plucking a scoop of noodles up and blowing on them, “But with Jinora and Kai, we kind of just bumped into each other last year, at Benders,” I explain, mouth full, chewing.

“Ah, the club, right?” Asami smiles, “Hmm. I’ve always wanted to go…”

I avoid laughing at the fact she last wanted to go when high as shit on my blood. I can’t even imagine how that would have turned out, and whether it would have been hilarious or disastrous. Maybe both.

“You haven’t been?!” Jinora exclaims, “We’re going tonight it’ll be amazing you should come with us,” she says, without taking a breath, her cheeks suddenly red. Looks like she might have quite the little crush after all, and I’m surprised to say I feel a little jealous at the fact.

“Wait, we’re going out?” I ask, frowning.

“Helloooo, cube transfer? That means party time!” Opal sings the words, jiggling in her chair with excitement.

“Well, I suppose tomorrow’s Saturday, so we could really let loose,” I grin, elbowing Bolin softly in the ribs. He’s been really quiet lately, but seems to cheer up a little at the gesture. “Anyway, Asami… meet Jinora,” I nod next to her, “Opal, and Kai.”

Asami smiles and holds a hand out, greeting each of them in turn. Then she slowly slurps a bunch of noodles between her lips, and looks to her left, at Jinora, who’s blatantly staring at her. There’s this kind of weird staring competition, I watch as Asami’s lips curve slowly upwards, and I know where this is going, my inner voice screaming no, Asami, don’t do it. Stop.

“So, you’re Jinora…” Asami purrs, resting her chin in her palm.

I pause mid-suck, a few strands of noodles hanging from my lips, feeling like half of me wants her to stop right now, but the other half is dying to see what happens next.

“The one and only,” Jinora grins, though I can see it’s just an act. I bet she’s terrified.

“Huh, you’re cute,” Asami smiles sweetly. Too sweetly. Oh fuck, no. No no no. She’s going to do something terrible. I can sense it, she’s doing that thing where her lip curves up in that certain way.

“So I’m told,” Jinora laughs awkwardly, sipping at her coffee and clearly blushing. Kai suddenly slips his arms around her shoulders, looking at Asami with what I suppose is meant to be a challenging glare. He looks at me, then back at Asami, then back at me with an eyebrow raised, and I just shrug, knowing that Asami’s found a new plaything, and honestly feeling somewhat relieved to be off the hook, even if only for a short time. I can almost see the cogs turning in Asami’s head, probably wondering just how much she wants to fuck with people today.

Thankfully she seems to decide against it, and I let out a huge sigh of relief.

“Anyway… If you’re sure, I’d love to join you, thank you,” she says, stirring masses of sugar around in the bottom of her coffee cup.

“Awesome!” Opal grins, then turns to me and wiggles her eyebrows, shooting glances at an oblivious Asami. I shake my head, wondering just what I’m getting myself into here.

We somehow manage to finish our lunch without Asami deciding to royally fuck with anyone, and whilst we’re all clearing up our trash, I place a palm on her arm, “Hey, can we talk a minute?”

“Hmm? Sounds serious.” She smiles.

“I’ll see you guys at eight, outside the front,” I wave at the others, then fold my arms and walk with Asami towards the west exit.

“So, what’s up?” she asks, as we walk outside, then around the school grounds, not heading in any particular direction.

“You lied to me,” I say, sighing, stuffing my hands into the large pocket at the front of my hoody.

“When?” she frowns.

“Last Thursday. I only realised in lesson just now… but all that shit about your Mother.”

“Ohhh.”

“Yeah, Oh.”

“Let’s go talk at the oak. I need a joint.”

—

I rest my back against the familiar wood, thankful that the ground is dry since I didn’t bring my usual blanket. Asami’s sat just next to me, our thighs almost touching, whilst her fingers work quickly. She conjures up a thick joint in next to no time, and quickly lights it up, taking a deep drag.

“So, no more secrets, right?” I say, pulling my knees up to my chest.

She looks deep in thought for a moment, then slowly shakes her head, “Yeah. I suppose if we’re being honest from now on, I did leave, but didn’t go to the city. Just one of my retreats, down in Gaoling.”

“But how come you left in the first place?”

“Because you reminded me of her.” She admits, blowing out a long trail of smoke, and with that same sad look in her eyes I see sometimes.

“Oh… Sorry,” I say, feeling suddenly very guilty for prying into this, “Is there something specific I did? I mean, I can make sure I don’t do it again.”

“Oh, bless your sweet innocence,” Asami chuckles, and at my confused expression, “If you can stop yourself bleeding, then sure.”

I frown, and then recoil at the sudden understanding, “You smelt my mensies? Gross!”

“Oh yes, because I do it on purpose,“ she rolls her eyes, then takes another drag and passes the spliff across, which I gladly take a long suck at, holding the smoke in my lungs for a while, like she taught me.

“But how would that remind you of Kyoshi? She wouldn’t… well, bleed,” I frown, exhaling a puff of smoke.

“Oh, she bled plenty. Blood is blood, no matter from where it spills,” she sighs, “And I have no idea why, but there’s a tinge to yours, just a little like hers. Plus you share other traits… you’re stubborn, and headstrong.”

“I’ll take that as a compliment,” I say, smiling, passing the joint back, suddenly aware I’m practically leaning against her, our thighs touching. She doesn’t seem to mind.

“Well, at least next time it won’t take me by surprise so much,” she says, leaning into me, too. It feels nice.

“And now I feel like an idiot,” I groan, “I called you ‘Sami. Like she did.”

A long silence. She takes at least two more drags on the joint, and I’m thinking, perhaps I shouldn’t have mentioned that.

“Yes.” She eventually admits, though she doesn’t sound too upset, “And you must also know she was my ‘Yoshi.”

“I think it’s cute,” I say, taking the spliff back from her. I’m starting to feel the same buzz as last time, and can only hope I don’t start laughing at random words again.

“I suppose it was.”

“I’ll just keep calling you Hair, then.”

“Sounds good to me.”

“I can’t not bleed, though.”

“Like I said, it was more the surprise than anything. Very few things can unsettle me.”

“Hence being okay with the kyoshi-porn?”

“Pretty much. Speaking of which, tell me, Korra,” she suddenly smirks, and tilts her head so that her lips are an inch from my ear, whispering, “Did you enjoy it? How I felt against you… how I sounded…”

My throat suddenly goes very dry, and I face forwards, growling, “You’re fucking with me again.”

“Absolutely,” she laughs, moving her lips away. Man, I’m torn between wanting to scream, and wanting to tackle her to the ground for a long, deep kiss. I don’t, of course. Instead, I dwell on last night’s dream whilst Asami leans forwards and rolls up joint number two.

“Hey, Asami,” I say, watching her spark up.

“Mmm?” she mumbles, sucking at the lit spliff.

“Last night… I watched you die. And then change. It must have been awful.”

“Not the most pleasant experience, from what I recall,” she shrugs, leaning back against the tree, blowing out a few rings of smoke.

“Kyoshi accepted you right away, though,” I sigh, knowing that I failed miserably in that department.

“Yeah. She was quick to adapt. One of the reasons I loved her,” Asami says with a soft smile, and I can’t help but feel my heart sink knowing that I was anything but quick to adapt, and that I’m not worthy of her love because of it.

“She hasn’t shown me how she changed, yet,” I say, wondering if Kyoshi were quick to get used to that, too.

“Oh, she will.” Asami pauses, and stretches herself out. “Hey, did she show you our little rough ‘n tumble after I changed?”

“Hah! Nope. She kept it secret. Said she still felt the bruises,” I grin.

“Damn, I was so out of it. I was honestly hoping you could tell me, jog my memory,” Asami laughs, and maybe it’s because the weed’s taking effect, but it’s such a wonderful sound.

“Sorry to disappoint,” I chuckle. I’m wondering if I should mention anything about my other conversation with Kyoshi, but figure it might come out all jumbled, or sound like I’m making assumptions. Assumptions about us, what we are, and what we could be. Man, I just don’t want to get my hopes up, or kid myself, or piss her off.

“Looking forwards to the party?” she asks, thankfully distracting me from my near-panic.

“Yes and no.”

“Huh?”

“Alcohol and I… let’s just say we’ve had a few mishaps in the past.” I smirk.

“Oh?” she leans right against me this time, sending a pulse of warmth flooding through me as she passes the second joint across, “Tell me everything.”

Chapter Text

Okay. So, I’m still mildly stoned, there’s an hour until we all meet up, and I have absolutely no clue what to wear.

“Don’t suppose you have any ideas?” I ask Raava.

“You are using my ages-old wisdom… to ask for fashion advice?”

“I suck at this though. I wear vests or vests.”

“You wish to know what Asami would like.” Raava’s form shimmers brightly at the words, and it feels like she’s smirking at me.

“I never said that,” I pout, looking through my wardrobe. Man, I’m hungry, stupid stoner munchies. I grab a protein bar from my dresser drawer, and chew it on it whilst idly flicking through the stuff on my hangers. I’m pretty sure I haven’t worn half this stuff, and some of it wouldn’t even fit on my arms anymore… I have the gym to thank for that.

“The thing is, I don’t have anything… sexy,” I sigh.

“So you do want to impress her!”

“Ugh, no, I just want to look good,” I say, knowing I’m lying every bit as much as Raava does.

“Be yourself, Korra. Like Kyoshi said.”

I scan through my drawers, and then my wardrobe a second time, grunting because nothing seems good enough. Suddenly my phone buzzes, and I panic when I realise I’ve already lost thirty minutes doing absolutely nothing.

Asami: Wanna head to the club together?

I smile.

Me: Sounds good

Asami: Okay, I’ll grab you in twenty minutes

Shit, I need to get a move on! Okay, I’ll just go with this one, I think, pulling out a faded blue and white shirt. I start out with most of the buttons undone, and I’m a little embarrassed about the obvious cleavage on display. I fiddle around in the mirror, fastening all the buttons. Too smart, makes me look stiff. How about one button undone? No, still no good. Two? Three. Okay there’s the cleavage again. But, I suppose it looks good? Man, I suck at this, but I’ll leave it at three.

“Huh, looks okay,” I figure, twisting my shoulders side to side.

Okay, pants. Maybe I’ll go less baggy than usual, and show off my ass for once. I hold up my only pair of skinny jeans, black and barely worn, and scrutinise them.

“Do it,” Raava chuckles.

“Fine, fine. If it looks bad I have you to blame,” I laugh, then grunt whilst squeezing myself into the damn things. Lastly, I grab a pair of black trainers, which is my spare pair that I keep for nights out, and study myself in my full-length wardrobe mirror.

“Not bad,” I tell myself, though I’m thinking maybe I could change my hair for once. Yeah. Okay. I sit down and check the phone, seeing I have five minutes left. Just enough time to tie it up into a neat bun.

I’m applying the finishing touches, coaxing a few strands to hang down either side of my face, when there’s a knock at my door, and my heart just about leaps from my chest.

“Go get her tiger,” Raava growls.

“Oh shush,” I scold her, “and I’ll talk to you later.” I hear her chuckle in response, then vanish from my thoughts.

I open the door to see a very confident, and very sexy-looking Asami. She’s wearing a light purple tee, and a long, brown leather jacket, with dark red padding and gold buckles on the collar, crimson jeans, and her long, buckled boots. Not that it matters really, since I’m fairly sure she’d make anything she wore look good.

“Hey, you ready?” She asks, folding her arms and grinning. She actually looks excited, which I find odd considering she’s probably seen and done stuff like this a thousand times.

“Yeah. Let’s go,” I smile, walking out of the dorm and locking the door behind.

We head straight down the south corridor, though I’m feeling a little self-conscious about my clothing choice all of a sudden.

“You look good,” Asami smiles, gently edging her shoulder against mine.

“Uh, thanks,” I smile, suddenly finding a strand of my hair very interesting, “You do too. As always.”

She shrugs off my compliment with a sort of lop-sided smile, and I’m not sure if that means she agrees, disagrees, or is indifferent.

“And those jean really show off your ass!” she exclaims, leaning backwards and raising her eyebrows. I can’t help but blush. Not one but two compliments, from someone who only usually pokes fun and teases? It must be my lucky day. In fact I’m even waiting for her to say she’s fucking with me, but she doesn’t, and she just smiles sincerely.

“So, will I witness the amazing hulk smash tonight?” She asks, grinning, after we’ve walked through the south wing exit. We’re headed across the campus yard to the hub, her large boots crunching on the gravel beneath.

“I so shouldn’t have told you that,” I grumble folding my arms.

She laughs, “I’m glad you did. I just wish I’d been there.”

“Maybe you could have stopped me,” I smile.

“Oh, I would have encouraged you.”

“Yes. I bet you would,” I smirk, “Huh, looks like the Krew’s already here,” I say, seeing them all stood just outside, each of them highlighted in pink beneath the brightly lit neon.

“Awesome. Let’s get this show on the road,” Asami chuckles, grabbing me by the arm and storming forwards. Man, she really is excited about tonight, maybe that’s why she isn’t being an ass for once.

Mako and Bolin are looking pretty handsome, wearing smart shirts and black jeans, in fact I can’t help but wonder if Mako might even find himself a lady friend tonight. Or a boyfriend. I have my suspicions about him. Jinora and Kai are hooked arm in arm, inseparable as always, and Opal has her arms threaded through the gaps at Bolin’s elbows, her chin on his shoulder, practically piggybacking on him.

“Shall we?” Bolin says, gesturing us inside. The bouncer doesn’t even bother to check our ID’s, but he does do a double take on Asami. Maybe he knows who she is, though I’m not sure if her secrets are restricted to just teachers or all staff.

It’s quite early, since most folks don’t arrive at Bender’s until nine. We have our pick of seats, and we choose one of the biggest - a nice, comfortable booth with a massive table that we can all sit around.

“I’ll pay, if you go,” I grin at Bolin, “I never know what to pick anyway,” I say, passing him a few notes.

“Deal! Be back in a minute,” he says, rushing off with Opal towards the bar.

I bump myself all the way across the booth until I’m sat at one end, opposite Mako, Kai and Jinora, and Asami squishes herself in right next to me, sitting far closer than she has to, her thigh literally pressing into mine. I look up and meet her eyes, only to see her raise her eyebrows in a swift jiggle whilst she squeezes a hand into my thigh. And there it is, that shit faced grin, the beginning of the end.

“Wanna find a private booth?” she asks just loudly enough so that only I can hear over the music. I groan and put my face in my palm, trying to ignore her laughter. And so, it begins. Tonight will be the end of me. I figure I’ll definitely try to stay off the alcohol a little, otherwise who only knows what I’ll do.

Bolin and Opal soon return with a giant bowl of very strong-smelling alcohol, which I’m thinking is a bad idea so early on, especially since this one doesn’t even know what colour it wants to be. Maybe it’s the disco lights but one minute I think it’s red, the next, blue. Still, Mako reaches over and pours the suspicious fluid into our empty glasses, handing us one each.

“Huh, tastes of strawberry,” I say, then grimace at the aftertaste, “mixed with I don’t know, fucking gasoline.”

“Well, it’s my favourite,” Opal grins.

I glance to my side to see Asami sipping on hers, wrinkling her nose a little, and shrugging.

“Don’t like it?” I ask.

“It’s a little bland,” she says, smiling. I kind of feel bad for her, not being able to actually taste anything other than extreme flavour. A sudden thought occurs, and I lean towards her, whispering.

“Can you even get drunk?”

“Hah!” she grins, “Yes, but it takes a lot. Maybe two bottles of vodka,” she muses.

“Whoa.”

“Why,” she grins, “would you like to see me drunk, oh mighty avatar?” she purrs the last word and I’m ashamed to say it’s yet another fucking massive turn on, like most of the things she does.

“Can you at least let me get drunk before you start your nonsense?” I ask, masking my arousal with a pout.

“Hmm. I’ll think about it,” she says, winking.

Two bowls of evil juice later, having survived at least three more flirtatious Asami-onslaughts - and by ‘survived’ I mean I’m already at the point where would literally bang her on the table if it were even a choice - the place is really starting to liven up. The dance floors are full, and most of the Krew are definitely looking glassy-eyed, if not blatantly drunk. Not me. I’ve had maybe two drinks in total, using the excuse that I have stomach acid.

Suddenly, the music changes to something at a completely different tempo, and I figure it must have turned ten now because that’s usually when they put on the more high-adrenaline stuff. I’m just glad it’s quieter out back where the booths are, since I like to actually hear people talk sometimes.

“Oh, I know this one!” Asami exclaims, and at almost the exact same time Jinora squeals in excitement. Their eyes meet across the table, and Asami smirks, sliding away from me and leaving the booth. I kind of miss the warmth of her leg against mine, since it’s been there most of the night.

I watch, grinning behind my hand, as Asami beckons Jinora to join her, then grabs her by the hand and practically yanks the poor girl out to the dancefloor.

“Can you tell your girlfriend to keep her claws out of my girlfriend?” Kai sighs, rolling his eyes dramatically.

“First, not my girlfriend. Second, she’s just messing, Kai,” I sigh, “Besides, Jinny would never fuck about. You know that.”

“Yeah, I know,” he smiles, “But shouldn’t it be you out there?”

“The man has a point,” Mako says, and Bolin nods in agreement, sucking on his over-sized straw.

“Seriously Korra, haven’t you even tried?” Opal asks, raising an eyebrow, “I mean, she’s been practically sitting on your knee all night.”

“Ugh, guys!” I grimace as my cheeks heat up, “She said right at the start, no relationships. Plus, I apparently remind her of her ex,” I grumble. I don’t tell them said ex is the mighty avatar Kyoshi, no less. A fierce, centuries old, perfect and understanding lover.

“Is that a bad thing?” Opal asks.

“Well, obviously. It’s probably painful for her.”

“Orrr, you’re her type,” Bolin grins.

I frown, at first thinking that’s ridiculous, but then digesting the possibility, “I… well. Nah. Not a chance.” I shake my head.

“Then why does she keep looking at you?” Opal grins, and I’m about to turn to check, “Don’t move. Just trust me. She does.”

“She does,” Mako confirms, pouring himself another drink from the bowl, “As for relationships, aren’t you thinking ahead a little? Just go out and have fun!”

“I… Fuck, I just can’t, okay? She intimidates me,” I sigh.

“Aha, the truth is out, at last,” Kai grins, “Look, I’m about to rescue my girlfriend, so how about you just come over with me and we all dance.”

“What, guys-no!” I start to protest, but they’re all already standing, and I’m huddled with them, almost forcibly pushed to the dance floor.

And my dear friends, of course, manage to arrange themselves around so that I have no choice but to dance right in front of Asami, if you can even call it dancing, that is. I should have drank more. A lot more. Asami seems to be having a great time, though, writhing her hips in time with the music, her open jacket flowing with her movements. In fact, everyone’s just listening to the music, getting into it, not a care in the world. Screw it, I’m tired of worrying about everything. I try to relax, and dance, just like I would any other Friday with the gang.

I don’t know if it’s the flashing lights playing tricks on me, but I notice Asami’s eyes seem to meet mine a lot, and every time she looks at me I feel this deep twinge, from my gut, flowing upwards. I’m glad it’s too dark for her to see that I’m probably turning a bronze-red shade by now, but then almost curse at myself when I remember she can see. She can literally see everything. Okay, I need to stop over-thinking. She’s here. My friends are here. We’re just dancing. And she’s looking at me again, and all I want to do is take her into a private room and push her against a wall, and…

Suddenly the music morphs into something faster, and Jinora grabs Kai’s hands yelling how much she loves this one.

“Come on guys!” She shouts over the music, and damn it, yes we always form a train to this one but really? Now? Asami probably thinks it’s ridiculous. And yet she’s the first in line, grabbing Jinora’s waist from behind as Jinora grabs Kai’s. She looks back to see who’s next in line, and I feel myself pushed forwards into her, spinning my head back to glare at Bolin whilst I almost crash into her. Okay, so now my hands are on her waist, just under the folds of her jacket, and Opal’s are on mine, but hey it’s all good. There’s nothing wrong with this, this is all just a dance. A normal, everyday group dance, where we follow each other like idiots in a giant caterpillar train. A dance where I can’t help but feel the way her hips sway under my touch, and how warm she feels, with just a little dampness seeping through her T-shirt.

So, vampires sweat too, I mean that should have been obvious, but the thought turns me on far, far more than it should and I have to physically restrain myself from accidentally slipping my hands under the tee, a thin strip of cloth separating me from her skin. At this rate I’m going to have to abort mission, go find a damn cold shower and cool off.

Kai manages to find another student train to hook up with, and before long we have perhaps a record-length line of students parading around the club, kicking out each leg in time with their music. I can hear Opal laughing behind me and I start to laugh along, thinking this is all so damn stupid, but it’s great that everyone just goes along with it anyway.

I’m actually saddened by the fact that the song comes to an end, and we all head back to our booth. This time I greedily suck at my straw, deciding I’ll need a lot more courage if I’m going to make it through tonight, especially when Asami sits next to me, leans to my ear and whispers.

“Did you enjoy having your hands on me at last?”

Maybe it’s the booze, but that’s it. I’ve had enough. I glare at her, “Yes, actually.”

That seems to take her by surprise, and I’m sure even without superior night vision that I see her blush, just for a second. Interesting.

From then on, I up the ante. She tries to squeeze my thigh, and I rest my palm above hers, squeezing her hand, raising my eyebrows and smirking. I make sure to lean across her the next time I pour myself a drink, giving her a nice view down my shirt, which I’m happy to announce now has a fourth button undone. I catch her looking and raise an eyebrow, grinning.

“Korra Waters, are you flirting with me?” she suddenly asks, with a shocked expression.

“Playing you at your own game, more like,” I say, laughing. Huh, turns out it’s actually fun to fight back. I should have done it sooner.

“Well damn, I didn’t think you had it in you,” she chuckles, downing the rest of her drink and shaking her head.

Opal suddenly gasps when the next song comes on, and we all stand up again at her insistence. I shake my head, just going along with it, finally content to just kick out and have fun, and see how it goes.

It turns out to be one of the most fun nights I’ve ever had, and I don’t know if it’s because I loosened up or because I loved watching Asami, dancing without a care in the world, and laughing with my goofy friends. By the end of it, as we head back across campus grounds, everyone’s in super-high spirits. As for me, I’m just happy that I’ve finally found a way to beat Asami at her own game. From now on, any nonsense she gives me will be returned, threefold.

—

I soon arrive back at my dorm, having said my farewells to the Krew. I’m pleased to report I’m almost completely sober, definitely all danced out, and as I turn the keys in my door, I can’t help but feel saddened that the night is over. Asami’s stood just behind me, and I figure she’s probably intent on winning this new fun game of ours with some kind of ultimate death-defying flirtation.

She doesn’t follow me in, though. Instead, she sort of hesitates by the entrance of my dorm, one hand resting palm up on the door frame, her other on her waist.

“Thanks for tonight… I had fun,” she says, smiling.

“Me too,” I grin, releasing my hair from its knot, then turning to face her as my hair cascades freely around my face. She has this strange expression, and I’m almost wondering if she wants me to invite her in, or if this is another part of the game. There’s no smirk on her lips though, no usual tell-tale sign. Maybe she does want to come in, my heart thuds quickly in my chest at the thought, and I smile, suddenly remembering that her heart beats, too. “Hey, Asami?”

“Hmm?”

“Is it true?” I ask, kicking my trainers off, “That you… really have a heart beat?”

“Of course.” She smiles, “Come here,” she gestures me forwards, and I cautiously approach, waiting for her next game move to be revealed. She lightly takes my wrist, and before I can stop her, places my palm on her chest just below her breast. She’s so warm, hotter than I expected, and her T-Shirt is still damp with sweat. All kinds of thoughts run through my head, thoughts I know I shouldn’t be having, and just when I’m starting to feel awkward I’m distracted by a beautiful, solid thump, sending a shiver right down my spine.

“Whoa…” I gasp. Then there’s another one, and four seconds later, another, “Hey, isn’t that going a little faster than it should?”

She releases my wrist from her grip, looking a little perplexed, “Our heart rate can increase, too. Largely for the same reasons yours would.”

I smirk, and don’t remove my hand, deciding I’m going to not only turn the tables tonight, I’m going to win the damn game, “So, you mean when you’re excited?” I lean forwards, brushing her hair away and putting my lips to her ear, “Like… right now?” I breathe the words against her, grinning when I feel her heart speed up a little more, and her body go rigid.

“You’d better stop that,” she threatens with a low rumble, and I feel a sudden hot throb between my legs at the words.

“Or else?” I whisper, the air suddenly thick between us. I know I’m supposed to tell her I’m just fucking with her right about now, since that’s how the game works, since that’s how I win. But I can’t. I want her, I’ve wanted her all night, and I pull away, keeping my hand where it is, meeting her eyes with mine, making it as clear as I can that I’m not fucking around, I’m doing anything but fucking around, and in fact the only fucking I want to do right now is-

She suddenly rushes forwards, into me, somehow managing to slam the door behind whilst crashing her lips against mine. I’m surprised, for a second wondering if this is actually happening, but then I melt into her, groaning, kissing her back urgently, feeling how amazing her lips are, wrapping my arms around her and pulling her against me, needing to feel as much of her as possible. She throws her jacket off then urges me backwards until I’m on the bed, and she’s above me, where our lips break apart and we meet each other’s hungry gaze.

And there, she pauses for a second, her lips curling into a smirk, “If you tell me you’re fucking around, I will actually kill you,” I half-pant, half-growl, my arms still around her shoulders.

“Oh, I like this side of you,” Asami says, her voice dry. She presses her lips to my neck, and runs her tongue slowly upwards, making me groan, making my whole body tremble, until she’s right by my ear, “Not fucking around. But definitely fucking.”

“Mmm…” I’m not sure what turns me on more, her tongue or her voice, but I am sure I want her to be touching me, everywhere, all at once. I want her so badly that I think I’m actually going to die if she doesn’t touch me soon, and I gasp when I feel her hand snap open the single button of my jeans, then push the zipper down, her hand sliding further, but she pauses, and smirks, holding her finger just above where I need her, barely touching me at all. I grab behind her neck and pull her towards me, kissing her deeply, delighting in her guttural groan when I find her tongue with mine. I kiss my way along her cheek, and nibble just beneath her ear, “Stop teasing. I want you,” I groan the words, surprised at my own boldness.

“I thought you’d never ask,” she growls, then sits up, her thighs holding me in place as she tugs her purple top off over her arms, revealing damp, ivory skin and a black, laced bra which she quickly unhooks. Holy shit… My lips feel dry at the sight, I lean up, gently stroking my hands down the sides of her torso, mesmerised. Her hands reach to my buttons, swiftly popping them open, and she runs a fingertip down my exposed strip of flesh, forcing me to shudder in excitement. She hooks a finger under my sports bra, I raise my arms to help her free me, and once I’m exposed I’m pushed flat to the bed where she leans down, pressing herself into me, pushing her breasts against mine, and fuck, it feels so good, I’m almost breathless. She captures my mouth in another searing kiss, and I envelop her in my arms, holding her, kissing her back, my whole body trembling.

She tugs against my jeans and I quickly lift myself from the bed to help her win the struggle, feeling my underwear slip down with my jeans. She pins my arms by the side of my head, not too hard, and gazes down at me, running her gorgeous eyes slowly down my body. She rests her stare on my heaving, tense abdomen, leaning down to slowly glide the tip of her tongue across my tense muscles, forcing me to groan deeply. It’s almost too much, her tongue, trailing across my body, all the way up until she’s at my breast, which she takes into her hot mouth, sucking it between her lips, causing me to groan louder than ever, my fingers fisting into her hair, my torso arcing into her, my hips writhing, my groin desperate for her touch. She kisses her way upwards to my collar bone where I coax her towards my lips, greedily kissing her again, and again.

Her lips eventually pull away, I miss them the second they’re gone and I moan in complaint.

 “One minute. Sorry,” she grins awkwardly, then swings her legs off the bed and tugs off her boots, unhooks her belt, unzips her jeans, and wriggles out of them, one leg at a time, until that’s left is a small, black pair of panties. She stands and eases them down, until all that’s left is Asami, completely naked, and right here, with me, in my dorm. I get a good, long look at her amazingly firm ass before she turns and clambers back on top of me, trapping me beneath her thighs again, and I can’t help but stare. She’s magnificent. Every inch of her body is perfect, from the swell of her breasts, to the curve of her hips. The line stretching down her taut abdomen. The light definition of muscle on her arms and legs, just the right balance of smooth and strong. I hold my hands at her hips, staring at her in wonder, right into her beautiful eyes.

“Like what you see?” she asks, cocking an eyebrow, then brushing a large mass of hair behind her shoulder.

“You’re beautiful,” I say in a whisper, my mouth dry.

“Mmm. That’s the first thing you ever said about me,” she smiles, lowering herself onto me again, her expression softening.

“I knew you heard me,” I chuckle.

My laughter is broken by her tender kiss, and I thread my fingers into her hair, soon hungry for more. Every kiss becomes deeper than the last, until we’re moaning into each other, her tongue flicking against mine, our bare bodies melding together, and I know she’s just as wet as I am because I feel her damp, black curls brush against my thigh as we grind against each other. Her hand slides down my tense abdomen, further still, and I cry out when I finally feel her touch, her fingers sliding between my damp folds, rolling around my aching bud. Fuck… I’m already so close to coming, just from this. Her fingers gradually slide towards my wetness, and I gasp when she pushes deeply, until she finds the barrier I’ve never dared to break myself. I hiss air between my teeth at the sudden pressure there, caught between a mix of pain and pleasure, and when I notice her hesitation I meet Asami’s eyes with mine. Her cheeks are flooded with colour, but she looks anguished, maybe even shocked, “Korra… Why didn’t you-”

“Don’t you dare stop,” I groan.

“But…”

“Please…” I lean up and kiss her again.

“O-Okay… try to relax,” she whispers, kissing across my cheek, nibbling at my neck, soon forcing me to writhe into her touch again. This time she presses a finger into me slowly, gently, then back out again to brush against my clit, pressing a little further each time, and it feels so fucking amazing even like this, even before she’s… oh… shit… she’s inside me… it didn’t even hurt…

“F-Fuck...” I groan at the new sensation, pressure stretching my deepest inner walls, and I clutch my fingers against her strong back as a wave of pleasure floods through me, forcing my eyes shut.

She starts to withdraw, and I panic for a moment, thinking she’s going to stop, but she gently thrusts herself into me again, even deeper, causing sparks of light to dance behind my eyes, and I surrender to her, to anything and everything, feeling myself burning with even more need every single time I feel her inside of me. She collides her lips into mine, masking the loud moans of pleasure I can’t hold back, my hips bucking into her hand, over and over, and I’m coming, so fucking hard that I can’t stop myself from raking my nails down her back, and gasping loudly into her mouth.

When I eventually open my eyes, I see hers lingering just above, and right now, in this very second, with the exact way that she’s looking at me, I’m lost, in every sense of the word. Like, if I could pause a moment in time and that’d be my whole life, this would be that moment.

“Are you okay?” she asks, and I chuckle at the question.

“Why wouldn’t I be?” I ask, stroking my fingers across her cheek, wondering why she isn’t kissing me right now.

She looks away for a moment, her cheeks flushed bright red, “I didn’t realise… you hadn’t… I mean, I would have gone slower. Or stopped. I’m sorry.”

A flustered Asami. This is new, and it melts my heart. “I didn’t want to go slow, or ruin the mood by saying anything,” I grin, leaning upwards until we’re both upright, torso to torso, “Besides, you did go slow. I’d say about a week of relentless teasing counts as foreplay,” I pout.

She chuckles, and lightly kisses my pouting lips, “It worked, didn’t it?”

“Definitely,” I growl, urging her to my left, until we’re laying, side by side, and I’m running a palm down the curve of her body. I reach around behind her waist, tightly grabbing her ass and pulling our bodies close together.

“Mmm, much better than last time,” she chuckles, her eyes sparkling, her smile stretching almost from ear to ear. I’m suddenly painfully aware that other than a little fooling around with Mey, I’ve never actually made love to a woman. Asami sure as hell knew what she was doing, and I know what I want to do, like, a million different things, but still, it’s a little overwhelming, and I-

My thoughts dissolve when she presses her lips against mine, softly, gently coaxing my lips apart with a soft slide of her tongue. I glide my trembling hand down her torso, cupping her breast, and when she arches into my touch, quietly gasping, all I can think is how amazing she sounds, and how amazing she feels. I kiss across her cheek, to her ear, not daring to move my hand further.

“You can touch me,” she says, her voice quiet, the words forcing heat to my cheeks, and I glide my hand slowly down, tracing that thin, sexy line down her abdomen. I pause for a moment, biting my own lip, then slide my hand between her legs, groaning with her when I feel a warm, wet flood waiting for me, my heart soaring at the sounds she makes when I press my fingers against her. I roll my fingertips in light circles, and she utters gentle words of encouragement, how hard to press, where to press, and when. I ease my fingers inside of her, and groan at how amazing it feels, becoming dizzy when she gasps at my touch, tells me… yes, that’s good, right there, like that. “Keep doing that,” she whispers, her hips bucking into me, and I’m blown away by everything, the sound of her deep groans, and how amazing her wetness feels enveloped around my fingers.

I meet each thrust of her hips, my palm pressing down, and I lean towards her neck, gliding the tip of my tongue across it. Fuck, she even tastes good, and when I bite into her skin softly, she groans louder still, her hips buck, and she’s soon forcing my lips against hers, her fingers pulling at the back of my neck, groaning and writhing against me. I feel her getting close, she must be because her whole body’s starting to shake, she’s making the most beautiful sounds I’ve ever fucking heard, gasping, groaning, and I’m filled with a whole new need myself, a need I have to ignore, focusing completely on her. Right now, she’s my everything. My hand moves for her, my lips kiss for her, and I closely watch and feel all that she does, trying my best to do what she needs.

She suddenly throws her head back against the pillow in a loud cry,  holding my hand down with hers, locking my fingers inside as she violently rocks against me, and fuck, it’s the most intimate, amazing thing I’ve ever experienced, her walls fluttering around me, her torso arching, and even more wetness flooding around my hand. It’s completely different to the dreams. It’s real. It’s me, with her, and I can hardly believe it’s happening at all.

Once I feel that she’s completely relaxed, I gently remove my hand. She coaxes me upwards, into her arms, so that I’m laying with my head upon her chest, my arm around her torso, her hand stroking idly through my hair. I lay there, in silence, feeling her chest rise and fall, slowing down each time, listening to her heart as it also slows, from once every three seconds, to every five, then every ten. Soon it’s hardly beating at all, and she’s barely breathing, and it’s strange to know that’s a good thing. Still, I could definitely get used to it.

“You really are a fast learner,” she breaks the silence, almost purring the words.

“Mmm. I have a good teacher,” I mumble.

“Korra.” Her tone suddenly sounds serious, “Don’t freak, but I’m about to pass out.”

“Huh?” I ask, turning around in alarm and staring at her.

“Vampire thing.” She smiles, brushing my cheek with her hand, “Downside of getting excited. I’m okay. Will explain… tomorrow-” she yawns, “Just let me crash here, please?”

“Of course,” I say, since I wouldn’t have it any other way.

And just like that, she’s out, dead to the world. She looks so peaceful, and I find myself idly brushing away a few strands of hair from her face. I place a kiss on her forehead, then pull the covers over both of us, and wrap my arms around her, resting my head on her chest again, my heart throbbing, and a wide smile on my lips.

Chapter Text

It’s suddenly hard to breathe, and at first, I can’t figure out why.

It feels as though I’m laying back on a hard surface, my shoulders are wedged tightly between something, and when I open my eyes nothing changes. I panic, thinking I’ve somehow turned blind, then I slowly close my eyelids and open them again, hoping for a better result. Nothing. I try to lift my hand to my face, to see if I can look at my fingers, only to wince in pain when my knuckles connect with a hard surface just above.

“Hello?” I shout, but my voice sounds muffled, as though the sound can’t travel. I shuffle around, hearing grit and dirt move beneath me, feeling a cold, damp surface to my left, my right, even above and below.

“HELLO?” I yell again, and the sound dully echoes, forcing me to wince as it reverberates around.

I ball my hand into a fist and bang on the low ceiling, feeling dirt sprinkle onto my face with each muffled thud. I try to move my legs, kicking them into the barrier surrounding me, but there’s not even enough room for me to bend my knees.

And then, it starts to dawn on me, forcing a cold tendril of fear to envelop and then overwhelm all of my senses. I’m trapped in some sort of box, buried in the fucking ground.

“Help!” I wheeze, coughing at the dust and dirt I’ve already caused to spill in.

I pound my fist violently against the barricade above, again and again, knowing it’s stupid, but I need to get out of here, I mean, why the fuck am I here in the first place? I’m going to die! I start to suck in short, terrified breaths, the air getting thinner and thinner each time, until I become dizzy. I can’t even move, and I’m going to die, like this, suffocating in a tiny fucking box.

“Help…” my fist thuds against the wood.

“He…” my fist thuds against the wood.

“H-h…” my fist thuds against the wood.

I spit out fresh specks of dirt and grit. I’m going to die, on my own, crying in the darkness, feeling blood stream down my clenched fist, and choking out muffled tears. I whimper, pressing my palms up into the wood above, pushing. It’s futile. There’s nothing but earth above. There’s nothing but death here. I push anyway, harder and harder, until the wood cracks, and I scream, scream until my lung are raw whilst cold earth spills down, pouring onto my face, over my body, filling the already tiny hole.

—

I awake, sitting bolt upright half-way through a terrified, choked scream, gasping blissfully cold, crisp air into my lungs, my heart pounding so hard I can hear it thudding in my ears.

“Korra!” I hear a voice and feel something behind me shift. Someone’s here, I’m not alone… I’m not alone… I choke tears of relief, collapsing into a ball on my side, clutching my knees, feeling strong arms envelop me from behind. It takes me a minute, maybe longer, to realise I’m in my dorm, in my bed, and that these warm, comforting arms belong to Asami.

“Shh, it’s okay,” she says quietly, from just behind, and I swear I’ve never heard her voice sound this gentle before. I feel her breath on my neck, and it helps to calm me as I gently rock myself, trembling, damp from head to toe with sweat. She whispers words of reassurance, her voice soothing my haunted mind, and the tremors gradually melt away.

Eventually, fear is replaced with relief, and I place my still-trembling hand over hers, just beneath my breast. “Sorry,” I say, sighing, uncurling a little from my wound-up ball.

“You’re apologising for having a nightmare?”

“I don’t even know what that was. Never had one that bad,” I say, idly running a thumb over her hand, “Asami… it felt so real.”

“Want to talk about it?”

I swallow thickly, worried that if I talk about it, it’ll somehow make it more real, make it happen again. I feel myself tense as the memories return, the confined space, the soil leaking down onto my face.

“Hey. You don’t have to,” Asami adds, kissing the back of my neck. The contact of her lips sends a slight shudder down my spine.

“I… I want to. But maybe later.” I say, feeling sick at the memory, feeling sure I can still taste dirt. She doesn’t urge me to continue, and we lay in silence, until I’m suddenly hyper-aware that Asami is right behind me, and we’re both completely naked. It feels nice, though. Warm. Comforting. I twist myself around in her embrace so that we’re torso to torso, and I can just about see her, though it’s still quite dark. She suddenly cups my cheek in her palm and kisses me, lightly, and I’m wondering how the hell I deserve any of this.

“So. Any regrets?” she asks, and I’m sure I see her smirk. I’m grateful she’s changed the subject.

“None. You?”

“Not so far,” she chuckles, stroking a hand down my back, then kissing my cheek. I hope this isn’t just one night. I know it’s greedy to want more, but hell, I could never get tired of this. Of her. I’m not surprised Kyoshi fell so deeply for her, even though she is a pain in the ass sometimes.

“You know…” I hesitate, unsure if I should admit this… but we have this whole honesty thing going on now.

“Hmm?” she hums her lips against my cheek, and the vibration makes me squirm. In a good way.

“um… Kyoshi… gave me her blessing,” I say slowly, grimacing at the admission.

“Oh? To claim her old prize?” Asami says, pulling back from my cheek, furrowing her brows.

“You’re not a prize, and I’m not claiming anything. It’s just what she said,” I say, defending myself.

“You can tell her that I said she should mind her own damn business,” Asami says, scowling.

“I’m so not getting involved in an argument between a previous life and her ex, who also happens to be my lover.”

“Lover?” Asami repeats the word with both eyebrows raised, and I suddenly feel very hot, all over. I’m not even sure why I used that word… maybe Kyoshi’s dialect rubbing off on me.

“I-uh, didn’t mean, I mean I know this is probably just tonight, and you just wanted to fuck around, and I-”

She silences me with a sweet, long kiss. “Don’t over-think things. Let’s just see what happens,” She says, looking at me with a smile, stroking my cheek. “Anyway, ‘lover’, are you going to live up to your name or go back to sleep?” she says, smirking, running a foot along my calf, and I’m so tempted… yet also so tired…

I reach for my phone and check the screen, wincing at the brightness in the dark room. It’s just turned four, and my battery’s about to die. “Damn, didn’t realise it was so early. Sorry if I woke you…”

“That would have been quite impossible. Besides, I overslept.”

“Huh?”

“We only need a couple of hours, however,” she smiles, “we need longer than that if we exert ourselves.”

“Oh yeah, you passed out on me. Was I that good?” I grin, more so when she rolls her eyes and shakes her head.

“For your first time, yes. But there’s always room for improvement.”

“So you’re saying I need practise?”

“It certainly couldn’t hurt,” she says, grinning as she idly twirls a strand of my hair, “But for now, try to sleep. I’ll fend off anymore nightmares.”

“Vampires can do that?” I ask with a half-yawn.

“Absolutely.”

“You’re so full of shit,” I chuckle.

I hear her quietly laugh in response, feel myself pulled into her arms, and against her soft, warm breast. For now, the horrific dream is forgotten.

—

I awake without any further nightmares, surprised to feel Asami’s warmth right behind me, and her arm around my waist. The morning sun streams in through the cracks in the window blind, and I open one eye to see remnants of last night scattered all around. Her jeans. Her boots. Her Jacket. Her clothes, mixed with mine, all over the floor. I grin to myself, feeling it’s a wonderful sight to wake up to.

“You know, you didn’t have to lie next to me all night. Weren’t you bored?” I mumble, knowing she’s awake as I start to stretch.

“Not really. I find it easy to meditate, reflect on things in the quiet of the night.”

“Yeah, yeah. More like you were busy gawping at my amazing body,” I say, half-groaning, half-purring as I stretch all the way out, twisting myself around so that I can face her.

“A little full of ourselves today, are we?” she smirks, running her obvious gaze across my stretched body, “I wonder why that is.”

“I wonder,” I grin, widely.

There’s a sudden knock at the door, and I face Asami, wide eyed, wondering what the fuck we’re going to do. She just shrugs nonchalantly, “aren’t you going to answer it?”

“But you… me… uh… we…?”

“Are you ashamed?”

“What - no!” Amazed and bewildered that I woke up next to her and it wasn’t a dream, yes. Ashamed? Definitely not. There’s even more banging, and Jinora’s muffled voice calling my name through the door. Damnit, damn… it!

“Fine! But don't blame me for the insane amount of bullshit we’ll both get because of this,” I mutter, grabbing one of the two thin sheets and wrapping myself tightly in it, striding to my door.

“I don’t care. It’ll be fun,” Asami chuckles.

I twist around the inner lock and turn the handle, wincing at the bright corridor light and scowling at my invader.

“Damn it Korra, how can you still be in bed at this time, you weren’t even that drunk and HOLY SHIT!” Jinora almost chokes, covers her mouth, staring past my shoulder and turning beetroot-red. I turn to see Asami smiling sweetly, holding the covers to her chest, and waving. “Sorry, sorry!” Jinora waves her hands, clearly flustered, “We were headed to Gaoling, and I was gonna see if you wanted to come and you weren’t answering your phone and-”

“Jinny, it’s fine,” I grumble.

“I’ll… uh just leave you two alo-”

“Actually, we’d love to come,” Asami says the words far too jovially, and I twist my head again, raising an eyebrow. The way she’s smirking tells me that she’s probably up to something, what a shocker.

“Okay, we’re headed out in thirty minutes. Um. Later!” Jinora says, wrapping herself around my shoulders for a quick, tight squeeze and making some weird high-pitched squealing noise before she practically sprints away.

“Okay, why are we going to Gaoling and why are you making my choices for me?” I ask, folding my arms after I close the door, “and what do you have planned? I know you’re up to no good, Sato,” I scowl.

“Oh, listen to you, so confident and demanding. Is this because you finally popped your cherry?” Asami says, with a shit-faced grin.

I almost choke at the words, but manage to compose myself since I know she’s hoping for precisely that kind of reaction. “You weren’t so smug about that last night, if I recall,” I smile, hoping to hell my cheeks aren’t as red as they feel.

“I was surprised. And you were a sneak, keeping it from me,” she pouts, and I think it’s fucking adorable, so I move over towards the bed and crawl towards her all fours, tangling our sheets together when I lean in for a quick kiss.

“It wasn’t on purpose. And I’m glad it was you,” I mutter against her lips, then she pulls me forwards again, for another kiss. And another. Then I’m on top of her, straddling her, kissing her neck, and she’s groaning.

“Okay, stop, stop. We’re getting ready, remember?” Asami chuckles, tapping her palm on my shoulder.

“Worried I’ll make you pass out again?” I whisper.

“Don’t get cocky! That’s just how vampires work,” she laughs, gently pushing me from her torso, and clambering off the bed.

“And how do they work, exactly?” I ask, content to sit and watch, taking a long, lingering gaze as she slowly pulls up her panties.

She turns and smirks at me, clearly catching me out, and then picks up her jeans, tugging them on. “If our hearts beat too quickly for too long, we pass out. Sometimes without warning.”

I feel myself deflate at the words, and she walks towards where I sit, bending down and lifting my chin with her palm, “But for what it’s worth, you had my heart going for most of the night,” she purrs, her green eyes staring intently into mine.

“Really?” Aaaaand, re-inflated.

“Damn Korra,” she laughs, standing upright, cocking an eyebrow and rolling her gaze across my form, “Don’t you realise how good you look?” I’m shocked to hear this coming from a woman who can only be described as beauty incarnate, standing before me in just her jeans, with her torso still exposed, her breasts hanging freely. My mouth turns suddenly dry, because I’m sure it’s the sexiest thing I’ve ever seen.

“Uh… I-” I feel my face heating up, and scratch a non-existent itch behind my neck.

“Ah, adorable Korra makes a return,” Asami smiles, clipping her bra into place, and brushing her hair back over her shoulders, “Just so you know, I like that side of you too,” she chuckles, leaning forwards and kissing me on the cheek. She grabs her purple top from the floor, pops her head through and pulls it down, then picks her jacket up. She then stands with her jacket folded on her arm, and looks at me with a puzzled expression. “Are you going to sit there naked all day? Not that I’m complaining,” she grins, leaning across me almost menacingly.

“Oh, yeah, good point,” I mumble, jumping to my feet and quickly scouring my wardrobe for a fresh change of clothes.

“I need to get washed and changed, so I’ll see you in twenty,” Asami says, tightly grabbing my bare ass whilst I rummage around.

“Hey!” I exclaim, though I’d do anything for her to put her hand straight back there.

“Don’t pretend you don’t like it,” she chuckles, and I turn to see her tugging her boots on. She smiles, leans down, kisses me on the neck, then lightly bites under my ear, “Later, Guns,” she purrs, causing a hot throb of pleasure to flood through me.

“Uh… Bye Hair…” I croak, feeling utterly destroyed, but in the greatest possible way.

Chapter Text

“You ready?” I ask, nervously smoothing down my black, sleeveless vest.

I’m stood just in front of Asami’s open doorway, and can’t help but peer inside, noticing that her room looks a lot brighter now. I can’t believe she’s actually put up some of the posters we gave her, though I wonder if she’s put them up to be nice, or if she actually likes them. My favourite poster has the prime position, just above her headboard, and I smile to myself at the sight.

“All ready!” she beams, then follows my gaze, “Oh, I liked that one the most,” she says, “Did you pick it?”

“Yeah.” I smirk, but refrain from telling her it was my favourite, “You’re not wearing your boots today?” I ask, glancing down to see a simple pair of black trainers with red laces.

“Not if we’re walking around. Pain I can tolerate, but discomfort, not so much.”

“Fair enough,” I say running my gaze across her form. She’s wearing baggy, black combat pants, which somehow manage to hug her ass perfectly, and a loose-hanging white shirt with several buttons popped open at the top. She’s got the same pendant on as always, a hollow half-cog symbol with the ridges pointed upwards. I think I’m gonna ask her about it someday, because it’s not quite the same as her company logo, but clearly means something to her since she wears it all the time.

She pulls out a long, plain black jacket from her wardrobe, and throws her arms into the sleeves, then pulls her hair out from under the collar. “Shall we?” she asks, walking towards me.

“Yeah. They’ll all be waiting in the car park,” I say, moving away from the doorway, “I hope you’re ready.”

“For what?” she asks, turning and locking her door.

“For the looks. And the questions. And the bullshit,” I say, shaking my head with a sigh. She just laughs in response, shrugs and hooks her arm through mine, forcing a grin to my lips and a shiver down my spine. “How come you’re doing all this anyway?” I ask, still thinking she must be up to something to tag along so eagerly.

“What do you mean?” she asks, as we start to walk up the north hall.

“The club. And now Gaoling. Doesn’t it bore you?” I frown, “I mean, you must have done it a thousand times now.”

She looks around to make sure nobody’s nearby, and answers, “It’s rare to have human company. I’m just making the most of it, whilst I still can.”

“Sound ominous.” I frown, “Is there something I should know about?”

She sighs, whilst looking straight ahead, “You remember I said Thursday was a shitty day?”

“The funeral?” I ask, intentionally slowing our pace. I want to know what this is about.

“Yes. But also, I had a chat with your Uncle. We’ve decided it’s time.”

I almost stop in my tracks, “Does that mean what I think it means?”

She looks sad for less than a second, but seems to shrug it off, “Yeah. I’m ‘coming out’ on Monday.” She says, winking.

“Shit…” I frown, thinking it over, “I mean on one hand, yay, no more secrets… but… what’s the plan afterwards?”

“I’ll continue studying, at least in some classes. We need to get a feel for how deeply any sane hatred runs.”

“You make it sound like you’re bait!”

“I am.” She says, matter-of-factly.

Okay, this time I do stop in my tracks, looking at her with an awful, sinking feeling in my chest, “Asami…”

“I’ll be fine,” she smiles, urging me to continue walking with a tug at my arm, “they can’t kill what they can’t catch.”

“Don’t even joke about that,” I pout, “I’ve got your back, if it helps.”

“Oh, look at you being all protective!” she beams, then leans in and whispers, “Maybe you can be my personal bodyguard after all.”

“I thought you said you couldn’t afford Avatar protection,” I smirk, remembering our first ever conversation. I should know better than to play with her. There’s a glint in her eye, and she places her lips at my ear, throatily whispering how there are many, many ways she can pay me, and that most of them involve little if any clothing.

“You’d be surprised what my tongue can do, Avatar,” she growls, and I have to physically grit my teeth at that one.

“Will you behave?” I mutter, feeling my cheeks burn.

“Not a chance.”

I shake my head, smiling, trying to mentally prepare myself for an entire day of self-restraint. By the time we’re leaving the north wing exit, she’s managed to work me up enough that I want to head straight back to either of our dorms, and spend pretty much all day in bed with her, our legs entwined, breathing heavily as she runs her hands down-

“Korra, hello?” Opal waves her hand in front of my face, and I blink a few times. I have no idea how we even got to the car park.

“Oh, uh, hi guys,” I say, trying to pull my mind back to reality. Bolin’s staring at us both with a gigantic grin, his fists clenched, excitedly dancing on his toes. Kai has his arms folded, shaking his head with a knowing smirk, and Mako is looking a little too smug. I glare at Jinora, and she looks away, her eyes raised. “So, Jinora told you all, I take it?”

Everyone nods a little too vigorously, and Bolin runs forwards with a long squeal, pulling us both into his over-sized arms. I turn to Asami and mouth an I-told-you-so, but I’m surprised to see she’s actually smiling at their reaction. Huh. I guess she was being genuine, that she’s actually going to miss this. Man, there has to be something I can do, and now that I think about it, maybe there is. I’ll talk to her about it in the car.

“Okay, we can probably all squeeze in the Krew bus, unless you two-” Mako begins.

“Actually, I was hoping to shotgun in the Audi,” I say, glancing at Asami, “uh, if that’s okay?”

“Fine by me,” Asami purrs, grabbing her keys and swirling them around her finger, “I’m always up for a little car-fucking,” she continues, loudly, as she walks to the Spyder. My jaw drops and I look at the others, only to see the same reaction.

 “T-that’s not what I-” I wheeze, then stop myself when she starts to laugh, in fact she laughs so hard I’m surprised her fangs don’t pop out.

“Guys. I’m joking,” she says, grinning and shrugging her arms at my stunned companions, “We can’t car fuck, we have a city to get to. Come on, Guns.”

“Somebody help me,” I complain, ignoring their sudden laughter as I hold my head in my palm. “Okay, stop it, all of you,” I pout, “We’re headed west side today, right?” I ask Mako, and he nods, though he’s failing to hide the smirk still playing at his lips. “’See you all in a bit,” I sigh, waving my hand as they all climb into the ridiculously bright-pink minibus. Yes, pink. It was actually a group purchase, which we all chipped in and bought for a bargain price at auction. The colour was Opal’s idea. I suppose I can’t really complain, so long as it covers up the rust.

“Are you trying to give them all a heart attack?” I ask Asami, climbing into the driver’s side of the R8, then grinning when I hear the engine roar into life.

“The sooner they get used to it, the better,” she says, checking her mirror as she pulls the car out.

‘Used to it?’ A few cogs tick around in my brain, “So… it wasn’t a one night thing?” I ask in a flat voice, trying not to sound too hopeful. Just keep it cool, I think.

She seems lost in thought, saying nothing more until we leave the carpark and get onto the narrow road, closely following the minibus. “A one night stand…” she frowns at the road ahead, “if that’s what you want it to be, sure.”

I almost choke, waving my hands, “No, I mean. Well, no! Unless you do.” Well, so much for not sounding desperate. My panic subsides when her frown vanishes, replaced with a soft smile.

“I don’t,” she smiles, and my heart soars at the admission, “but like I said this morning-”

“- we should just see what happens?” I interject, remembering the words quite clearly, since they gave me hope after that really shitty nightmare.

“Yes. Though next week, we might want to cool it off. I wouldn’t want to alienate you from your friends.”

“Hey, nobody can be as difficult about the sane thing as I was. And just look at us now!” I grin, folding a leg over my knee.

“Yes, from punching to fucking, in the space of a week,” she grins wickedly, and there it is again, that little throb I get every time she F-bombs. Man, I need help.

“I-uh… yeah. I suppose that’s a fair summary,” I laugh nervously, feeling very tempted to scratch at my hair, but then I’m distracted when Jinora suddenly turns in her seat at the back of the bus and waves. I grin, waving back. Opal also turns, then breathes on the windows, and in the fog, writes ‘(: !XES RAC’ then sticks her thumbs up, with a large grin. Jinora looks at her as though she’s stupid and gesticulates at the writing, then at us, and breathes on the glass herself, drawing an arrow pointing to Opal’s letters and the word ‘NEWB’, this time written the right way around. Or the wrong way around, for her.

Asami bursts out laughing, “Are they always this goofy?”

“Yup!” I laugh with her.

A moment later I see it again, that flicker of sadness in her eyes. I’m surprised she cares so much about hanging out around humans, but then again, I have no idea what she did before she came here. Maybe she just socialises with vampires all day, and maybe this really has been a breath of fresh air for her.

“Hey, I had a thought on the coming out thing…” I say, hoping she doesn’t think this will be stupid.

“Hmm?”

“Why don’t you tell the Krew, tonight?”

“I’m not sure that’s a-”

“That way you’ll have extra support before anyone else finds out!” I interject, beaming.

“You think they’d support me?” she raises an eyebrow, glancing in my direction.

“I know my friends. They’d be surprised, but they’d deal.”

“Huh.” She frowns, clearly thinking it over, “Well, maybe we can crash at mine tonight, and I’ll get the bong out,” She says, suddenly grinning wickedly.

“Ah, I forgot you had a place in Gaoling. You rich people and your multiple homes,” I sigh, rolling my eyes.

“Plus I have a very comfortable, very large bed…” she bites her lower lip after speaking, and I feel butterflies swarm in my gut.

“Interesting,” I grin from ear to ear, “but what about the others?”

“There’s plenty of room,” she states, “it’s a small mansion.”

“Of course it is,” I chuckle, shaking my head.

—

There’s very little traffic on the way to Gaoling, which is unusual for a Saturday. We park in the multi-storey towards the west side of the city, and clamber out of the car, joining the others.

“Aww, I was hoping to see car sex porn,” Opal pouts, and Jinora bursts out laughing, elbowing her sharply.

“Well I’m not quite so talented that I can do it whilst driv-” Asami begins.

“Seriously, how old are you two,” I interject, scowling at their red, giggling faces.

Okay, first port of call - spacebucks. Asami, unsurprisingly, gets a latte which she then proceeds to fill with sugar. I’m surprised nobody’s questioned it, though I suppose they’re just being polite. We grab our takeout cups, and head down the crowded street, mainly doing window shopping to start with. This part of gaoling - west side - is where you find all the tech and gadget shops. It’s like geek paradise, with a few restaurants and scarcely a fashion store in sight. The boys and I had to put up with clothes shopping in the east on the last trip, but now it’s our turn.

“Look! They built a new VarrLi store,” Asami says, blowing on the tiny hole in her coffee lid, and looking up at the large sign before us with a smirk that can only mean one thing - trouble.

VarrLi - that’d be the rival tech firm to Asami’s company, Satotech. The last time I checked they were neck and neck in the mobile industry, but Sato is still well ahead in home computers, since VarrLi only appeals to a niche audience. I think it’s because they make everything the same damn colour, grey, grey or grey.

“Are you going to start shit already?” I ask Asami, “I mean, we only just got here,” I complain, peering through the window. There’s a decent-sized crowd in there, pawing at the various phones and tablets out on display. I almost bought one of these things once, but the price tag put me off, and then I ended up chipping in to buy the bus instead.

“I just want to check out the competition,” Asami purrs, then starts to walk inside.

“Asamiii…” I moan. It’s no good, she’s already in.

“The competition?” Bolin asks.

“Bo, she’s Asami Sato, the rich girl, remember?” I sigh, ruffling his hair.

“Oh. Oh. Ohhhh!” you can almost see the gears slowly churning in his head, “Wow, you hooked up with a billionaire? Shit!” he beams.

“I don’t care about money,” I mumble into my cup, “We should go in before she blows something up deliberately.”

I find Asami speaking to a flustered looking sales rep, catching only the last past of the conversation.

“And you’re sure you don’t have it in anything other than grey?” she asks, holding the tablet at arm’s length, rotating it and scrutinising it with a disgusted face.

“Ma’am, as I said, there are no plans to-”

I somehow hold back a laugh, coughing instead and taking her arm “Honey, leave the poor man alone,” I say, walking her away from her victim and grimacing at him apologetically.

“Call me honey again and I’ll bite you,” she whispers through her smiling, clenched teeth, and I don’t know whether to laugh or cry because the words cause a definite, lustful twinge below my gut. Yes, I definitely need help.

“Should we leave before we get kicked out?” Mako asks, peering at one of the tablets, loosely brushing his thumb over the menu options.

“In a minute, I want to play,” Asami says, passing me her coffee and then hunching over one of the laptops. I watch her tab out of the demo page, and go into the main operating system, where she’s presented with a password prompt.

“Asami…” I whisper, feeling like I’m nothing more than a walking coffee cup holder as I glance my eyes around nervously. Jinora and Kai walk over and stand at either side of Asami, making it look all the more suspicious, whilst Opal and Bolin are checking out the phones at the other side. I watch in what can only be described as horror as Asami tries one password, curses quietly when it fails, then tries another.

“Yes!” she whispers with a large grin, as she gets through, and apparently gains full access to the system.

“Asami, no.” I sigh, trying to remember which of the two cups is mine.

“Asami yes.” She mumbles, tapping away on the keyboard furiously. I can’t follow everything she does, but I hear Mako humming in approval as she whizzes around various applications, browses to the Satotech site, taps in another password and starts to download something, “I wrote this just in case,” she says, giggling like a child as the progress bar fills up.

“Wrote?” I ask.

“Programmed. You know, coded. Though VarrLi’s OS uses a really asinine language,” she sighs, then almost dances on the spot once the progress bar vanishes. “It worked! Watch this.”

I almost drop both coffee cups when she opens a brand new ‘demo’ app, fully branded with satotech images. There’s links to satotech hardware, as well as a map of the nearest satotech stores.

“Whoa,” Kai says, “You’re a computer genius.”

“Well, I did invent them,” Asami mumbles, and then I do drop the coffee cups, all over the floor, staring at her wide eyed. Before anyone can process Asami’s admission that she invented sixty-year old hardware, the sales rep from earlier runs over.

“Ma’am, are you okay?” he fusses over me, checking for burns, and I guess the attention is mainly gratitude since I rescued him earlier.

“I um-I’m fine, I was just so amazed by your hardware,” I stutter the first thing that comes to mind, and he flushes bright red, turning even redder than his hair, stopping everything that he was doing. Asami guffaws loudly, and literally doubles over, no longer able to type. It’s infectious, Kai, Jinora and even Mako starts to laugh. “I didn’t mean, I mean, I meant, oh fuck it, whatever!” I growl, leaving the store very quickly and with very hot cheeks.

I stand outside the store blushing furiously for a minute, leaning my back against the glass with my arms folded. Then I hear Asami’s voice, whispering into my ear.

“Well well, I didn’t know you bent both ways,” she whispers, and I turn my head to glare at her, though I can’t stay angry when I see the mischief in her eyes.

“Very funny. Have you done with your damn hacking?” I chuckle, noticing as Opal, Jinora, Mako, Bolin and Kai all leave the store.

“Almost. Wait for it,” Asami says, and her lips stretch into a wide smirk, “waaaait for it.”

There’s a sudden murmur of discontent from the shop, and I twist my head around, straight away noticing that every single screen has turned bright yellow, including the monitors in the shop window. There’s a fat, wriggling worm in the middle, with a message at the bottom ‘Should have got a Sato!’ it says, scrolling across in an endless loop.

“Hah! Nice!” Kai says.

“Okay, time to go,” I say, noticing the sales rep I accidentally admired eyeing us suspiciously, “Come on!” I say, grabbing Asami’s arm.

Once we’re out of immediate danger, I relax a little, “Did you just put a virus on every machine in there?”

“I did. Except for the one with my fun little app, of course.” She smirks.

“Remind me never to cross you,” I smile, “I mean, other than being a rival what did they ever do to you?”

“VarrLi tried to steal our tech once. That was a little payback,” she says, shrugging, then she holds my arm, pulling me to a stop whilst the others walk ahead, “Look, I need to get a bite to eat. Take them to my store, just a block up. I won’t be long.”

“Uh, we’ll all be eatin- oh.” I pause, noticing that she’s raised her eyebrows and is shaking her head. “You could just um… have some of mine?” She tilts her head and rolls her eyes, “Oh yeah. Right. Well, see you in a bit.” I suppose a stoned vampire isn’t the best idea right now.

She leans forwards and pecks me on the forehead, “Thanks though, that was really sweet,” she says, turning and walking down the nearest side alley. There are blood booths situated around some cities now, well-hidden and guarded due to sane-hate. Basically it’s a drop-in shop where sanes can feed if they’re out and about, in which live donors are paid to give blood on tap. I shudder at the thought. I still don’t like the idea of humans being food, even if it’s for Asami, and even if I did just offer my own blood. I suppose I’m a hypocrite.

“Guys, hold up!” I wave, jogging up to them.

“Huh, what did you do with Asami?” Jinora asks, peering behind me.

“She had to make a business call,” I lie, “She says to meet in her store.”

“Ohhh, Satotech,” Bolin grins, “much better!”

“Don’t tell her that, she’ll get a big head,” I say, rolling my eyes.

It’s only a two minute walk to the store, and whilst it isn’t the first time I’ve seen the place, I do have to agree with Bolin. For one thing, the satotech shop is certainly brighter than its rival, and by that I mean the decor is literally only two colours away from a full rainbow. It must work though, because the store is far busier than VarrLi, and the brightly coloured laptops seem to be attracting everyone’s attention.

“Korra,” Mako says, folding his arms whilst we stare in the window at all the pretty things we can’t afford. “I can’t believe you’re sleeping with the woman that owns all this…”

“Do you want me to try blag you a free laptop or something?” I laugh.

“Actually, mine is broken!” he says, grinning.

“Yeah, no. Not gonna happen,” I grumble, walking into the store. Heaven knows I owe that woman quite enough as it is.

Asami turns up about five minutes later, looking amazing as always, and then blatantly shows off pretty much every product in the store until even I’m getting sleepy, and I like tech. I feel a little bad for Jinora and Opal, though they’re at least pretending to enjoy the show.

“So, who wants what?” Asami suddenly asks, beaming at everyone.

“Say what now?” I ask, groggily.

“Computers, phones, take your pick. My treat,” she smiles.

“Erm, you’re talking about it like it’s candy,” I say, raising an eyebrow, trying to ignore the excited near-silent squeal from Bolin.

“We’ve had a good year, it’s nothing. I can get stuff sent back to campus too.”

“Won’t your mother be mad?” Jinora asks, raising an eyebrow.

“Of course not. I own the tech wing, not her,” Asami reasons. I wonder how many of these stories she has stored in her mind, and whether she ever manages to trip up over herself or not, “guys, seriously, go for it. One time offer. Before I change my mind,” she smirks.

That seems to motivate them. Even Opal and Jinora hurry to the phone section, suddenly very eager to try out the latest handsets.

“You know, you didn’t have to do that,” I sigh, wondering what her motivations are.

“But look how happy they are! It’s nice,” she says, smiling. I don’t detect any sarcasm in her tone.

“Still going for the bong-confession tactic tonight?” I ask.

“Yeah, I think so. They seem like good people, so I’ll trust your judgement.”

“Thanks. And they are.”

One hour later, we leave the shop with many shopping bags filled to the brim with gadgets, and everyone’s ordered a new laptop to be sent back to campus, though I didn’t bother because mine’s fairly new and I have it set up just the way I want it. I did get coaxed into taking a new phone though, and I’m going to ask Asami how to make it Jinora-proof later.

The rest of the day blurs by. The girls somehow find a clothing store which has infiltrated the tech side of the city, and they spend an agonisingly-long hour trying on boots, something which Asami gets very involved in. I’m forced into trying a pair on too, but they look ridiculous, and everyone laughs, even me. We share a light lunch, though Asami just picks at hers, and I end up feeling sorry for her again. I mean, enjoying food is one of the greater pleasures of life, I’d absolutely hate to lose it.

“So, guys,” I cough, as we leave the restaurant, “do you want to chill at Asami’s next? We can crash there, and get, uh,” I look around for uninvited listeners, crouch forwards and whisper, “stoned, if you want.”

Opal grins, “Hell yeah! Do you have room for us all?”

“Plenty of room, trust me,” Asami chuckles, “And it’s only a short drive from here, too.”

Asami holds her elbow out and I hook my hand through it, smiling, feeling a strange mix of fear and excitement over what’ll happen next. I hope I’m right about everyone accepting her, I really, really do.

Chapter Text

Turns out Asami wasn’t kidding when she said she had a damn mansion here. The driveway alone is the size of one quarter of the campus grounds, and I’m just as in awe as everyone else, gawping at the sheer scale of the building as we walk to the double front doors.

“So this is how the other side lives,” Kai says, swinging his arms out.

“Hey, I earned this,” Asami smirks, pushing open the large red doors and walking inside, “Are you coming in, or are you going to gawp all night?”

We all huddle in, our shoes causing faint echoes when we step onto the polished, dark wood flooring. Most of the walls are painted in magnolia, although there’s a dark red feature wall right at the end of the room, by the foot of a long, curved staircase, with a portrait of a woman looking strikingly similar to Asami. Maybe it actually is her, but photo-shopped older to look like her mother.

One thing’s clear right away - there’s nobody home. “So you usually leave this place empty?” I ask, thinking it’s such a waste.

“Well, maintenance come in occasionally, and I allow certain staff to stay here from time to time.”

“Lucky staff,” I mutter, looking up. The entrance hall alone is four times bigger than my room back home, which is quite big, by the way. There’s obviously at least one floor above us, maybe two, and a long hallway stretching both to the left and right.

“Guest rooms are down there,” Asami points to my right, “Pick yourselves a room before we get settled, they should all be clean.”

Everyone hurries away excitedly, and I’m about to join them when I feel my arm trapped in a grip, and then Asami’s lips right against my ear, “Not you,” she purrs, “For you, I have something else in mind.”

I wait for her to tell me she’s fucking with me. She doesn’t. “I-uh,” suddenly it’s a little too hot in here, and even hotter when I feel her teeth lightly nibble at my neck, “And what would that be,” I manage to ask, somehow.

My face glows hotter and hotter as she whispers very descriptive things into my ear about exactly where she’s going to put her teeth, and her tongue, until I’m crawling out of my skin desperate to be doing precisely all of those things right now. “And that’s just for starters,” she says, pulling back to peck me on my burning cheek.

“Asami…” I growl, glaring at her.

“Oh, I like that look,” she smirks, “I hope you show it to me again later,” she says, looking past me. Seems everyone’s on their way back, having picked out their rooms.

“You’re not picking one, Korra?” Bolin asks, and Mako rolls his eyes, fluffing his brother’s hair.

“Bo, we’ve talked about this. Think about the words before you talk,” he says, grinning, as Bolin forms an ‘Oh’ with his mouth.

“I was right though,” Jinora beams, and before I can stop her, “You two definitely make the hottest couple!”

“Jinny!” I exclaim, “we’re not a… uh…” I feel myself blushing furiously now. Asami just laughs, and shakes her head.

“Follow me,” she says, taking my hand. I pause, looking down, realising it’s the first time she’s done that, but I don't say anything. I just enjoy the touch, and follow her down the left wing with a no-doubt goofy smile on my face, though I do turn my head once to glare at Opal, who’s singing.

“Korra and Asami, sitting in a tree, f, u, c, k, i-” she stops mid-song at my death stare, and laughs instead.

“Tree fucking is hard, I don’t recommend it,” Asami mutters, and I decide it’s best not to ask for an elaboration. She leads us into a spacious room, to a chorus of excited gasps from the group. There’s two long, black leather sofas, I think four-seaters, opposite each other, a large curve-screened TV at the end, and five giant squishy beanbags scattered around. There’s also suspicious-looking plants on the left, illuminated underneath small lamps, and bongs lining all the way across three shelves above. There’s even a damn vending machine in here, stocked full of goodies, on free vend.

“So is this like, a chill out room?” I ask, grinning.

“Of course,” Asami smirks, and the smirk stretches into a grin when everyone looks around, clearly amazed. The whole room is lit in a low ambient glow, fading slowly from orange, to red, to yellow, and there’s pictures on the walls which all look to be from the same artist. Some of them are hard to make out, but it’s clear they all share the same theme - they all have beautiful women on them. I smile, thinking it’s something we have in common, though hers are decidedly more up-market.

“Show off,” I say, smiling. She just shrugs.

“Please make yourselves comfortable,” she says, switching on the TV and passing Kai the remote, “and find something decent to watch whilst I sort things,” she says, reaching into her pocket, pulling out a hair tie and quickly easing her hair into a long, slack tail.

Opal squishes herself against Bolin on one of the two couches, with Jinora and Kai sharing one of the bigger beanbags, whilst Mako takes one all to himself, grunting in approval. I suppose that leaves the second couch for… us. If Asami wants to sit next to me, I mean. I guess there’s no reason she wouldn’t want to, but maybe it’s a little presumptuous of me to-

“Sit down, I’ll be there in a sec,” Asami winks at me, busying herself clipping small bits from one of the plants into a small glass bowl. Ah, I guess that’s why she tied her hair back, can’t be risking accidental hair snippage.

I wedge myself into the corner of the sofa furthest from the TV, humming contentedly to myself when I sink into the soft leather, “Wow, these are comfy,” I grin, kicking my shoes off and putting my feet up, deciding to really relax, and grinning when everyone else does the same.

“Phewwww, smelly feet,” Asami says, and I pop my head over the top of the sofa to see she’s still busy with her little clippers.

“Uh, sorry,” I say, reaching for my trainers.

“I’m joking, you adorable dork,” she laughs, putting her clippers down and scanning her impressive display of bongs. Seems she has one of every colour imaginable, some glass, and some ceramic. Hah, there’s even one that looks like a dragon, though the spikes probably make it impractical to actually use.

“She can smell us from there?” Jinora quietly asks, looking puzzled. I just shrug, deciding she’ll find out why soon enough.

“I think we’ll use Sauron tonight,” Asami declares, reaching to the second shelf and grabbing one of the larger, bright orange bongs, with an almost luminescent yellow lip on the outlet hole at the top.

“Sauron,” I chuckle, “I didn’t realise you were a nerd.”

“I like movies,” she shrugs, “and books, though it’s hard to read when stoned.” she adds, bringing the massive beast over, sitting next to me, then crossing her legs and securing ‘Sauron’ between her thighs. “Did you find anything?” she glances at Kai, who’s still busy flicking through the never-ending channel options. “If you can’t decide, just put it on Movies 4,” she says, pulling out a bag of weed from her pocket, and tobacco from another, “They put all the older stuff on there, some of it is amusing.”

“What happened to the stuff you just cut?” I ask, noticing she’s not carrying the bowl.

“Best to dry it out for a few days. Just keeping myself stocked,” she winks, and starts to mix the weed and tobacco inside a small funnel on the bong. “So… who hasn’t smoked this, and who doesn’t want to? I have beers in the fridge next door if you prefer.”

“I wanna try it!” Jinora beams, and Kai nods his head too. It’s kinda cute seeing them both snuggled into that beanbag together, side by side, ready for a fall into their first ever drug-induced depravity.

“Mako?” I ask.

“Yeah, I’ve had it before, no worries.”

“Bullshit,” I grin.

“I have!” He says, pouting and folding his arms.

“And you already know we have,” Opal purrs, leaning closer into an oblivious Bolin and wiggling her eyebrows.

“Don’t go there again. In fact I will pay you not to go there, ever, ever again,” I frown, and she just starts laughing.

“Well, it’s fairly strong, so take it easy. Small puffs,” Asami warns, lighting a flame just above the funnel and taking the first drag. Her green eyes almost glow in the ambient light, and I’m mesmerised watching whilst she tilts her head back, lips parted ever so slightly in an ‘Oh’ as she releases a long stream of smoke. “Hmm. Perfect,” she smiles, passing me Mr. Sauron, whom I gladly accept.

“Bad influence,” I chuckle, copying what she did, putting the flame just above the mix, and sucking through the wide mouth-hole. The water inside bubbles as I inhale, and I almost choke because it’s a damn sight stronger than what I tried before.

“I said small,” Asami says, rolling her eyes. I just nod, my eyes watering as I manage to exhale without coughing, by some miracle.

“What’s with the water, anyway?” I croak, still holding back a cough as I pass Sauron to Bolin.

“It cools and filters the smoke,” Asami explains, then kicks her trainers off, grabs the remote from Kai, and scoots up the sofa until she’s just next to me. She grabs a large cushion which she hugs to her chest, staring intently at the big screen, and all I can think is that I hope the guys are okay with her. Fuck, what if they’re not? Maybe this is a bad idea.

“Oh, interview with the vampire!” Asami exclaims, turning the volume up slightly, then leaning across with her cushion and whispering, “How apt,” so that only I hear. I just look at her, wondering how many sides of her I’ve yet to discover, whilst I brush a strand of hair from her face. “Hmm? What’s gotten into you?” she says with a smile, returning her gaze to the television.

The movie is entertaining, to say the least. Asami consistently shouting ‘just fucking bite someone!’ at Louis the emo vamp just makes it all the more fun, and when she’s not doing that she’s gently guiding Jinora and Kai through the process of getting stoned without losing a lung. There’s currently a half-joking debate between Mako and Bolin about how ‘Lestat is a fucking nutcase!’ and ‘at least he has a sense of humour!’ and ‘vampires wouldn’t be like that’ and ‘yes they would!’ Hah, they’ll soon find out, I think, giving Asami a knowing smile. She leans across and pecks me on the lips, and I’m taken aback by the sudden display of affection, my heart almost swelling out of my chest. Oh no you don’t, Mr heart. Don’t go there. Don’t you dare go there. This is just for fun, and it’s a lot of fun, so don’t be ruining it.

“You fucking whiney-ass rat-junkie fake,” Asami says, scowling whilst Louis munches on a rodent, causing much laughter from the group. She takes a long drag from the bong, shaking her head in disdain, and then holds it out for Mako.

“Well, at least he isn’t a murderous psychopath,” Mako says, lighting up and sucking on Sauron. Whoa, there’s a sentence I never thought I’d hear myself think. I almost start laughing, but I stop myself when I see Asami’s expression, so serious all of a sudden.

“Yeah,” Asami speaks, “they don’t do that. Sanes, I mean.”

“No?” Jinora asks, looking almost disappointed.

“Well, no. That’d be murder, and they’d be put to death by the council.”

“So how come all the books and movies get it so wrong?” Mako asks.

“Whilst their laws are becoming common knowledge, very few people know how sanes actually work. The stuff we’ve learnt recently is pretty hush-hush,” Asami explains, turning down the TV a little.

“But why?”

“Because knowledge is power, and the council seek to protect their own.”

“So why are they telling us now?” Mako asks.

Asami pauses, tapping her finger on her own arm, “Well, the academy needs extra muscle,” she says, shrugging, “so they’re looking into bringing sanes onto Campus.” There’s a chorus of gasps at the revelation, although nobody seems upset, just shocked. And honestly? I’m surprised she’s answering everything so freely, but I suppose it’ll all be announced Monday anyway.

“Wait, how do you know all this?!” Mako frowns, passing the bong to Kai. I notice Asami tense up a little, clutching her pillow just a little tighter, and so I stretch a foot out and prod her in the knee with my toe.

“Well...” She begins, looking at my foot and then me with a half-amused expression. I wonder if she’ll tell them. Ultimately it’s her choice, and I’m not going to be upset if she doesn’t take my advice. “… for one thing, there’s already a sane undercover, at the Academy,” Asami continues, whilst Jinora practically chokes on the bong, “and it’s someone I happen to know quite well.”

Hell, even I’m tensing up now, feeling suddenly guilty about putting her up to this, though I relax a little when she looks across at me, smiling.

“No shit, an actual sane?” Kai asks, “I wonder who it is,” he says, holding out Mr. Sauron for me to suck on. Hah, suck on Sauron. Yeah. That’s funny. I’m hungry.

“I bet it’s Sen,” Opal says, “He’s way too pretty for a boy.”

“It’s not Sen,” Asami says, a smile playing on her lips, “Anyway, doesn’t the idea terrify you?”

It’s a smart question, since it’ll help to weigh up their feelings on sanes first. I tense up again, waiting for people’s reactions, then decide to speak first. “Not me,” I say with a wide grin, holding back a laugh when Asami rolls her eyes at me.

“Me neither… I think if they wanted to hurt us, they already would have,” Opal reasons.

“Yeah, and besides, don’t they fight ferals too?” Jinora asks.

“Yes, very much so,” Asami nods.

“I don’t know…” Mako mumbles, and my heart sinks a little, “I mean, I don’t like all the secrecy.”

“The truth’s coming out on Monday,” Asami says, shrugging, “and they had to keep it secret, at least for a short time. Sane-hatred runs deep, and is often hidden.”

“I think it’s cool,” Bolin says, holding onto Opals hand, “I mean, if we’d had a sane at the last trip, Jonas would still be here, right?”

“Right,” Asami sighs. Damn, now that I think about it the only reason she wasn’t there from the start was me, though there’s not a lot I could have done about it.

“Bro makes a good point,” Mako smiles at Bolin, “if it’ll help fight the good fight, I guess it sounds good.”

“I think I’m more curious than anything,” Kai says, “I’m dying to know who it is. I mean, I’ve never seen one before, have you guys?”

Everyone murmurs that they haven’t, and Asami interjects, “Yes you have,” she says, leaning forwards and smiling nervously, “In fact…” my heart thuds in my chest, “… you’re looking at one, right now,” she beams. And there we have it. Moment of truth. I’ve never rooted for my friends this hard before, or put this much faith in them. Don’t let me down, guys, I think.

“Huh?” Bolin tilts his head, “But you look normal…”

“Of course,” Asami smiles.

“Hah! She’s fucking with us again, good one,” Opal grins.

“Not fucking with you,” Asami states.

“Really?” Mako asks, frowning.

“Really.”

“Show us!” Jinora beams, and Kai folds his arms, grinning.

“Hmm…” Asami looks at me nervously, and I just shrug, smiling. “Well, okay.” Her face shifts quite quickly this time, two fangs slide down, and her eyes morph to their glowing, cat-like form.

“Holy… fucking… shit!” Jinora exclaims, whilst literally falling off the side of her beanbag, causing Opal to burst into a fit of raucous laughter.

I inhale from the bong, darting my eyes around nervously and listening to the bubbles, suddenly very loud in the silence. Wow, I can’t believe she actually went ahead and did it. I feel kind of proud, for some reason, but also terrified because everyone’s staring, like they’re not really sure if what they are seeing is real or not, and I suppose I can’t blame them. But suddenly, Jinora crawls towards us on all fours, stopping where we sit to peer up at Asami.

“Can I… touch them?” she whispers in awe, which causes Opal to laugh even harder, whilst the three boys just kind of continue to stare, transfixed and clearly very, very zoned out. Maybe the bong wasn’t the best idea for this, I think, exhaling a long tendril of smoke.

“Sure,” Asami says, shrugging, then leaning forwards. Jinora prods at a single fang with her finger, then presses it right against the tip of the tooth, wincing.

“Ouch!”

“Well what did you expect!?” I sigh. She looks at her finger, finding nothing, and shrugs.

“This is so cool!” Jinora beams, throwing herself back into the beanbag, and I see Asami’s shoulders sag as she exhales loudly.

“Holy crap… this means… Korra’s a… a fangbanger!” Opal says between more fits of laughter, tears in her eyes. Yeah, she’s got the giggles, and bad.

“I think that one’s had enough,” Asami says, glancing sideways at me. I nod in agreement, then she takes the bong from me and raises her lighter, inhaling deeply then eventually releasing a long tendril of smoke, her eyes focused upon the wisp snaking out between her fangs.

“Whoa…” Kai and Bolin finally seem to snap to reality, but Mako is still staring, zoned out, frowning, with his head tilted.

“So vampires can get stoned?” Kai asks, breaking his silence. I choke out in laughter, finding it hilarious that that’s the first question he comes up with.

“They never taught that in lesson,” Bolin says, frowning, then leaning over to get the bong from Asami. She turns and smiles softly as me, looking more and more relieved. I guess there’s just Mako left, now.

I wave my hand in his direction, “Hey sharkbrows,” I say, clicking my fingers, “you gonna be a dick about this?”

“What…? No!” he shakes his head, blushing, “I’ve just never seen one before. Uh, I mean, a sane.”

I’ve seen that look before, and I smirk to myself knowing that Asami will be fine, in fact her biggest worry might be a new Mako-shaped admirer she has to shake off. Full Krew acceptance… achievement unlocked. Damn, now I want to play Battleverse. Or eat. Or both.

“So uh, I know you guys are high,” I sigh, “But you’re cool with this? Right?”

“It’s a bit of a surprise, and you could have told us,” Mako grumbles, though he’s obviously fascinated, because he’s still staring.

“Not the easiest thing to drop into a conversation, Mako,” I state, frowning.

“Well, I think it’s awesome!” Opal beams, then leans over and ‘whispers’ loudly, “I wanna know how they do it though!”

I wince, putting my head in my palm, “The same as anyone else, moron.”

“That’s what you think,” Asami says, smirking across at me, “Why, we’ve barely even scratched the surface,” she teases, and all of a sudden I feel like making a polite excuse to leave the group, and find out exactly what she means.

“Ooooh yeah, Korra’s gonna get laaaaid,” Opal drawls the words, laughing again.

“Did you want us to record it or something?” I ask, glaring. Maybe it was the wrong question, because she nods a solid, smiling yes, which actually sets Asami off laughing, which sets Jinora off, then Kai, then Bolin and yes, even Mako. I give up.

“Seriously, how strong is this stuff?” I ask Asami, watching as Opal takes a long drag, then leans over and passes the bong to me. Wait, how did she get her paws on it again? I’m not even sure there’s any particular order to this anymore, we’re all too fucked to care I guess.

“Fairly strong, but it doesn’t really do much for me,” Asami says, smiling, and squishing herself back into the sofa. I kind of wish she’d squish up here instead, with me.

“Because you need a lot? Like with alcohol?” I ask, getting my mouth into position.

“Pretty much. But, it does relax me at least.”

“Hey, I know a way you can get stoned,” I wink, blowing out what is meant to be a ring of smoke, but looks like an ass. I’m gonna try that again.

“I think you’ve had too much Sauron smoke if you’re suggesting what you think you are,” Asami scolds.

“But stoned avatar blood! Just imagine, you’d get… like… double-stoned,” I laugh, then take a long drag, then laugh the smoke out in broken puffs, finding myself hilarious all of a sudden.

“Korra Waters, are you offering your flesh to a being of darkness?” Jinora asks, her eyes wide in mockery.

“Maaaybe,” I chuckle, puffing out an actual almost-kind of smoke ring. Yes! I’m finally getting the hang of it. “Besides, the bite feels nice,” I continue, winking as I pass the bong to Asami. She holds onto it and looks at me with an eyebrow raised.

“Wait, she’s bitten you before?” Kai asks, his eyes wide.

“Yup!” I gloat.

“Whoa,” Bolin says.

“Are you seriously saying you want me to bite you, right here, in front of your friends?” Asami asks, cocking an eyebrow in disbelief.

“I just thought you might feel left out,” I shrug, and she rolls her eyes, then starts to re-stock the bong with a fresh mix.

“So your blood makes her high?” Opal asks, having finally stopped her giggle fit. I nod, and she hurries over to me, pushing my hair back and pointing to my neck, beaming at Asami.

“This I’ve got to see,” Mako says, leaning forwards in his beanbag, elbows on his knees. Yup, Asami definitely has a new admirer. Oh well.

“Korra, your friends are ridiculous,” Asami mumbles whilst focusing on her task, but she’s smiling at the words. I grin at her and jiggle my eyebrows.

“Don’t pretend you’re not tempted, Sato,” I chuckle, darting my eyes to the part of my neck Opal has ever-so-kindly exposed.

“Aww! I wish Opal were a sane,” Bolin complains. Opal releases my hair, folds her arms and scowls at him, asking if she suddenly isn’t good enough, but I’m distracted looking right back into Asami’s slitted eyes, returning her smile.

“You’re thinking about it.” I tease.

“I’m thinking about something, but it isn’t your blood,” she says in a low voice, finishing off the fresh wad, flattening it down with her thumb.

“Oh? What is it then?” I lid my eyes at her whilst speaking the words. Man, I’m stoned. If we were alone right now, the things we could do… hmm… but I’m hungry.

“Would you like me to tell you right now?” she asks, glancing around the room at a suddenly very interested audience.

“Hah, erm, nope, never mind,” I say, feeling my cheeks flush, damn her. Damn it. I’m hungry. I want sex. No, I want food, and my belly grumbles, loudly advertising the fact.

“Help yourself,” Asami says with a smile, waving over to the vending machine.

“Don’t mind if I do,” I grin, rushing off the sofa and suddenly fighting against Jinora for the first go, “Why a vending machine and not a fridge anyway?” I ask, moving a pouting Jinora out of the way with my hips.

“Because I like it,” Asami says, looking at me in the same way she did when I asked her about her kitty slippers, “why else?” I think I need to learn to stop myself from remarking on her stylistic choices.

By the time I return to the sofa, my arms brimming with goodies, there’s another film starting. “Huh, fifth element, good call,” I say, sitting at the opposite end of the sofa this time, since Asami’s stolen my spot.

“Really? I haven’t seen this one,” Asami says, beckoning me over. It takes my stoned mind a few seconds to understand, and then I smile, scooting myself up until I’m resting against her torso, where she hooks her arms around my waist.

“Well, you’re in for a treat,” I say, tilting my head back and grinning up at her. She’s still got her fangs out, not that I mind. If I’m honest with myself, I might even prefer it.

“Oh, am I now?” she purrs, her lips curling into a smile.

“You two should get a room,” Opal says, staring at the TV whilst munching on a giant bag of chips which she’s sharing with Bolin.

“Or we could just fuck right here on the couch,” Asami states matter-of-factly, laughing when I almost choke on a handful of chips I’d literally just stuffed into my mouth, and my so-called friends are too busy laughing with her to worry that I might literally be choking.

Once I’m done not-choking, I lean back and grin at Asami, “You know, you really are just full of shit.”

“Quite the charmer, aren’t we?” she smiles, stroking a strand of hair away from my eyes, and even such a simple gesture makes my heart throb. Or maybe it’s my stomach, telling me to stuff my face more quickly, because I’m starving.

Before long, Sauron is on his way around again, and I’m well on my way to getting a little too high, but Asami stops me before I can get completely wiped out.

It’s only later, after we’ve said good night to the others, when she’s leading me up the staircase with her hand in mine, my heart pounding, and her dark, hungry gaze boring into mine, that I realise why. No sooner are we in her room, than she eases the door shut and captures me in a deep kiss, a kiss I eagerly return, a kiss I’ve wanted all fucking night.

We peel each other’s clothes off quickly and clumsily, kissing hungrily between each shed layer. Maybe it’s because I’m still high, but everything feels amazing, her naked body pressed into me, her stiff nipples brushing against my chest, her lips at my neck. It’s like I’m meant to be touched by her, like it’s all that’s supposed to be happening right now. I barely manage to take in my surroundings all, I’m pushed backwards, the backs of my knees catching on something soft before I tumble onto her bed. I crawl backwards, moving up the sheets, and she follows on all fours, never breaking her gaze from mine. She still has her fangs out, and I’m a little ashamed to admit I like it, especially the way her eyes bore into me, almost beast-like. The very sight sends a shiver right up my spine, and before I know it she’s above me, looking down, grinning triumphantly.

“Feeling smug?” I ask, though I’m thinking she can be as smug as she wants, so long as her lips are on me soon.

“Well, you are naked, and trapped under me,” she grins, then suddenly hesitates, “Oh, shit, sorry,” she says, then her eyes start to dim, and her fangs start to recede.

“Don’t,” I say, putting my hand to her cheek, “I mean, I like how you look. Both ways.”

She smiles softly, “Thanks… but I don’t think you’re quite ready for that kind of biting,” she continues, allowing her face to shift completely back to normal, and then leaning in for a deep kiss, her teeth tracing a line upon my lips, teasing them apart. Her tongue feels so good, and her body, pressed into mine, so hot, so soft. I stroke my palms down the sides of her torso, enjoying the feel of her curves, and I gasp when she breaks from our kiss only to immediately find my neck, teasing me with her lips, with her teeth, with her tongue.

She kisses her way lower, long, black strands of hair following her movements, flowing over me, until her tongue flickers across my taut nipple. I clench my teeth, groaning deeply, arching upwards when she sucks at my breast, when her wet warmth surround my flesh. Every touch sends me dizzy, even the touch of her palm, sliding across my leg, my waist, my torso, makes my hair stand on end, makes my body dance beneath her. “Asami…” I groan, feeling my cheeks burn, feeling desperate for her touch, for friction.

“Shh,” she puts a finger to my lips, then replaces it with her lips, “I’ll soon make you scream my name,” she growls, gently biting my lower lip. I’m literally trembling now. Fuck, it’s like she could make me come just by talking, just by teasing.

She kisses along every dip, every crevice and curve of my body, clearly enjoying the sounds I make, and the way she makes me writhe beneath her. I soon notice she’s kissing her way lower, lower still, beneath my abdomen, and I peer down to find her gaze returned, hungry, lustful. I want her. I want this, more than I’ve ever wanted anything, and my hips writhe upwards, showing her exactly how I feel. There’s a low growl, not from me, and I feel the tip of her tongue swipe past my sensitive bud, forcing me to gasp, and again, and fuck, it feels so good, like each flick of her tongue is setting my world on fire.

“Ah… ah…” I close my eyes, and it somehow makes the feeling even more intense, like she’s the only thing in the room, and her hot mouth, her hard tongue, rolling around, they’re all that exists. Her tongue suddenly presses firmly into me, licking slowly from my centre to my clit, forcing a long, deep groan to catch in my throat, and I twine my fingers into her hair, riding her mouth, wondering if this is really happening, or if it’s another dream. She finds the perfect rhythm, and I feel waves of pleasure wash through me, threatening to peak, my thrusts quickening, and just when I think I’m about to come I feel a sudden stretch inside, her finger, maybe two, I don’t know, I don’t care… fuck… I fist my hands into the sheets, gasping for air as she rolls her tongue around my clit, and pushes herself in, deeply, over and over.

It doesn’t take long, and fuck, I would scream her name, if I could even make a sound. I’m trapped in a wordless cry, pleasure flooding through me, and just when I think it’s easing off she suddenly changes her pace, sending me over the edge again, and this time it feels like I’m coming forever. I’m somehow turned on even more by the wet sounds her fingers make, I know it’s coming from me, that she’s making me soaking wet, and then I’m coming again, and I don’t even know how that’s possible but I don’t care… and… ah… “Asami…” I manage to groan her name, my hips trembling from my exertions, and my climax finally easing away into dull aftershocks. I keep my eyes closed, my mind completely devoid of thought, my body trembling and my fingers sore from clenching my fists so tightly.

I feel her lips, slowly kissing their way back up, and her head, resting on my torso, between my breasts. I manage to move my shaking arm, cupping the back of her hair, idly playing with a few loose strands. “That was… amazing…” I whisper, opening my eyes at last. She tilts her head upwards, smiling, and I want more than anything to return the favour, but my body won’t move, and my eyelids feel so heavy…

“Guess it’s your turn to pass out,” Asami whispers, and I glance down to see her smirking.

“Sorry…” I whisper, feeling embarrassed.

“Don’t be,” she chuckles, leaning up, kissing me, then coaxing me onto my side so that she can lie behind. She grabs a few pillows, helps me to get comfortable, and wraps us both under the blankets. I start to drift off, my brain idly ticking over random thoughts like what an amazing day it’s been… I’m so happy that the Krew accepted her… I’m so happy to be wrapped in her arms after what can only be described as mind-altering sex… I think I’m falling in love with her.

Wait, did I just think that? Well… shit.

Chapter Text

My dreams are abstract, filled with fleeting, blurred images of cream flesh against bronze, mine against hers. Gasps and groans fill my mind, my own sounds, her sounds, mixed together in some strange but beautiful symphony. Parts of the dream seem more real than others, like right now, where I’m looking down to see long, black hair draped across my thighs, and piercing green eyes, looking up at me. Fuck… it feels so good… her tongue feels so good…

“Well this seems awfully familiar,” Raava chuckles.

“Raava! What the fuck!” I growl, feeling myself blush furiously - if that’s even possible in a dream.

“Seems like your first dream literally came true!” she laughs.

“Please stop,” I mumble, putting my hand over my face.

“Sorry.” Raava apologises, though I’m sure she looks more amused than sorry,“All joking aside, I am happy for you...” she says, shimmering brightly.

“Thanks…” I say, though I feel suddenly on edge. I should be happy. No, I am happy, but at the same time I can’t help but feel fear, gnawing away at me.

“Is something the matter?” Raava asks.

“I think I’m just worried about tomorrow. Asami must be too, but she doesn’t really show it.”

“I would imagine she is. Have you considered the full implication of what she is about to do?”

I frown, “What do you mean? Obviously the students will all know…”

“And do you really think they will keep it to themselves?” Raava asks, and I feel a sudden jolt of panic at the words.

“Oh, shit!” I curse, feeling like a complete idiot, “the whole world will find out… It could ruin her entire company!” I exclaim, and almost smack myself in my dream-face. This explains her nerves last Thursday… I knew there was more to this, I mean she’d probably just agreed to put her entire life on the line, and there I was, pestering her to train me. I’m such a selfish idiot…

“She probably appreciated the distraction,” Raava says, “and I bet knocking you into the dirt a few times alleviated her stress,” she chuckles.

“Gee, thanks.” I pout, “I don’t understand why she’d do this though… she has so much to lose.”

“I would imagine the council picked her for a reason. A strong, trusted role model among humanity.”

“Yeah, Satotech has done a lot of good. I just hope the whole world doesn’t turn against her…”

“As do I…”

I fold my arms and close my eyes, almost immediately conjuring a picture of Asami in my mind, her smiling lips, and her playful, green eyes. It’s hard to believe she’s anything other than human, sometimes, and it’s hard to imagine anyone would try to hurt her. But they might, I mean, I did, and anxiety wells in my chest thinking about it, thinking that if I’m capable of that, who knows what other people might do.

“She is strong, Korra.”

“I know… but still. I just wish there was something I could do…”

—

Apparently my dream-anxiety is enough to wake me, because my eyes snap open. I’m lying on my back, peering to the left, towards a moonlit sky through one of the three long windows in the room.

“You’re awake?” Asami asks. Man, I don’t know if I’d ever get used to the not-sleeping thing. I can’t decide if it’s creepy or cute to be watched over.

“Yeah. I was talking to Raava…” I mumble, resting my hand over hers, just below my breast, then turning to face her.

“Oh? Anything interesting?” she asks, draping her leg across my legs.

“She pointed out that you’re exposing yourself to the whole world tomorrow, not just campus, and I can’t believe I didn’t think about that,” I sigh, gently stroking my hand down her thigh.

“Aha,” Asami smiles at me, propping her head up against her hand. I’m almost mesmerised by how beautiful she looks, with her skin illuminated by the light of the moon, “It isn’t really your concern… besides, I can look after my-”

“You could lose everything!” I exclaim, sitting up, leaning against the pillows stacked behind us. Damn, how many of these does she have? There’s like a mountain of the things.

“Hardly. Unless someone hacks every bank account I own, blows up approximately seventy buildings and kills every human and sane I employ,” she chuckles, sitting up alongside me.

“It isn’t funny,” I sigh.

“Korra…” she sighs deeply and rests a hand on my knee, “You don’t have to tell me how dangerous, or how cruel humans can be,” she continues, her eyes darkening, “I’ve seen it first-hand. I’ll be ready.”

I want to ask her what she means, but the look in her eyes is telling me to leave it well alone. “Why are you doing this though? Does the academy really mean so much to you?”

“It does, but…” Asami’s eyes glaze over for a moment, “there’s a bit more to it than that.”

“Oh?”

“The council have been toying with the idea of a sane representative for a while. I drew the short straw,” she shrugs.

“So you were bullied into it?” I ask, frowning.

“It isn’t a good idea to say no to the council,” she chuckles, as though enjoying a private joke, “but, it makes sense that they picked me.”

“But your company…”

“It’ll pull through. Besides, I might be the only sane who stands chance of convincing people we’re not all so bad.”

“Apart from when you fuck with people,” I say, easing myself back down the bed, until I’m lying flat on my back, head resting on a pillow.

“Apart from when I fuck with people,” she chuckles, kisses me on the cheek, and then slipping back down the mattress next to me, returning her palm to my chest and folding her leg over my thighs. I place my hand over hers, trailing my fingertips across her skin, and end up thinking about how we first met, how I thought she was beautiful the moment I saw her, and how even after all the shit I gave her, we still ended up here somehow.

“Hey, Asami,” I say, turning to face her.

“Hmm?” she cocks an eyebrow, and I take a deep breath.

“You saved my life, helped me find Raava, helped me find the avatar state, and you’re even training me. All I’ve ever done in return is… well, punch you,” I exhale loudly, grimacing at the memory, “And now, here we are. I don’t get it.”

“Maybe I think you’re cute,” she says, smiling.

“That’s it? You’re so full of shit,” I laugh, squeezing her hand, but she just chuckles in response and I’m too tired to question her further. I yawn sleepily, stretching myself out against her. “You know, you really don’t have to stay there.” I mumble.

“Does it bother you?” she asks.

“No. I just don’t want you to be bored.”

“I might go through some paperwork in a bit. In the meantime,” she purrs, stroking her hand across my abdomen, “I’m more than happy with the view.”

“Like I said, full of shit,” I say, yawning, and closing my eyes, “Night Hair,” I mutter.

“Night Guns,” she whispers, shifting her hand up and squeezing my bicep.

—

The next time I open my eyes, it’s to the sound of raindrops thudding loudly against the window. Asami isn’t next to me anymore, so I sit up and scan the room, quickly finding her sat at a desk just a little further down from the bed. She’s wearing a long black robe with a white towel wrapped above her head, has her chin in her hand, her elbow on the desk, and is staring intently at her laptop screen whilst chewing a pen.

“Morning,” I say, yawning and stretching out.

“Morning yourself,” she says, removing the pen from her mouth, swinging her chair around to face me, and running an obvious gaze up and down my body.

“You’re such a damn perv,” I scold, failing to hide my grin whilst clutching the blanket to my chest.

“Spoilsport,” she pouts, then returns her attention to the screen, “feel free to have a shower,” she says, removing the towel from her still-damp hair and pointing to a door to her right, “and I’ll go make sure your friends aren’t destroying the place.”

“You’re saying I smell?” I ask, climbing out of bed and walking towards her.

“Not at all, just thought you’d enjoy it,” she mumbles. I walk behind her and slip my arms around her shoulders, then look at her screen and laugh.

“The BV wiki? You dork!” I exclaim, amused that she’s busy looking up details of the mage class in Battleverse, “I thought you said you had paperwork to do…”

“All done. Mainly preparing staff for imbecilic media questions, sending out memos, that kind of thing,” she explains, leaning back against the short-backed computer chair. I brush her damp hair back, run my fingertips across her collar bone, and watch her close her eyes, smiling softly. “You probably shouldn’t do that,” she purrs.

“Why not…” I mumble, leaning my lips down and capturing her neck in a soft kiss. She bites her lower lip in a delicious smile and bends her arm backwards, threading her fingers into my hair.

“Because,” she breathes the words as I kiss her neck, trailing my tongue upwards, “your friends…” I capture her ear in my teeth, “hah…”

“My friends..?” I whisper, slipping my hand between the split in her robe, relieved that she doesn’t try to stop me, and surprised by my own boldness. It’s just that after last night, I can’t help the mood I’ve woken up in - she’s addictive, and I want her all over again.

“I suppose,” she sighs, gasping as I run my fingertips across a pert nipple, “they can wait five minutes,” she continues, swivelling her chair to face me. I lean forwards to kiss her, and she snakes her hands around my shoulders, pulling me closer, deepening the kiss right away.

Seems I’m not the only one who woke up feeling this way, because she grabs my wrists, and guides my hands to her dressing gown belt where I quickly unravel the loose knot. I pull away briefly from the heated kiss to look at her, she cocks an eyebrow, and I feel my cheeks grow hot as I ease the folds of her robe apart, finding her completely naked beneath. “My, aren’t you brave this morning? Are you going to take me right here, on this chair?” she chuckles.

She’s so beautiful, every damn inch of her, and I can barely believe I’m allowed to touch her, touch something so perfect. “Yes,” I whisper, feeling entranced as I lower myself to my knees, running my hands up the sides of her torso and leaning into her, taking her breast into my mouth. She threads her fingers into my hair, and gasps when I roll my tongue around her nipple, her hand behind my head and her torso arching forwards, pulling my mouth closer to her flesh.

“Bite it,” she murmurs, and I quickly comply, sucking her peak between my teeth, rewarded by a quiet, choked cry. I find her other breast with my hand, circling my thumb around the stiffness, and I can’t help but groan quietly against her skin because her writhing is driving me just a little crazy. I know what I want to do next, it’s another first for me, but damn… I want to taste her, so fucking badly. I kiss my way slowly down her abdomen, feeling a little nervous, but less so when she parts her legs and encourages my head to travel lower, gently coaxing with her hand.

My mouth travels past her nest of short, black curls, and my heart pounds in my chest whilst I slowly dip my tongue between her pink folds, prising them open, and tasting her, tasting a woman for the first time in my life. It isn’t what I expected… it’s a mixture of salty and sweet, unusual at first, but quickly becoming my favourite flavour. I want more… I slide my hands beneath her thighs, hungrily pulling her into my mouth, and she groans loudly, fisting my hair into her hand.

Every time I flick my tongue around her clit, she makes the most beautiful sounds and grips my hair just a little harder, not that I’d ever complain. She guides me again, talking between gasps. Tells me to find a rhythm with my tongue, stick to it, when to speed up, and to follow her hips. And so I do, sliding my tongue in thick strokes, slowly at first, then speeding up in time with her movements, until her hips really start to grind and I barely even have to move it at all. Her hand fists into my hair and from the amazing sounds she’s making, I’m sure she’s getting close. I ease two fingers into her, curling them up, groaning when I feel just how wet she is.

“Oh fuck, yes…” she croaks the words, holding my head harder, rocking herself into me, against my thrusting fingers and the deep strokes of my tongue. I feel her legs fold around my back, and she’s almost slipped halfway down the seat now, holding herself up on one of the chair arms, with her other hand still keeping my head in place. She’s getting wetter and wetter, gasping broken words, and I can tell she’s about to come so I ease a third finger in, holding all three in deeply, “Fuck!” she pants, suddenly juddering against me, her walls quivering around my fingers, her fingers scrunching my hair tightly as she holds me in place and bucks herself against my tongue. I feel it. I feel her come, against my hand, against my mouth, and it’s the most amazing thing in the world, listening to her, tasting her, smelling her, just like this.

Eventually, her hand relaxes, and I gently ease my fingers out, leaning back to look at her. She slumps off the chair and onto me, her thighs straddling mine, her arms around my shoulders, her robe folded around me. She’s panting, and falls limp against me, almost like a dead weight. “You okay?” I ask, feeling suddenly concerned. I feel her shoulders shudder as she chuckles throatily against my ear.

“There’s no way you haven’t done that before,” she says, with a soft sigh.

“I haven’t.”

“Damn. You’re a natural,” she says, pulling away from my shoulders to look me in the eye, “maybe you’re a tonguebender!” she says, grinning from ear to ear, and I can’t help but laugh.

“That’s terrible,” I say, still laughing. She places a hand to my cheek and looks almost sad for a moment.

“I’ll miss this,” she says, sighing, and I feel a cold tendril of panic run up my spine.

“What do you mean?”

“Things are going to change, so much. I don’t know if I’ll be able to relax again any time soon.”

“Is there anything I can do?” I ask, and I see her shoulders sag.

“Yeah… I need you to keep this under wraps.”

“This? You mean us?”

“We can’t risk humanity turning against the Avatar,” she says, her brows slanting.

“Is that you talking or the council?” I grumble.

“A bit of both,” she says, smiling sadly, “I just don’t want anything to happen you,” she sighs, brushing a few strands of hair from my face.

“I don’t want anything to happen to you either!” I exclaim, frowning.

“That’s unavoidable,” she says, standing to her feet, “There’ll be a media uproar, company shares will plummet, at least half the students will be arseholes.”

“Ugh, this sucks,” I say, taking her hand and hoisting myself up, “are you saying we won’t see each other again?” I ask, my heart sinking.

“No. But we’ll have to be careful,” she smiles, and I smile back, feeling a little reassured at the words, “anyway, depressing thoughts aside, why don’t you go freshen up whilst I take care of the elephants?”

“Elephants?”

“Vampire hearing,” she winks, tapping her ear, “they’re running up and down the halls so far as I can tell,” she laughs, “there’s spare underwear and stuff in the bathroom, take what you need.”

“You’re so insistent about that shower! So you are saying I smell?” I scowl.

“Maybe a little,” she says, wrinkling her nose and laughing.

“Fine!” I huff, kissing her anyway, then heading into the on-suite.

—

One invigorating shower later - and I’m pleased to say Asami really knows her power showers - I’m on my way back downstairs to see if anything has been destroyed. I hear gasps, shrieks and groans, and I immediately panic, air vaulting myself over the staircase banister and landing in a cushion of air, where I find everyone in the middle of the large entry hall.

“Well, that was a fancy entrance,” Asami says, grinning, her fangs proudly displayed, and one Krew member dangling off each of her limbs. I stand there a moment, slack-jawed, tilting my head at the confusing sight.

“Guys, what the actual fuck,” I mutter.

Bolin’s trying to hold Asami back with his arms wrapped around her from behind, Opal and Jinora have one arm grabbed each, whereas Kai and Mako are each holding onto an ankle, and they’re all being dragged across the floor like they’re nothing as Asami walks towards me, “They wanted to play catch the vampire,” she shrugs, forcing Jinora and Opal to drop from her arms.

“And you… went along with it?” I ask, cocking an eyebrow.

“Sure. Beats the gym,” she says, bending down to pick Mako up by the scruff of his jacket and proudly dangling him in the air like he’s a trophy.

“Help.” He mutters, looking absolutely exhausted, and I can’t help but laugh at the sight.

“Okay, playtimes over,” Asami withdraws her fangs with a throaty chuckle, and everyone stands to their feet, looking worse for wear as they dust themselves off.

“Serves you all right,” I laugh, walking towards Asami, absent-mindedly snaking my arms around her waist and leaning up for a kiss.

“Aww, such a cute co-” Jinora begins.

“Shut it,” I say, glaring.

Asami smiles and ruffles my hair, “Let’s grab breakfast,” she says, and Bolin’s eyes practically light up at the words. Man, he really is such a foodie, and he’s first in line as we follow Asami down the hallway, past the stoner room and through an archway all the way towards the end.

“Whoa,” Bolin says, staring around the damn near house-sized kitchen.

“Help yourself to toast or cereal,” Asami points to a row of cupboards and an eight-slice toaster, “Milk and juice is in the fridge. Erm, ignore the blood bags,” she chuckles.

“Gross!” I say, before I can stop myself. She doesn’t seem to mind, though. “Wait, you don’t need to feed on live humans?”

“Of course not,” she says, grabbing a kettle and filling it with water at the sink, “it’s just a lot better for us if we do. Think of the bags as your equivalent to ration bars.”

“So it’s like comparing a ration bar to a steak?” I ask, pouring a large serving of cinnamon loops into a bowl. Hmm, I think I’ll have some pineapple juice, too.

“Pretty much.”

“Do you use bags at campus?” Jinora asks, sitting down at the breakfast bar at same time as I do, with what looks like a bowl of mixed cereal.

Asami busies herself pouring a coffee, then walks over to sit next to me, “Yes, it’s easier than having to head out to a blood contract each time,” she says, and I feel a weird pang of jealousy at the idea of her biting another living person. Oh come on, oh brain of mine, you’re being ridiculous. She has to eat. And if that happens to be quite an intimate process, then it isn’t her fault.

“How often do you have to do it? I mean, drink blood?” Mako asks, joining us with two slices of toast, each covered in a thick layer of jam.

“Every two or three days. Unless we’re hurt or…” she looks across at me with a wry smile, “… exert ourselves.” I try not to choke on my cereal at the implication.

“Doesn’t it taste nasty though?” Kai asks, scrunching his face up as he sits.

“Can’t really taste it, to be honest,” Asami shrugs, spooning a fifth pile of sugar into her coffee.

“See, I don’t understand that part,” Jinora says, munching on a mouth full of cereal and waving her spoon as she talks, “I mean, how can your sense of taste go kaput, but you end up with a better sense of smell?”

“It’s a subtle change, but basically our tastebuds mutate and shift, somewhere behind here,” Asami explains, pointing at the side of her nostril.

“So you could snort food to taste it?” I say, laughing at the idea.

“Yes… but that would be disgusting,” Asami says, rolling her eyes at me then taking a sip of coffee.

“It must suck though, smelling delicious food but not being able to taste it…” I sigh.

“It’s one of the few disadvantages of being vampire,” she shrugs.

Opal and Bolin sit down, having finally decided on what they’re eating. In Bolin’s case, pretty much everything, no real surprise there.

“Anyway, guys,” I say, trying to get their attention, “Now that you know all this, will you have Asami’s back tomorrow?”

“Of course,” Mako frowns, as though it’s a stupid question.

“I think it goes without saying! But some of the kids might be shitty about it,” Opal says, sighing.

“Yeah, especially with the Jonas thing,” Bolin adds. I hadn’t thought about that… one more to add to my list of ever-growing worries.

“We’ll try watch out for you,” Kai says, smiling at Asami.

“Thanks… but don’t be getting yourselves hurt. Things could get ugly,” she says, sighing.

“Aren’t you worried about Satotech?” Mako asks, quickly seeing the bigger picture, unlike me.

“Yes. But worrying accomplishes nothing.” Asami answers, “In any case, it’s safe to say that things will get very interesting.”

“That’s one way of putting it,” I say, glumly sloshing my spoon into my cereal over and over.

“It’ll be fine,” Asami says, nudging my shoulder with hers, “anyway, I have a few loose ends to tie up here before tomorrow. Are you okay to head back with the others?” she asks.

“Uh… sure,” I say, trying to hide the fact I would very much have liked to spend more time with her.

“I’ll be back by morning. The assembly should be fun,” she grins, though I’m not sure if it’s a front, to hide her fear.

We manage to get through breakfast without too many awkward questions, although Opals ‘do vampires have periods?’ was pretty borderline. They don’t, by the way. The vampire reproduction system doesn’t function at all, from what Asami said, and a part of me wonders how she didn’t get pregnant to Kyoshi when they were human. Maybe that’s something I’ll ask one day.

--

“I’ll see you tomorrow?” I ask Asami, stood just outside her door while the Krew wait not-so-patiently in the bus.

‘Kiss her!’ Opal yells, and I roll my eyes, sticking my middle finger up roughly in her direction.

“Definitely. I’ll text you,” Asami winks, then places a long, sweet kiss on my lips, causing a loud ruckus of cheers to erupt from the minibus, forcing me to smile despite my anxiety.

“Okay, bye Hair…” I say, smiling, then turning to walk towards the bus, waving goodbye one more time, and jumping into the back.

“Thanks for that, guys,” I sigh.

“You’re welcome,” Opal laughs, squeezing her arms around me from the seat just behind.

“Buckle up, we’re off!” Mako calls from the front, bringing the noisy engine roaring to life. No sooner have we started to move than Bolin decides to mimic an air hostess, guiding us through pretend emergency evacuation protocols. I manage to laugh once or twice, but I can’t help but feel a gnawing sadness eating away at me as we drive away, heading back to reality, and an uncertain future.

—

It’s getting late, but I can’t sleep. I’ve checked my phone like a hundred times, even though I’ve said good night to Asami already. I keep thinking I should say something more, but she’s busy, up all night making final preparations, so I don’t want to bother her. I shift around to lay on my other side, which is about the thirtieth time I’ve changed positions, and I grunt in complaint, feeling that my bed is suddenly the most uncomfortable thing in the world.

I keep playing out nightmare scenarios in my head, various ways in which Asami could somehow get hurt, even though the Krew tried to reassure me like a hundred times on the way back that everything will be okay.

“How can it be okay?” I think, hoping Raava can help.

“These things have a way of working themselves out,” Raava answers, her form shifting into view inside my mind.

“But people might try to kill her…”

“That is now illegal.”

“So is murder. People still do it.”

“It would be difficult to murder one as old as she.”

“I hope you’re right.”

“Have faith in her, Korra. And have faith in yourself, too.”

“I’ll try… thanks,” I say, shuffling in bed yet again, “Hey, since I can’t sleep…”

“You wish to speak to Kyoshi?”

“If that’s okay,” I smile, closing my eyes.

“Of course,” Raava shimmers, then quickly shifts right in front of me, until an agitated-looking Kyoshi storms towards me and prods a finger firmly into my chest.

“You dare to share a bed with my love?!” she hisses, her war-paint covered, scowling face making me break out into a cold sweat.

“I-uh! But you said-“ I stop mid-sentence when I see that same damn curve upon her lips that Asami gets, “damn it, will I ever stop falling for this shit…” I sigh, as Kyoshi starts to laugh, loudly.

“It is her influence, not mine, I assure you,” Kyoshi smiles, patting me on the shoulder.

“I’m not sure I believe you,” I pout.

“In any case,” Kyoshi says, wiping away a tear of laughter, “the next part of my tale will show you how I turned. Does this interest you?”

“Yes. Very much so,” I say, smiling as I’m slowly pulled towards her, sensing a familiar shift between my own persona and hers.

Chapter Text

Kyoshi Estate

It has been three weeks since Asami changed.

In the first week I felt panic, wondering if I had made the wrong decision, wondering if it were safe to allow both her and Helena to stay. Trust is a hard thing as it is, but for matters like this, I find myself perplexed. I am eternally grateful that Asami yet lives, I do trust her, and I do trust that she is herself. Her laugh, her smile, and the way she kisses me, none of this has changed. Even Helena seems like herself, giving me no reason to distrust her, no reason to distrust either of them. And yet, the side of me that has spent almost every day of my adult life fighting the beasts around us, she screams at me to be wary, to watch my back.

In the second week, I could no longer hide the truth from my warriors, especially given that Asami survived the disease, yet only trains after the sun has set. I rallied them together for a meeting, and told them that above all else they must trust me, and trust my judgement. Thankfully their loyalty outweighs all else, and even the most stubborn of my girls, Dee, has started to shown signs of acceptance. Indeed just yesterday I saw her prodding at Helena’s fangs, then sucking on her own finger. Strange behaviour, for sure.

In the third week I revealed the truth to the people of my estate, the villagers. They are fearful, they do not see vampires as anything other than a threat. Unfortunately, they may soon be forced to accept them.

For now, I have bigger concerns. Five more warriors and sixteen more villagers have died to the invisible plague, and I can no longer stand idly by as it claims victim after victim. Asami has kept herself up late at night, often headed into the wilds beyond, returning just before daybreak, in some mad attempt to scour out a possible cure. She brings herbs and tonics, and I admire the fact that in just two weeks she has found a way to ease people’s suffering. But it is not enough, I cannot and will not allow this to continue, for if I do, there will be no warriors left to defend this world.

Today, I will make the hardest choice of my life.

--

“Are you sure about this?” Asami asks, sitting by my side on a bench in the entry hall just outside my chambers. Most of my rooms are illuminated by candle light now, with the windows filled in, so that Asami can freely roam during the day.

“No. But the alternative would be to watch everyone die,” I say, shifting myself into her embrace.

Helena paces the wooden floor before us, causing the same plank to creak every time she steps on it, looking deep in thought, “It is a logical choice, one that I support. But the repercussions…”

“I shall have to deal with those later,” I say, all too well aware of how hated I shall be. How loathed, “But are you certain we cannot just-”

“No,” Helena interrupts me, “we cannot turn the sick. The law is absolute.”

Helena spent some time last week explaining these so-called laws. It seems that their council is very strict, and punishes misdemeanours with extreme prejudice, in many cases execution. One such crime would be for a vampire to sire more than one prodigy. I close my eyes, and squeeze Asami’s hand, “It was a foolish thought anyway. I would not ask it of my people, for them to lose their humanity.” I feel her hand twitch at the words, and see a familiar sadness in her eyes. She has tried to convince me that they are still human, but I cannot see how it is so, no matter how hard I try. It is that other part of me, the warrior, that refuses to accept such a truth, and I know that my girls feel the same.

“Then let us begin,” I say, standing up, trying to steel my resolve, and do what must be done, “Join me tonight, for I will need your support.”

—

The sun has set, and it is a clear night, with stars shining brightly as I gaze above, taking a deep breath. Every man, woman and child of the estate stands before me, illuminated by flickering torches around the grounds. Six hundred and eighty people in total, including my forty-two remaining warriors, whom stand behind me. I have already told them my plan, and I am proud of them, because they have given me their full support.

“Listen to me!” I yell, throwing a long snake of fire into the air, cutting their chatter, garnering their attention, “Tonight, I must ask you to make a decision, and it will seem unfair, but it is necessary if we are to survive the disease which plagues us.” I continue, as loudly as I can.

They look at each other fearfully, and I cannot blame them. Like me, many have already lost love ones, and worry for their lives, too. “I will create a safe haven, split the very earth, moving the estate and surrounding lands to the seas.” I shout the words with great conviction, but I can scarcely believe I am capable of it, even though Raava assures me I am.

People are stunned by my words as it is, but the next part will be the hardest. “If you are afflicted, you will stay. Otherwise your choice is simple - move to Chin village, or join me.”

“You can’t do that!” a rotund, sweating man shouts, “my wife… she… she might get-”

“Silence!” I yell, putting a stop to the murmurs of the crowd, “There is no cure, you know it as well as I. This is the only way,” I say, and I hold back a guilt-ridden grimace as the man begins to visibly sob. “Six of my warriors are also afflicted, and they will also leave. None are safe. By the end of the night, we will forcibly evacuate any afflicted if we must.”

Again, an uproar. I let it play out for a minute, glaring across the crowd, refusing to give in to my emotions on this matter. “I implore you - Do not put my warriors in that position. Do what must be done. Do it for the sake of those who will live on, and know that when this dark tide passes, we will return, and we will fight on!”

“This is a death sentence!” a woman cries out, and she is not wrong. If the plague does not kill them, the other horrors of the world might, but I have planned for such an eventuality, thanks to Helena. She stands forwards.

“Chin village will receive assistance from the council - two sanes will be there by nightfall. I suggest you give them a warm welcome if you are to stay,” she shouts.

Sanes - an apt word, one I hadn’t heard until recently. It is what the council calls those who are not insane, after all. No, they call those beasts ferals, whereas before we simply named them all vampires. It has been an educational two weeks, for sure, both for me, and for all of my people.

“Is that supposed to help?” Another woman yells. A part of me is actually happy that they have such spirit, such fire in them. They will need it.

“It is a forced alliance, but you must trust them. They will protect you against the horrors of the night,” I yell, hoping that these two sanes are indeed trustworthy. Asami and Helena originally volunteered to defend Chin village, but they recently received a summons to the council, which is another thing that disturbs me greatly. One of their laws dictates that a potential prodigy must be ‘evaluated’ before being turned, and now both must go, Helena to defend her actions, and Asami to defend her right to live. I cannot imagine they would ever find Asami anything other than worthy, but still, the thought of them passing judgement, with their harsh punishments, it keeps me awake at night.

“There is nothing more to say,” I shout, growing tired, my guilt and my worries weighing me down, “You have until midnight. Now go!” I shout, and the crowd thankfully listens, dispersing with loud murmurs of discontent. I was fearful that I may have had to use force, but perhaps deep down, they know that this must be done just as I do.

 —

It is time. We have checked the estate thrice times over, being sure that all who remain are well, showing none of those obvious, early signs we have recently come to recognise. Bloodshot eyes. A rash in the inner ear. Swollen fingers. No, we are as certain as can be that those who remain are not affected by this bastard of a disease.

“Raava, are you sure we can do this?” I ask, knowing as well as she that no such feat has even been attempted before.

“It will take everything we have… but yes,” Raava answers. She has explained to me that such a use of her power will drain us both, and we may sleep for days afterwards. I have Asami and Helena with me, to support me and carry me back if I need it. The others I have asked to stay well clear, since I am not sure how stable the lands will be once I begin.

I look around for the fourth time, trying to visualise the exact place that I will focus my power. I am stood at the thinnest stretch of land, with ocean visible on both sides, perhaps half a mile across in total. It will leave us with a large island, with ample wildlife and fauna, although the estate is self-sufficient even by itself.

“Kyoshi…” Asami places her hand on my shoulder and squeezes lightly, probably realising as well as I do that I am being hesitant. It does not help that a group of those who left are stood ahead, keeping a clear distance after a little persuasion from Helena. They glare angrily, probably cursing me with every breath that they take, and whilst I cannot blame them I have to think of the others, those behind me, those who will live.

“Very well,” I say, taking a deep breath and summoning Raava’s energy until it throbs through every vein in my body, my hair whipping around my face as I rise into the air. Then Raava does that which she would never normally do, but it is as we agreed. I feel her power surround me completely, taking over me, my body, my mind, until I can do nothing but watch. I feel all that she does, I feel her power as though it is I controlling it, and it feels so raw, so limitless, so pure.

She lands on the ground, kneeling, spreading my palms flat and forcing her energies into the earth beneath until a large, echoing crack splits the air, and the whole land feels as though it is alive, rumbling beneath my feet. More loud crunches and cracks emanate, towards the left and right, and I can sense the plates beneath us shifting. Then, the land jolts backwards, a great chasm appearing before us, growing wider and wider with each passing moment, until we are completely detached from the mainland, and moving further and further away.

Once the mainland is distant, perhaps ten miles away, perhaps more, the island comes to a stop, and the tremors cease completely. Raava stamps my foot to the ground, and again, and then a third time, solidifying the new position of the earth beneath, merging old plates with those we have shifted. And then, there is nothing but stillness and the sound of the ocean, splashing against the newly formed cliff face before us.

“It is done,” Raava says, speaking with my own voice, before quickly receding from my mind and body, relinquishing control. The very second I am myself again, I stumble towards the ground. Asami catches me before I fall, lifts me into her arms and smiles at me, brushing hair from my face.

“That was amazing… you are amazing…” she whispers. It is the last thing I hear, before exhaustion overwhelms me.

—

I awake to the sensation of a damp cloth upon my lips, and prise my eyes open slowly. I am in my chambers, and Asami is by my side. Her face creases from concern to relief right before me, and she places a palm to my cheek, “How are you feeling?” she asks, removing the cloth from my mouth.

“I-” I cough, my throat feeling dry, and she quickly passes me a clay bowl full of water which I hungrily drink, easing myself slowly into a sitting position, wincing at the pains in my body, “I ache everywhere… could it be that…” I feel sudden panic that these are the early symptoms of the disease.

“No. Your fingers are fine, so are your ears,” Asami reassures me, “What you did definitely took its toll, but you’ll be up and about in no time,” she says, grinning. Ah, my beautiful Asami, ever the optimist.

“Raava?” I ask, but hear nothing back. Perhaps she too needs to rest for a while, though I hope not for long.

“Is she asleep?” Asami asks, and I smile, finding it sweet she knows from my face alone when I am trying to speak to Raava.

“Yes. How long have I been unconscious?” I ask, sensing from the stillness and coolness of the air that it is currently night time.

“Two days. Everyone’s started to get settled, though they can still barely believe their eyes,” she chuckles.

“I can imagine,” I smile, but then sigh, remembering Asami’s other commitments, “So, when must you both leave?”

“As soon as possible. If the council thinks we aren’t coming, you’ll all be in danger,” she says, suddenly looking fearful.

“Must you go?” I ask, taking her hand in mine.

“Yes. I don’t think Helena would lie about this,” Asami says, “We’ll be as quick as we can but…”

“Even at your speed, it will take months,” I whisper, entwining my fingers with hers, meeting her gaze, her eyes as beautiful as always. “Will you promise to come back to me?”

“Of course. You know how good I am with trials,” she says, winking, and I smile, remembering how she bested Lee the first day we met.

“They won’t know what hit them,” I chuckle, then lean forwards to meet her lips in a tender kiss.

—

Three months later

It is a quiet night, peaceful, scarcely a sound to be heard other than crickets, the calming ocean waves, and the occasional hoot of an owl.

The island is prosperous, and not one person has been infected by the disease. For all intents and purposes, I should be happy, the plan worked. My warriors reassure me that I made the right choice, but at night I conjure horrific images in my mind of people across the seas, suffering, dying. And then on top of all that, I worry that Asami has not yet returned. I worry that they have both been put to death.

“Raava, should they not be back by now?” I think.

“I do not know. They are fast, but…”

“The far north is a long, long journey.”

“I would not give up hope, Kyoshi.”

“I know, old friend. I know,” I sigh, turning onto my other side. I have not slept for three nights, but thankfully tonight I feel exhaustion taking over, and I am soon pulled into the darkness, welcoming it.

--

A strange bite at my neck forces me awake, and I sit up with a loud curse, despising whichever insect dared to rob me of my one night of slumber. It is strange though, because I suddenly feel beyond tired, as though I may pass out, and I sense a sudden blur of movement in the room.

“What…” I begin to speak, but feel another sting on my arm, and look down to see a strange protrusion, a needle with a feather on the end.

“Give her another!” I hear a man whisper in a harsh voice, then there’s a third sting at my side. I am under attack! I quickly try to summon Raava’s power, only to feel a strange, tight pinch at my neck. A man’s hand, thick fingers, calloused. The last thing I see are his angry, bronze eyes, glaring into my soul, and filled with hatred.

—

“Wakey, wakey,” a cruel voice rouses me, and I feel a sharp sting across each of my cheeks. I open my eyes, frowning as the bright sun assaults my vision. Once my sight has adjusted I realise immediately that I am no longer on the island.

“Raava?” I think, trying to summon her forth, dismayed that there is no response. I try to move my hands only to realise they are bound, as are my legs, and I am chained against a wall, a prisoner. I roar, in attempt to summon a flame at my assailant, but nothing springs forth, as though I no longer have the power. The man rests his hands on his hips and laughs at me.

“Where am I?” I snarl.

“Don’t you remember?” the man mocks me, “We just had ourselves a little sailing trip, and you were the guest of honour!” he says, punching me swiftly in the gut, just below my ribs. I do not give him the pleasure of a grunt, I simply glare at him.

“Then this is Chin village?” I ask, not seeing any familiar landmarks.

“Nearabouts,” he shrugs, grabbing my shoulder and pinching a nerve hard between his fingers, causing me to flinch. I recognise his eyes now – he is the same man from earlier. “Taught myself a new trick, turns off bending for a good few hours, isn’t that right, lads?” he asks, looking back over his shoulder at the others. It looks like he has ten companions - two women, six men, two boys. The men laugh at his words, whilst the women simply scowl at me, as though I am filth.

One of the women stands forwards, and I see now that her blue eyes are as cruel as the mans, “How did you like my special darts, love?” she whispers, clutching my chin, “just wait ‘til I tell everyone they can take the avatar down,” she laughs, squeezing my cheeks tightly between her sharp fingernails, drawing a few droplets of blood, “Hurry it up darling,” she addresses the man, releasing me from her grip, “we must be done before nightfall.”

“Ah yes, our vampire friends. Another thing to thank her for!” he yells, slamming his boot into my side, cracking a rib. I cannot help but gasp at such a blow, and I grit my teeth, wondering what else these people have planned for me.

“Get a move on, Horash!” the woman speaks again, rolling her eyes, and the man pulls out a long, rusted blade, the sight of which sends a chill down my spine.

“What do you think you are-” my words fall short as the blade plummets into me, not my heart, for I yet live, but a cruel blow all the same. He twists the knife at my gut, forcing me to scream in pain. If I can get to water, there is a chance I can mend such a wound, but- “Argh!” I yell as he stabs again, this time to my thigh, perhaps an inch from the thick vein I know would kill me in minutes.

“That’ll do, she’s good as dead,” he brags to his comrades, “knock yourselves out guys, but keep her alive. Barely.”

I grit my teeth again, watching as the small crowd approaches. At first they seem hesitant to move, perhaps intimidated by my glare, but then one of the men rushes forwards with a loud bellow.

“You left us here to die!” he roars, slamming each of his fists against my bloodied gut, forcing me to cough up a pool of blood, much to the chagrin of his boss. Apparently if he hits me there, I’ll die too quickly.

“My husband… he… it’s your fault!” the second of the women screeches, coming at me, raking at my face wildly with her nails. Her thumbs claw up my cheek bones, closer and closer to my eyes, where I am sure she will gouge them out, but she is stopped by the bronze-eyed man.

“No. I want her to see everything that we do,” he growls, takes her wrist, and looks at me with a twisted smile.

These people are furious. They vent their rage, punching, kicking, clawing, breaking ribs, breaking four of my fingers. For how long they beat me, I do not know, but it is long enough for my body to start to numb, tuning out the pain. I almost pass out twice, especially when the biggest of the men slams me in the face with his elbow, breaking two teeth. I don’t even have the strength to spit them out… they just ooze from my slack jaw, in a river of blood. My breaths are ragged and blood pools into my mouth, all I know is pain, yet even so, all I can think is that I deserve this. I deserve it all.

Everything fades to blackness.

“Ah ah ah!” their leader grabs my hair and lifts my face, throwing cold water in it, forcing me back into consciousness, “We want you awake for the next part,” he grins, and if I had the energy, I’d surely spit in his face.

I can no longer hold my head up, but I feel myself unchained, and I fall limply into my assailant’s arms. I am dragged by my arms, my feet trailing across the ground, my wounds leaving a long trail of blood, until we come to a stop. “Your new home!” the man laughs, and I am thrown, landing with a heavy thud a few feet below them all. It takes me a few moments to realise that they have thrown me into a hole in the ground, and I am in some kind of primitive, wooden box.

“Sweet dreams, avatar,” the man spits from above, and then laughs, clapping his hands once.

“Stop…” I croak, but the effort forces me to choke on my own blood. A lid slams down above me, and then there’s the sound of dirt, being piled on top. They’re going to bury me alive… or so they think, but I feel my wounds may take me first.

My breaths are shallow, my whole body screams at me to pass out, and I know I will not last long. Perhaps that is a blessing, for these bastards would have me suffocate underground. The air grows thicker, and the sounds of dirt become quieter, quieter still, until I know there is no hope. I can barely move. I cannot bend the elements. I am bleeding to death, suffocating to death, trapped in a tiny box. I slide my palms across the low ceiling above, feeling the rough surface splinter into my hands.

The air grows thinner still, and my heart races as panic consumes me, a futile feeling since neither fight nor flight are an option. I rake my nails across the lid above with tears forming at my eyes. I am to die here, a wretched failure of an avatar, hated, and despised.

“Kyoshi…” Raava’s voice sounds out, and I feel a brief moment of joy to hear her again.

“You missed the party,” I think, smiling at my misplaced humour, and then, strangely, sobbing at the words. I am too far gone even for Raava to help now, and I sense she knows it as well as I.

“I am so sorry…”

“It was meant to be…” I say, my breathing becoming more ragged, “Raava… I am… afraid…” I think, squeezing my eyes closed, feeling myself losing the battle, losing consciousness.

And then, I hear something I have never heard before. A haunting, beautiful melody, which dispels my fear and fills me with warmth. Raava sings to me, her voice calming, like a light in the darkness. I feel my breathing slow, my panicked heart dulls from a violent thud to a quiet murmur, and it is almost like I fall asleep, listening to her. It is so beautiful… so very beautiful that it brings tears of joy to my eyes.

—

I am kept on the precipice of death, in a dream-like state, but for how long I do not know. I thought myself gone, but I quickly realise this is not the case when I am disturbed from my trance by the sensation of earth shifting above me. Perhaps I am delusional, perhaps my mind is playing tricks, forcing a glimmer of hope to stir within.

A cool waft of air suddenly floods into my coffin, and I try to gasp it hungrily into my lungs, coughing at the exertion. I cannot find the strength to open my eyes, but I feel myself surrounded, pulled from my earthen tomb by familiar arms, and this scent… this warmth… My love… she has returned. I would shed tears of joy I only had the strength, but instead I hang limply in her arms, knowing that these breaths are my last.

“’Yoshi… what did they do to you?” Asami chokes the words between broken sobs, and I feel her warm tears drip onto my cheeks.

“I should snap your neck!” Helena snarls, and I hear a deep whimper in response. “Our healers can’t fix this, Asami,” she continues.

“I know. I… know…” Asami says, sounding distraught. I wish I could open my eyes, lift a hand to her face, and feel her lips upon mine, one last time.“Kyoshi… Can you hear me?” Asami asks, and I feel her smoothing my matted hair away. I manage a weak nod.

“If you die now, the world is doomed,” Helena says, quickly shushed by Asami.

“Forgive me, my love,” Asami chokes out the words, clearly torn, “but there are thousands of ferals coming, and we need you. I need you,” I feel her lips press against my forehead, where she whispers, “Drink if you would help us save the world, otherwise pass on in peace, knowing that I will always love you.”

I feel a strange warmth at my lips, a mix of salt and iron - her blood. I understand what is asked of me, but I am uncertain, and I am afraid.

“Raava?”

“If their words are true, countless lives will be lost,” Raava says.

“But what would happen to you?”

“I do not know,” she admits, and I think for the first time in my life, I hear fear in her voice, “I… think we must take the risk. It is our duty to restore balance, at all costs.”

“Then I shall trust your judgement,” I say, deciding to act fast, knowing that I will soon die otherwise. I take a sip of my lover’s blood. It is strange, but the moment I swallow, I feel compelled to take more, as though it is as addictive as breathing. The taste is not unpleasant, a little sweet, a little salty, and I drink hungrily, feeling a deep warmth fill me from my very core.

“That’s enough,” Helena says, then I feel Asami pull her arm away, and I’m sure I can hear her sobbing.

“Be strong, Kyoshi,” Asami whispers, surrounding me in her embrace from behind, holding me tightly, clasping my hands in hers. In this moment, I feel happy, happy that if I am to die now, then it is in her loving arms.

Suddenly, a jolt of pain shudders through me, starting at my gut, pulsing out in all directions, all at once, like I am being torn apart, reshaped from the inside out. As though my wounds were not already terrible enough, now my whole body thrashes, inflicting the worse possible pain. I scream out, though my throat is dry, and the sound ragged. My love keeps me held in her arms as I spasm, my limbs trying to lash out as though I am having a fit. It hurts. It hurts so much that I fear I may die, sharp pains throbbing all the way to the marrow of my bone, I can’t… I can’t do this… “Arrrrgh!” I scream again, wishing for blackness, for an end to this.

And then it comes, a sudden, blessed wave of warmth, a delightful absence of pain and the welcome sensation of stillness, my lungs releasing their final gasp as I relax into Asami’s arms…

 Yet, I am still here. I have not passed on. I feel a sharp pain at my upper gum, wincing a little as two of my teeth stretch out.

“Raava?” I ask fearfully, keeping my eyes closed.

“I am here… I… I feel good!” Raava exclaims, and I breathe a huge sigh of relief.

“Kyoshi?” I hear my love speak, and feel her soft hands, brushing hair from my face. I finally manage to prise my eyes open, seeing bright, shimmering green staring back. Asami puts a hand to her mouth, quietly sobbing, fresh tears spilling down her cheeks.

“I must check her,” Helena says, and Asami gently sits me up whilst Helena fusses over me, checking my eyes, my mouth, teeth, tongue and then each of my limbs. She smiles, reaches over and pulls something into my view. A man. My vision is still blurred, but I see straight away who it is - the bastard that put me to my death, Horash. His face is bruised and bloodied, his lip swollen, and he looks absolutely terrified. “The change is perfect, but you must drink quickly,” Helena says, exposing his neck and easing him towards me.

I hesitate for only a moment, before I am somehow enticed in, sensing his fat, pulsing jugular before me. There is a hunger gnawing deep in my gut, a hunger I have never before felt, and it screams at all of my senses to take that which is offered. And so I do, biting harder than perhaps I need to, and sucking on his warm, thick blood. It is tasteless, but still, it satisfies me in a way I can scarcely describe, like scratching a persistent, deep itch. As I drink, I feel a hot stretch burn through me, like a mix of pain and pleasure. Fresh teeth sprout to replace those which were lost, I feel my wounds stitch together, and bone snapping back into place. I do not drink for long, and he is pulled away, regretfully still breathing.

And then, all that I ever knew about the world is rewritten. A jolt of energy bursts through my body, my perspective shifts, everything around me becomes sharp and clear, and I cannot help but gasp in awe. I stand up to see a new world, brightly lit in more colours than I ever imagined possible, and I circle around, taking in every minuscule detail. If I focus, I can see the insects on each leaf of a tree, I can see the very pores on Asami’s skin, and the smells and the sounds are… overwhelming. It is as though all of my senses are overloaded, like the avatar state tenfold. But even more than that… I feel strong, like I could move mountains with my bare hands.

“How do you feel?” Asami asks, her gaze full of nothing but concern, of love. I look at her and feel my heart thud, and I raise my hand to my chest in surprise, surprised that it still beats at all. I love her, more than ever before. In fact, I feel everything I have always felt…

“I… I am still myself…” I whisper in wonder, scarcely believing it to be true.

Asami laughs, wiping away her tears, “Of course you are,” she chuckles, walking towards me and kissing me on the cheek.

And that is when I finally realise… I was wrong. We were all wrong. They are not monsters. They do not lose their soul, they are not filled with blackness, and their smiles are not masks, hiding away darker secrets. They are the person they already were, and if anything, their emotions are stronger than ever, heightened just as much as their senses.

“I love you,” I speak the truth, resting my palm on Asami’s cheek, and sighing when she leans forwards, meeting my lips with hers. Our fangs bump against each other, and we both laugh at the fact, before adjusting ourselves to find our new fit.

“I can’t believe they put you through such torment…” Asami sighs, tilting her forehead to mine.

“What is done is done. I shall dwell on it later, if at all,” I mutter, refusing to let such things play on my mind, “What did you do to the rest of them?” I ask.

“They are alive, but only because Helena stopped me,” Asami sighs, looking away for a moment.

“Indeed,” Helena says, rolling her eyes, “Anyway, what do you want me to do with this one?” Helena asks, holding up the whimpering coward of a man.

“Horash, wasn’t it?” I growl, surprised at the fierceness in my tone, and the slight lisp, there until I get used to my new protrusions, no doubt.

“Please don’t kill me!” he says, his voice wavering.

“I wouldn’t waste my time,” I frown, “I’ll leave the ferals to that. Release him!” I order, and Helena complies. He immediately scurries away, practically on all fours.

“Are you sure that was wise?” Helena asks, “Everyone will find out about your change.”

“They already hate me. At least now they may also fear me, and stay away from our people,” I reason.

I explore a hand around the holes in my robe, amazed to find my skin repaired, and soft to the touch, “This is quite incredible,” I whisper, standing to my feet, inhaling deeply through my nostrils. I can smell everything, the pine of the trees to the left, the sodden oak of a rotting, hollow log to my right, the earthy smell beneath, and my own body odour, rank from being trapped underground.

“I am glad you did this, Kyoshi,” Helena says, folding her arms, “and though you need time to adjust, there is much we must discuss.”

“You said something about thousands of ferals?” I frown, not sure if I heard such an absurd thing.

“Yes. We will explain on the way back,” Asami says, wrapping her arms around me, holding me close, “Come, we can make it before sunrise,” she grins, taking my hand.

And so, we run. We run faster than I thought possible, skipping over rocks and shrubs as though they are nothing, the land blurring past, the wind forcing my hair to whip behind. I laugh, feeling happier than ever before, and Asami beams at me, as does Helena.

Now, we can defeat any foe. I know it to be true, I feel it in my veins, and in my soul. We are unstoppable.

::

I shift away from Kyoshi’s thoughts, back to my own. “Whoa,” I mutter, my mind still reeling, and I prod at my gums with my fingers, half expecting to find fangs. It’s strange to know I’m the only person alive who’s experienced the change, and what it’s like to be a sane, whilst still being human. Kyoshi was right, though. I felt it. Weird diet, fangs and ungodly strength aside, they’re still themselves, whoever they were before.

“Wild ride, yes?” Kyoshi grins.

“How can you laugh about it? That was terrifying!” I exclaim, shuddering just thinking about what they did to her.

“Yes, it was. And yet, it was nothing compared to the feral war,” Kyoshi sighs, idly flicking a fan open and closed.

“Is that the next part?”

“Yes. For another night.”

I’m not sure whether to be excited or afraid, given how frightening tonight’s memories were. “Anyway, how did Asami deal with the council?”

“She… impressed them,” Kyoshi grins, “And Helena’s reason for the change, to prevent an avatar suicide, was deemed acceptable.”

“I didn’t know Helena was an earthbender,” I muse, remembering Kyoshi’s rescue.

“Yes. Though I’m sure Asami would have clawed me out of the ground, if it came to it.”

I end up thinking about tomorrow. Or rather, today. If Asami can survive some shitty ancient vampire trials, then hopefully this will be nothing to her.

“She has been through much worse,” Kyoshi says, and I detect that there are probably a thousand stories to be told, countless tales of the mayhem they both got up to over the course of their long lives together.

“More than I could possibly tell you in your short life,” Kyoshi say, smiling wistfully.

“So I just get the best parts?” I say, smiling.

“Yes. And the worst. Until next time, avatar Korra,” Kyoshi says, closing her eyes, and fading away into blackness.

Chapter Text

I’m woken by the sound of dogs barking, and I’m confused for at least a minute until I realise it’s my new phone. Annnd… that’s not my alarm tone. How… how the fuck does she do this? I groan, reaching for the device and quickly silencing it.

I stretch out and sit up on the end of the bed, rubbing sleep out of my eyes. Man, last night’s story was all kinds of fucked up… poor Kyoshi. I guess now I know what Asami meant about humans being cruel. I’m not sure if it’s made me feel better since she’s obviously going to be on full alert, or worse, because people can be capable of that kind of shit in the first place. I send her another text, figuring it can’t hurt.

Me: Hey Hair - good luck today. Whatever happens, we’ve got your back.

Then I go through the usual rigmarole of getting ready. I half-wonder if I should even head to class, since I know we’ll be summoned to the hall soon. Then again, nobody’s said what time all of this is actually going to go down. I’m pulling up my trousers when I hear my message alert go off - it’s a cow, mooing. “Damn it, Jinora,” I chuckle, grabbing the phone after buttoning up my shirt.

Asami: Thanks. I’m here now, with your Uncle.

Me: And you’re using your phone? He hates tech!

Asami: Yes, because it generally blows up when he gets near it. I’m expecting my phone to go on the fritz any second.

Huh, I didn’t actually know that. Well, that explains his loathing of all things technological.

Me: I’ll see you later. Maybe we could meet up by the Oak?

I ask nervously, fully aware I’m probably asking for way too much of her time right now.

Asami: Maybe. Will talk later.

Well, that’s that. I sigh loudly, tying my sneaker laces. Can’t blame a girl for trying.

Once I’m done getting ready, I stop by MaBeans, expecting to hear the school speakers burst into sound at any moment. Thankfully I have time to drink my morning coffee and stuff down a bagel before they do. Everyone in the cafe winces at the high pitched squeak that rings out, then there’s a loud cough, followed by my Uncles voice in his usual, monotone tone.

“Attention all students, please head to the main sports hall. I repeat, head to the main sports hall.”

There’s a sound of running feet in the background, then my uncle yelling.

“NO RUNNING! There is no need for panic.”

My heart speeds up, half because of excitement, half because of dread. Everything is changing, so fast, but I suppose finally… There’ll be no more secrets. No more secrets is good, but in this case I know it’s selfish of me to think that way. Once I head out of the shop, I grin when I see the Krew waiting for me.

“Come on Korra,” Mako mumbles, “we’ve been waiting all day.”

“Slight exaggeration,” I say, playfully scowling.

“So what’s the plan here anyway?” He asks, as we huddle together and follow the stream of students down the east wing.

“I guess, try to talk sense into people if they start any crap…”

“That might be a lot of people,” Jinora says, looking pensive.

“Yeah. Oh and guys, you have to keep quiet about us. Erm, I mean, Asami and me.”

“You mean your raucous sex exploi-” Opal begins, loudly.

“Shh!” I hiss, wincing.

“Are you gonna stop seeing each other?” Kai asks, looking concerned for me at the words.

“I hope not. She just said we’d have to be careful,” I say, glaring at Opal who winces in apology.

We file into the large, open hall, trainers squeaking against the polished wood floor, and walk to our row at the front of the hall. We stand in descending cube order, front to back, and Kai makes sure to get behind us in the cube 4 row. Looks like all the teachers are here, stood at either side of the podium, and Miss Beifong doesn’t waste her opportunity to scowl at me when I catch her eye. I don’t know what I ever did to her, I really don’t. Maybe she’s mad that I’m Opal’s friend, a bad influence or some bullshit like that.

Oh yes, I forgot to mention that part. Opal’s surname is Beifong - she’s Su’s daughter, Lin’s Niece, and Toph’s granddaughter. Lots of Beifongs in this school, for sure, though they don’t really make a big deal out of their relationship with Opal, unlike Tenzin who’s always awkward around Jinora. Once everyone’s here, the teachers do a quick head count, row by row, just to be sure. My uncle looks at the podium’s microphone as though he’s afraid of it, then taps it a couple of times, seemingly satisfied at the dull thuds which emanate from all four surrounding speakers.

“Good morning, students. Thank you for responding to my summons so quickly,” he says, looking to the teachers on his left, then right. They look a little nervous, except for Toph of course, who’s gently rocking on her feet, looking more bored than anything. “I have two announcements today - the first is the promotion of your two class mates, Opal Beifong and Jinora Rosenberg. Please congratulate them on their move to cube five,” he says, clapping his hands, with everyone else following suit, “Secondly - Today, you have the honour or being the first people in the world to find out some very interesting, very exciting news. But first, some background,” he says, pressing a few buttons under the Podium shelf, then cursing under his breath. Kya hurries over, and Unalaq seems happy for the intervention, because he steps away and leaves her to it. A minute later, the lights dim and a large white screen slides down, followed by the projector in the ceiling glowing into life.

A picture of a feral is projected, and I’m not sure if the photographer survived this one since it’s a clear shot of one charging forwards. This one’s probably about twenty years into the feral phase, still clearly human, but its ears are tipped, and there’s a definite abundance of hair, starting to form a mane. The eyes though… it’s always the eyes that get me. A split double-pupil makes no sense, I mean, how can they see what’s ahead of them?

“As you all know, ferals are the biggest threat of all monsters, one of the few class-S types,” he says, pressing a button, which makes the picture shift to another one showing a more mature feral. Its claws are long and black, and its lower jaw has started to mutate into a maw of sharp teeth, “and the older they are, the deadlier,” he says, pressing the button again. This time it’s an ancient, pupils interlocked in an hourglass, and its form completely twisted so that it’s hunched over, its arms appear longer, and its ears are almost wolf-like. “We have so far had the luxury of avoiding older ferals, or ancients, as we call them. However, recent reports have shown us that the number of ancients is on the increase, and the attack on cube 5 might be the start of worse things to come.”

The hall erupts into frightened mumbles and gasps, and even I hug myself, wondering just how dangerous things are going to get.

“On top of this, the school wards have been waning, hence the recent werebat attack,” Unalaq says, pressing the button again. This time the screen shows one of the many glowing runes that surrounds the campus grounds, “This is from twenty years ago,” he says, pressing again, “and this… is now.” He sighs. The rune is hardly glowing at all in this picture, it looks more like some kid has drawn on the floor with a crayon than anything. “We have yet to find a sorcerer to renew the spells, though we continue to scout every day.”

Hmm, sorcerers. We’ve learnt a few things here and there, but nothing concrete. Apparently only three are ever alive in the world at any one time, but they’re tricky to find. There’s been cases of them not realising their own power until they’re old and grey, which I suppose must be a bit of a surprise to them by then. In either case, they’re the guys that can do all the hocus pocus stuff, tapping into mystic non-elemental energies.

“Why not just build big ass guns?” one of the older boys from cube three shouts, looking a little afraid.

“Have you ever tried to aim a ‘big-ass’ gun at a creature that moves at the speed of sound?” Unalaq asks, fumbling under the podium until the lights come back on and the projector screen folds back into the ceiling.

“No, but…” the boy begins.

“But nothing. Guns would do more harm to your fellow students, and the school itself. Against ordinary monsters they are an option, against ferals, you may as well lay on the ground belly-up and let them gut you.” Unalaq says, and I feel it was little harsh, but I guess he made his point.  The boy slumps his shoulders in defeat, looking a little red-faced. “I have prepared for this threat the only way I knew how. I have contacted the vampire council and sought their assistance,” he declares, folding his arms behind his back and glaring as the hall erupts into shocked gasps, and whispered curses.

“You want to send monsters here?” an outraged girl asks, from about two rows back. I don’t recognise her.

“Call them what you will, but they are to be our allies. Or would you prefer to die?” Unalaq asks, staring directly at her.

“They’ll just k-kill us anyway!” a voice just behind me stutters, I turn to see it’s Bard, or at least that’s what everyone calls him. He’s got an amazing singing voice, and prefers to sing because it’s the only time he can talk without slipping up on his speech.

“If that were the case, you’d already all be dead,” Unalaq states, leaning over the podium with his hands flat against the wooden surface, “They have no desire nor need to kill humans, indeed such an act is punishable by their own execution. You have been taught this!” he explains, appearing increasingly frustrated. Even I think it’s expecting a little much to hope the students just shrug their shoulders and deal with this, so I frown at my Uncle, willing him to lay off a bit.

“Wait… Why… why would we be dead?” a girls voice this time, quiet. I think it might even be Lia, though I can’t see all the way back to the cube 1 row.

“Because a sane has been amongst us for a while now,” Uncle answers, apparently getting right to the point. There’s a loud ruckus, too many people shouting too many questions all at once, and my heart starts to race in my chest… sheesh, if I’m this nervous, I wonder what Asami must be feeling, wherever she is. Everyone looks at everyone else, trying to figure out who the sane is, no doubt. I peer down the end of our row and spot Sen, Yana, Leanne and Dayla. The latter two appear pensive somehow, staring at the double doors by the hallway entrance. I’m sure they must realise who it is - she’s the only person not stood in our row, after all.

“Quiet, please,” Uncle shouts loudly, and the din in the hall eventually quietens down. “Many of you have already met her, and you should know that she is making a huge sacrifice by revealing herself to us. I would ask you to act like adults, and to show courtesy,” Unalaq says, tapping his nails patiently on the wooden surface, waiting for the din in the halls to quieten. And when it does, he coughs loudly, “Miss Sato, if you will, please.”

The main doors swing open, and Asami walks confidently towards the podium, just in front of the teachers, her expression unreadable, and her long, black hair flowing behind her. She’s wearing the same jacket she wore when we first… hmm. Best not to think of that right now, come on, Korra. There’s a lot of noise and fidgeting from the students, some looking like they want to flee, others glaring at Asami as though they can set her on fire with the power of their mind. There’s also a few surprised expressions, and many students appear more curious than afraid.

Once Asami arrives at the podium she smiles at my Uncle, and swaps places with him. “Hi!” she says, holding a palm up and beaming across the hall. I fold my arms and nervously grin at her, hoping this goes well. “So, like the headmaster said, I’m not here to hurt anyone, there’s a bunch of ancients, and I’m here to stop them eating you,” she continues, grinning. Hah, straight to the point.

“Bloodsucker!” a gruff voice yells, and I wince. I have no idea who it was, though a few heads turn to face the cube three row.

“Yes, I drink blood,” Asami says, folding her arms, still smiling, “Are there any more questions?”

“Why would you help us?” Mako suddenly calls out, folding his arms and scowling. At first I feel like punching him, but he catches my eye and winks. Okay, good plan. I like it.

“It is in our best interests to help you.” Asami answers, then leans forwards a little, exposing her ample cleavage beneath her white blouse… not that I’m staring or anything, “Look, we fight the same enemy. Ferals are a big threat to us too - mainly because of the stigma that they cause our kind.”

“So why haven’t you killed them all?” a girl shouts out.

“We have been killing plenty of them. But many of them go into hiding, getting older, becoming stronger. And your uncle thinks they’ll attack here.”

“Why would they want us?” the same girl asks.

“Your power draws them. Most monsters seem to have a preference for bender flesh,” she explains, sighing.

“And you don’t?” Jinora asks, putting her hands on her hips. Hah, nice one. Maybe I’ll forgive her for fucking with my phone again.

“I have done no harm to you so far, and I’m certainly not about to start now,” Asami says, folding her arms. She catches my eye for a second, and I wink at her, though I’m not sure she notices, “I’m not your enemy. They are.”

“When… when are they coming?” Sen asks, looking paler than usual.

“I don’t know. But that’s why I’m here, day and all night, to protect you,” she says the words softly, and I notice a few students have started to relax a little.

“And you… y-you can t-take them?” Bard asks.

“I’m almost four hundred years old,” Asami says, shrugging and ignoring the gasps around the hall, “they do not pose much of a threat to me.”

“I’m not staying here with a damn sane!” A boy suddenly shouts out.

“You’re safer here than home,” Asami reasons, “wherever benders go, ancients may follow. Think about that, and think about your families.”

“So we should stay here and be bait?” The same boy seethes.

“You’re bait wherever you go. Here, I can watch your back.”

“Like you did with Jonas?” Lia yells, and the hall falls quiet. Well, shit.

Asami sighs, and slowly closes her eyes, then opens them, “Were there no sane hatred in the world, your brother would have been protected, because you would have had a sane on that field trip. I barely got there in time to save cube five as it is.”

Again, I feel a stab of guilt, which is stupid because there’s nothing I directly did to cause Asami’s absence that day. And even if she had been with us, I have to wonder if she would have revealed herself right away, or if Jonas would still have died before she acted.

“Wait, you’re thinking of sending more sanes?” someone from cube four shouts.

“Depending on how this goes, and how many ancients start to turn up, I wouldn’t rule it out.”

“This is crazy!” a girl yells, clearly frustrated.

“Just give me a chance. I might surprise you,” Asami says with a wide smile, “Now, if anyone has questions, please feel free to email me or contact me on the forum. Thank you…” she says, then turns and calmly walks out of the hall, her feet echoing loudly against the sudden silence. I wonder why she didn’t mention the fact she owns the school. Maybe nobody would have believed her, or maybe it’s easier of people don’t know she runs the place, I can see how that might be even more intimidating.

Unalaq moves forwards and takes the stand, coughing, “I appreciate this is a difficult change to adjust to, but I have faith in you all. Morning class is cancelled, you have a free period until after lunch,” he nods at the teachers and they begin to file out of the hall first, “I hope you will make Miss Sato feel welcome, since by revealing herself she has put her entire company at risk, to protect you and this school. Dismissed.”

A few surprised murmurs can be heard as we file out of the hall, people no doubt realising the full impact of Asami’s big reveal. Hopefully that’ll help sway a few more students to her favour. We walk with the rest of our cube mates, and it looks like we’re all headed to the cafeteria.

Well, it could have gone worse, right Raava? I think.

“Yes. Nobody attacked her.”

“Yeah. Not yet at least,” I think, then send her a quick text.

Me: Nice one - went better than I thought. :)

Asami: Thanks.

Huh, pretty blunt. I guess she’s busy. Once we’re at the cafeteria, a few people grab some early morning snacks, and I sit at our table, surprised to see that Sena, Yen, Leanne and Dayla join us. It’s incredibly noisy in here, people are going nuts talking about Asami and sanes, and there’s the usual class clowns sticking toothpicks in their mouths and pulling off terrible vampire impressions.

“Well, I’m glad that’s finally out in the open,” Dayla says, smirking.

“Wait, you knew?” I ask, surprised that she’d tell anyone else. I mean, maybe I should have known, she hangs around them practically any time she isn’t with me.

“Just me and Leanne,” she winks. Leanne glares at me, as usual.

“And you’re uh, okay with it?” I ask.

“Sure. Beats dying to monsters, and it’s kinda cool anyway,” Dayla shrugs, opening her bag of chips and loudly crunching away.

“Sena and I just found out. It was a bit of a surprise,” Yena says, “but it makes sense, if we’re being told the truth about those ancients. I assume you all knew about her too?” he asks me, frowning.

“We found out recently, Korra found out sooner,” Mako mumbles, frowning as he tries to pry off the lid on his yogurt.

“Is that why you punched her?” Leanne finally speaks, her frown never once relaxing.

“Ugh, kind of. Whatever,” I say, suddenly feeling a headache come on.

“Hah! Punch her then bang her, I like it!” Dayla says, her mouth full of chips. Sen and Yena seem confused for a moment, probably digesting the fact that Dayla just outed my fucking relationship. So much for secrecy… Yup, definitely getting a headache.

“Hey, look at this,” Jinora says, suddenly pushing her phone forwards. I peer down at the screen, huddled with everyone else.

‘Satotech - run by a monster!’ is the headline, and there are many similar articles, equally biased. Seems the company has already earned itself a few new names, such as Eviltech, Bloodtech, and Fangtech. How very original.

“Well that didn’t take long,” I mutter.

“She probably arranged for a press release to coincide with her reveal here,” Mako muses, finally managing to pull the yogurt lid off, “it looks a bit better if it comes straight from the source.”

“Yeah, that makes sense,” Opal says, folding her arms on the desk, “Man, she must have craploads to deal with.”

“Yeah, I bet,” I say, glumly.

“She’ll be fine, Korra,” Bolin says, wrapping an arm around my shoulder and squeezing me.

“Wait, are you and Asami…” Sen begins, finally catching up from earlier, it seems.

“I-uh…” I can feel my cheeks growing warmer.

“Yes, they’re fucking,” Leanne states, frowning, “heaven knows why, I’m surprised she even gives you the time of day,” she pouts. I grunt in frustration, putting my head in my hands.

“I dunno, I heard Korra’s quite talented in that depar-” Dayla begins.

“Wait, what?” I ask, peering through gaps in my fingers.

“Oh, nothing,” Dayla beams, quietly stirring her coffee.

“Wow, sleeping with a sane. I bet that’s something else,” Yena says, suddenly looking at me very intently. I decide it’s best not to answer.

“Can we please not talk about that, it’s supposed to be a secret,” I grumble, looking around nervously, feeling thankful that it’s too loud in here for anyone to have overheard, “Look, she’s gonna need our support. Let’s do what we can.”

“You mean like punch her?” Leanne scowls.

“Are you ever going to drop that?” I finally snap back at her.

“Ohhh cat fight, awesome,” Dayla grins, poking her finger into the corners of her empty packet, then sucking on them.

Leanne slams her palm on the table, surprising everyone, me included, “Asami is the kindest, most loyal, most forgiving person I’ve ever met, and what you did to her, and what you said to her, disgusts me,” she hisses, her bright blue gaze burning a hole right through me. And that’s when it finally clicks into place, and I almost recoil from shock. This is why they’re so close to her, how the fuck didn’t I see it?

Different hair, different clothes. Same eyes.

“Holy shit…” I whisper, and Dayla suddenly looks panicked, “Lee… Dee…” I almost choke their names, as in, the same Lee that Asami beat in a duel, and the same Dee that Kyoshi called stubborn, prodding Helena in the fangs. I guess I’ve only seen them in fleeting visions, but still, I should have realised sooner. More importantly, just how many damn sanes do we have here? Everyone looks at me in confusion, and Dayla suddenly starts to laugh.

“Oh, we haven’t used those nicknames for years, how did you find out?” she asks, smiling.

“Oh I… I dunno, I guess they just came to mind,” I try to lie, badly, fluffing the back of my hair nervously. Damn it. More secrets… just what I need.

Once everyone’s finished their snacks and had enough of the morning gossip, I hang around a while to wait for Dee and Lee, figuring they’ll want to talk just as much as I do. Sure enough, once I’ve said bye to everyone, Dee not-so-gently grabs my arm, and we find a quiet spot around the campus perimeter, somewhere to speak privately.

“Nice one, Lee,” Dayla sighs, leaning against the wall next to her and shaking her head.

“Okay, just how many sanes do we have on campus? And why didn’t Asami tell me about you two?” I ask, frowning, pacing just in front of them.

“Just us three, and because it’s illegal by vampire law to ‘out’ another sane,” Dayla explains.

“Your laws are crazy,” I mutter.

“They’re to protect us, as well as you,” Leanne frowns, “I’d appreciate if you kept this quiet, Korra.”

“Argghh!” I complain, threading my fingers into my hair, feeling sick and tired of secrets, and just when I thought I’d finally got rid of them. “Why didn’t all three of you come out?”

“We will. Asami’s the guinea pig,” Dayla shrugs. Man, I can’t believe she’s been my sparring partner for so long, and held back all this time.

“Besides, the council would never risk someone as important as her without a little added protection,” Leanne sighs, looking worried.

“That makes sense,” I say, hugging my arms around myself. It’s a chilly day today, and it’s probably safe to say summer is well on the way out, “In fact I think I feel better knowing you’re watching her back.”

“Well, I’m so glad it makes you feel better,” Leanne hisses, “I can’t believe Kyoshi left us with you, and those two puppets before you.”

“Left you? Puppets? What?” I can’t make much sense of her words, but it’s clear she fucking hates me, “Look, Lee, I’m sorry I was a dick to Asami. I’ve been trying to make it up to her ever since…”

“Then stay away from her, “Leanna frowns, “the last thing she needs is another avatar breaking her heart.”

“Huh…”

“Lee, that’s enough!” Dee interjects, “Kyoshi probably hasn’t shown her everything yet,” she mutters, nudging Lee with her shoulder.

“How much has she shown you, anyway?” Leanne asks, finally relaxing her face into something almost neutral.

“How she turned. It was fucking awful,” I sigh, idly kicking at some grit beneath my heel.

“That’s humans for you,” Dayla sighs, “seems like you have the best bits still to come.”

“So Asami’s been telling you everything?” I ask, feeling quite betrayed if it’s true.

“Not really. We tend to fill in the blanks,” Leanne says, finally allowing herself to smile in my presence.

“Plus, we could smell you all over her… you definitely couldn’t keep that part secret,” Dayla chuckles, and I grimace at the thought.

“Wait…” I pause in my pacing, looking at the two of them, “You were at the Jonas attack, you didn’t do anything…”

“Unlike Asami, we’re not allowed to reveal ourselves just to protect humans,” Dayla shrugs, and the act enrages me a little, “only you and her.”

“We followed you, but Asami stepped in before we could act,” Leanna says, grimacing, “and we watched you almost leave her to die. Do you have any idea how much a wound like that hurts?”

“Look, I’ve fucked up a few times, I get it… but are you really telling me the Kyoshi warriors would just watch a human die?”

Dayla looks away, holding her arm, “Sanes go missing when they don’t follow orders…”

“The council is that bad?” I ask, frowning.

“Yeah. I guess you’ll find out if you’re mind melding with Kyoshi or whatever the fuck it is that happens,” Leanne sighs.

I pace a few more times, trying to stop my head spinning. “Anyway, what now?” I eventually ask.

“If you spot anything weird, let us know. Here, we’ll swap numbers,” Dayla says, whilst pulling out her handset. We quickly swap details, and I add them as Dee and Lee, feeling it suits them better anyway.

—

Meditation with Tenzin is… long, as always. But at least these days I get to chat to Raava instead of snoozing. We had a long chat about Dee and Lee, turns out that Raava hadn’t actually realised they were on campus since she doesn’t see all that I see. I’m still considering allowing her to see everything, to be with me all the time, like Kyoshi did, I’m just not sure how weird it would be is all. Especially for the more um… intimate moments.

Asami hasn’t been in class, but I suppose she’ll be dealing with a lot of company stuff before she worries about settling back into any kind of classroom routine. Hell, she might not even come back to classes at all, and the thought makes me feel a little depressed. I head towards my dorm, determined to exhaust a few hours on my laptop, but on the way I pause in my tracks, my jaw hanging slack. “Oh no…” I whisper. There’s blood smeared in long streaks across Asami’s doorway, splattered against the surrounding walls, thick rivers of the stuff scrawling out the word ‘MONSTER’. Her door is open, and I peer inside, holding my hand to my mouth. It’s like some fucked up blood bomb has gone off in here, red smears are splattered up the walls, on her laptop, everywhere.

Asami’s stood on her bed, facing away, apparently attempting to clean off the worst of it from the poster I gave her. I watch as she dabs a damp sponge onto the blood, barley even affecting it, but trying to wash it off anyway. She turns her head to me, though she doesn’t seem particularly upset.

“Hey, guns,” she says, still dabbing away.

“You can leave that, I’ll get you another,” I say, not really knowing what else to offer.

“Thanks,” she says, jumping off the bed, leaning against a dry part of the wall and folding her arms. She’s barely looking me in the eye, which makes me feel very nervous all of a sudden.

“I can’t believe someone would do this…” I say, holding a hand against my arm and frowning in worry, “Are you okay?”

“They attacked my room, not me,” she shrugs, “looks like they raided the blood supply in the infirmary.”

“Ah, so that’s where all this came from?” I ask, sighing in relief.

“Yeah. This is mainly an inconvenience,” she frowns, “I’ll have to find another dorm to crash in.”

“I’m surprised you’re even staying here at all now, I mean, it’s not like you need to…”

“How can I defend anyone if I’m not here?” she snaps, looking mildly annoyed. I try to ignore her sudden sharp tone, figuring she’s likely just stressed from this bullshit.

“Good point. Hey, you can stop in mine if you want?” I ask, “I mean, just to sleep,” I smile.

“Yeah, about that,” Asami sighs, and finally looks me in the eye, “It was… fun, Korra, but let’s call it quits.”

The words take a moment to sink in. I mean, she did say right at the start, right at the very beginning, that she didn’t want a relationship. Did I really let myself believe that’s where this would go? Then again, looking at the carnage in here, maybe she’s having second thoughts about the whole ‘being careful’ thing, maybe she thinks she has to do this. I frown, trying to ignore the horrible sinking feeling in my chest, “You know, if you’re just saying this to protect me-”

“I’m not,” she says, sending another dagger of ice into my heart, “I shouldn’t have gotten involved in the first place. And now I have so much to deal with… please try to understand,” she says, slanting her eyebrows.

A big part of me wants to rant, to shout and complain that I’ve been used, somehow. But I want to be better than that. She’s got enough on her plate, and if I cared about her, which I do, I’ll do anything she needs, even if that means leaving her alone. “Yeah, sure,” I say, managing a weak smile, “by the way, I found out about Dee and Lee,” I say, quickly changing the subject, trying to ignore the urge to scream at her.

“I was hoping you would,” she smiles, and I notice for the first time how tired she looks. I didn’t even know a vampire could get tired. “I’m sorry I couldn’t tell you, vampire-”

“Laws. I know,” I sigh, “Anyway, you have my number if you need me. Laters, Hair,” I say, stuffing my hands in my pockets, choking down the thick knot in my throat, and walking outside of her dorm before I say something I’ll regret. I’m half tempted to go to the gym and beat the crap out of a punching bag, or go to my dorm to cry. Ugh, I feel pathetic. Now isn’t the time for me to worry about my own messed up feelings, I need to let the others know what’s gone down.

Me: Hey Jinny, have you seen what someone did to Asami’s room?

Jinora: Yeah. It’s all over the forums. Is she okay?

Me: I don’t know. She just dumped me.

Jinora: Shit… I’m in my new dorm, wanna come over? It’s 22b.

Me: Yeah, 2 mins.

I spend the rest of the night with Jinora and Opal, where yes, I admit it, I end up crying… a lot. Thankfully that’s followed by delicious ice cream, then forum-surfing on Jinora’s laptop, the three of us pretty much laying into anyone who thinks that the attack on Asami’s room was in any way justified, or worse, funny. After that, we watch Netflix movies, all three of us squished onto Jinora’s tiny bed somehow. Both she and Opal seem to think Asami will come around, that I should just be patient, and give her space. Maybe they’re right, and I figure it’d be selfish of me to put my feelings first right now, anyway. Hopefully if she needs a friend, Asami will be in touch. Hopefully she won’t try to deal with all of this alone.

Chapter Text

Five days later

It’s Saturday, usually my favourite time of week for chilling with the Krew or catching up on my all-important gaming. But instead, I’m lying on my bed, staring at the ceiling, feeling utterly depressed.

Asami has been distant around me, and everyone else for that matter. She’s started to attend classes again, though I kind of wish she hadn’t, since there’s been what feels like a hole in my chest ever since Monday… ever since she cut me off. We haven’t argued about it, hell, I’ve barely had the chance to talk to her, and I still think there’s too much going on for me to approach her about my feelings. Yeah, feelings… turns out I might actually be in love with her, because I haven’t been able to get her out of my head, and I just can’t stop worrying about her. The other students have been wary, although many have started to come around as far as I can see, plus there have been no more weird attacks on her room, though there’s the occasional complaint on the forums still.

Her company shares have gone down, a lot, like she predicted. Mako seems to think it will be temporary, that her company is too big to fold, but I guess we’ll wait and see. The news reporters have been going nuts about it all - we’ve even had them come up here, to campus, waiting outside the gates. She usually goes out to them, just to give them what they need so they’ll clear off. Then they take anything she says, and spin it around, making it out that there’s suddenly nothing good about her, or about Satotech. To them, she’s a vampire and that’s all that matters. She wants blood. She doesn’t have a heart, or a soul. Yeah, the news has been biased, full of shit.

I wonder what she’s doing today. I’m so tempted to send her a text, I mean, friend can do that, can’t they? But then again she hasn’t been in touch. She’s said hello in class a few times, but she barely even looks at me anymore, and the more I think about it, the angrier I get. I mean, I’m pretty sure I didn’t do anything to deserve this. Sure, not wanting a relationship is one thing, but not wanting to even talk to me is something else. Was it all an act? Did she pretend to like me, to be interested in me? Was I a bit of fun? Was she just enjoying the last few days as best she could, knowing that all this was coming up?

Does she even know that this is breaking my heart?

Oh great, more tears. I swear, it’s like I’ve reverted to a damn teenager or something. I bury my head into my pillow and wait for it to stop, trying not to think about it but failing miserably. Fuck… I miss her. It had only been two weeks, but it’s like she were a part of me somehow, and now not being with her is tearing me apart. I haven’t even talked to Raava much, and I definitely haven’t spoken to Kyoshi. Somehow it all reminds me of her, and I really don’t want to see her in Kyoshi’s memories right now, looking at Kyoshi the way I wish she’d look at me.

There has been some good news this week, if you can call it that. Apparently I’ve been put forwards for the final, along with Mako, Sen, Yena and Bolin. That’s the test at the end of cube five, usually involving a real hunter job, to be witnessed by a teacher. If it all goes through, we’ll be taking the test next Friday, maybe all together, maybe on separate jobs - it really depends what’s out there at the moment. I’m kind of excited about it, the chance to go out into the world and make a difference. If I’d found Raava earlier, I’d probably have been out there two years ago, maybe even sooner, but then I’d never have met Asami. I can’t decide if that’d be a worse fate than the one I’m experiencing right now.

Jinora or Opal will probably come and grab me any minute now. They’ve been taking care of me, making sure I don’t skip any classes, or showers for that matter. I’m a mess. I’d be a bigger mess without them. I’m not sure I can go on like this… maybe it’s better to clear the air after all, see if I can move on. If Asami doesn’t have time now, then I’ll try again later.

Me: Hey, can we talk some time?

I press send nervously, then wait for five minutes, idly scrolling through the news site on my mobile. A satotech mobile. The one she bought me… I throw it on the bed face down, scowling. Why can’t I stop thinking about her? It’s driving me insane! The phone suddenly buzzes and I quickly pick it back up, both disappointed and happy at the same time to see it’s Jinny.

Jinora: Hey, are you up? Wanna hit the gym?

Me: Yeah. Be there in ten.

—

Jinora gives in after an hour of working out, but I just keep going and going, working on the bench with a heavy bar, pushing all my anger into every movement, then punching the shit out of the bag, wrecking every muscle in my body until I’m shaking all over, until I’m caked head-to-toe in sweat, and literally can’t go on. I shuffle down the hall to the showers, losing track of time in there, letting the hot water stream over my back whilst I dip my head down and close my eyes. Damn it… I… I just can’t get her out of my head. It’s like I can still smell her all over me, feel her touching me. It’s not just the sex though, I miss everything, even the damn times she’d play me, fuck with me. I want that back. I want all of it.

I lose track of time, and it’s already turned four by the time I’m done in the shower. I get dressed and pull out my phone from my jeans pocket, noticing I have a couple of new texts waiting for me, opening them excitedly, thinking maybe Asami has replied.

Dee: Have you heard about Asami? She’s gone missing.

My heart sinks in my chest, and I feel suddenly dizzy, having to lean back against the wall.

Dee: We’ve looked everywhere… we’re worried :(

Me: Shit… does Unalaq know?

Dee: Yeah, he asked us to look…

I shake my head to clear my senses, and storm to Unalaq’s office, practically knocking his door down.

“What’s going on?” I ask, folding my arms and staring at him.

“Do not dare to barge in here uninvited!” he bellows. I don’t let him intimidate me. I close the door, walk right up to his desk, and slam my palms down, glaring at him. He frowns, and squeezes the bridge of his nose between his forefinger and thumb, taking a deep breath. “I assume the rumours are true, then,” he grumbles.

“Huh?”

“You and Miss Sato, frolicking around like teenag-”

“I didn’t come here to talk relationships!” I fume, feeling my anger bubble to the surface, and a familiar throb flowing through my veins, “I asked you a question,” I rumble the words deeply, seeing my bright white eyes reflect in his own. He almost looks afraid of me… huh, never thought I’d see the day.

He sits down in his chair, slowly, stretches his arms across his desk and folds his fingers together, “Calm down, sit down, and we shall talk,” he says, staring at me with his grey-blue gaze. I comply, feeling my angry haze ebb away. “As far as we can tell, Asami has been absent since last night. She was meant to arrive at her home in Gaolin for a company meeting this morning, but she never turned up.”

“Are you shitting me?” I ask, feeling white hot streaks of panic flush through my spine, and into my temples.

“Unfortunately not. We know that that she likely never even left campus… at least not willingly. Her car is still here.”

“Didn’t Dee and Lee find anything?” I ask, leaning forwards and clutching the arms of the chair.

“Ah, so you know about our guests. Please try to keep that quie-”

“Yes, I know!” I snap, figuring shitty secrets are the worse of our worries right now, “How far around have they looked?”

He closes his eyes and shakes his head slowly, “They have covered a two mile radius, three times over. There is no sign of her.”

“Shit,” I whisper, slamming my head into the back of the leather back of the chair, “What about the scanning systems? You’ll have records of everyone leaving, right?”

“Correct,” he says, pulling open a drawer and shoving a piece of paper across the desk, “Fridays are unfortunately quite busy, so the list is large. We filtered it to everyone over the last twenty-four hours.”

I pull the paper from him, trying to skim read the names. They’re listed in cube order, by time and surname, and there’s about twenty people who left Friday night, mainly from cubes four and five, “Wait, this only shows the drivers, right?” I ask.

“Yes. The gates are more for protection than auditing, so one person scans to open the gates, as you know.”

“I kind of wish we all had to use our passes now,” I mumble, passing the paper back over.

“I would rather it didn’t come to that,” he sighs, “and it would be too late to help us with this particular incident, anyway.”

“There has to be something we can do!” I grimace, “have you called the police?”

He chuckles and looks at me almost sympathetically, “No, they will not deal with feral cases. However, the council are aware, and they are investigating outside of the academy.”

“We have to find her,” I say, my heart pounding with worry.

“I know,” he says, rubbing his temples and looking very tired all of a sudden.

“I mean, she could be hurt… what if she’s trapped somewhere? What if-”

“Worrying will not help her, Korra. If we find anything, I will be sure to let you know,” he says, and actually smiles at me. I think it’s the first time he’s ever done that. He has a nice smile, and I smile back, thinking he should do it more often.

Once I’ve left his office, I arrange to meet up with the Krew in MaBeans. I decide not to get a coffee this time, feeling on-edge enough as it is without a caffeine high. We sit in one of the booths and I start to fill everyone in, telling them of Asami’s disappearance.

“How the hell could she be missing?” Mako asks, staring at me in disbelief, “I mean she’s a damn sane! Nobody can take her on!”

“I know, it doesn’t make any sense,” I sigh.

“We could ask around?” Jinora suggests.

“Yeah, but if anyone’s behind it, will they really talk?” Bolin asks.

“Good point,” I say, idly playing with the little jar of sugar cubes on the table.

“Have you checked her room?” Mako asks.

“What? No! I mean, that’d be-”

“Wrong. I know. But if she’s in trouble…”

I hesitate, trying to weigh up the options. If she’s actually okay, then she’ll be beyond pissed if she finds out we went through her stuff. But then again, if she’s hurt…

“Fine, let’s go,” I say, feeling anything but okay about this.

By the time we get there, the door’s already open. I figure the teachers have had a look around already, and we’re probably wasting our time. There’s still signs of blood, a faint stain here and there, but most of it painted over by now. Asami doesn’t keep an awful lot of stuff here, just clothes, a briefcase full of work documents, her laptop and the few bits and pieces we gave her. Kai starts to rummage through her desk drawers whilst Opal and I look through her wardrobe. I skip past her clothing drawers, figuring its all kinds of wrong, but Jinora pushes me out of the way and scans through them anyway.

“Aha, a secret panel,” Kai suddenly declares, and we all stand up to watch him pulling out a thin slate of wood from the lower draw. I peer inside, and pull out the first piece of paper I see there, unfolding it. It’s hand written. I read every word, feeling the blood draining out of my face, and hot tears forming at my cheeks. I fall back onto her bed, sitting and staring at the paper in shock, my hands shaking, barely believing what I’m seeing.

“Korra, what is it?” Jinora asks. So, read it out to them, my voice wavering.

Monster,

Did you like our redecoration?

You don ’t belong here. Meet us in the parking lot at 8 this Friday, we have a big surprise for you. Come peacefully. If you hurt us, we have friends who will kill Korra in her sleep. If you don’t come, we will kill her. If you tell anyone about this message, we will kill her. Don’t assume you can protect her, you can’t. We are everywhere.

“Fuck!” I curse loudly, holding the paper limply in my hand, fresh tears brimming to my eyes, “Who are they? What have they done to her?” I whisper, sobbing loudly as several sets of arms wrap around me.

Once I’ve stopped shaking, and managed to compose myself, we take the note to Unalaq. He immediately contacts the other teachers, to gather student documents and perform handwriting comparisons. He makes a passing comment about how we shouldn’t be getting involved, but thanks us anyway, and says he’ll be in touch as soon as they find anything.

“What now?” Opal asks, hooking her arm through mine.

“I’m gonna look around, see if I can spot anything,” I sniff, not sure what else I can do.

“We’ll split up then. Meet back at the library in two hours?” Mako asks, looking at his watch.

I take the east wing, with Bolin. Mako takes the north, Opal the south, Kai and Jinora the west. I don’t even know what we’re looking for, to be honest, but we try to read other student’s faces, listen in on conversations, even spy on bathroom chatter, pretending to mess with my hair. I also check out the gym, finding nothing other than students, sweating and grunting with their exertions. Everything just seems so damn normal, even though my world feels like it’s been turned upside down. I can’t believe this is why she dumped me. Someone must have found out about us, used it against her, and used me. Does she really think they could have taken me? I’m the avatar damn it, she should have told me… she should have told me!

“You okay?” Bolin asks, probably noticing I’m crying yet again.

“No,” I sob, leaning against the wall outside the gym, wiping my eyes. He wraps his arms around me and I cry into his shoulder, feeling utterly devastated. Why would she do this? Why would she let them play her?

“We’ll find her, Korra,” he says, but I know he can’t make any such promise. She could be anywhere… she could even be dead. My heart pounds in my chest, and suddenly I feel like I just need to be alone, in my room, on my bed.

“Thanks, Bo,” I sigh, “I’m gonna go back to my dorm… not feeling great.”

“Okay, I’ll walk with you.”

--

Once I get back, I slam my door closed and throw myself onto my bed, grabbing one of my two pillows and clutching it to my chest.

“Raava, can’t you think of anything?”

“I am afraid not, Korra. It is not like her to disappear. She does not like to make people worry.”

“That just makes me even more worried.”

“I know. I am too,” Raava sighs.

I spend some time scouring the forums on my mobile, but other than a couple of gossip threads about Asami’s disappearance, there’s nothing particularly suspicious. I text Dee and Lee to ask if they’ve found anything, feeling even worse when they tell me they haven’t. They said they’re worried too, and that’s not a good sign. I keep checking and re-checking the forums, the news, everything I can think of. I bet Mako’s doing the same. My text alert sounds out and I almost laugh at the timing.

Mako: We couldn’t find anything… I’m really sorry, Korra

Me: It’s okay. Thanks for trying. :)

I’m about to tab back into the browser when there’s another alert.

Jinora: Didn’t find anything out. Sorry :-(

Me: It’s okay. Thanks for trying. :)

I feel almost guilty pasting the same message to them both, but I just don’t have the energy to be social. I flip onto my side, and switch the phone screen off, staring into the darkness. She’s missing. Nobody knows where she is. I feel like I can’t just lie here and do nothing… but if Lee and Dee have scouted the entire campus, with their sense of hearing and smell, they’d find her, they’d find something. I try to email her, text her, call her, getting an engaged tone each time. Then I distract myself with yet more internet browsing, and before I know it, it’s turned two in the morning. I’m still wide awake, and still playing over all the things that could be happening to her in my head, over and over.

“There has to be something I can do!” I say to myself, punching my fist into the mattress and sitting up with a loud grunt. I slip my trainers on, then head out to the halls for some air, and to think. I don’t know how long I pace up and down the corridors, worrying, imagining of all the different things that could have happened. How the hell would students manage to take her though? Or did she really believe their note, and let them take her willingly?

My feet eventually start to ache from my relentless pacing, and I’m considering going back to my dorm when I hear a pair of trainers squeaking against the marble floors. I pause by the intersection between the wing and the centre, hiding behind a set of lockers so that I can watch who walks past. My breath catches in my throat when I see a young girl, a heavy backpack on her back and her shoes caked in mud. She presses the elevator button, whilst glancing around nervously.

It’s Lia Sols… Jonas’s sister. Damn it, she’d hate vampires more than anyone right now... Where’s she been? What’s in her bag? I watch the elevator doors close, knowing she’s headed to the top floor since she’s from cube one. Well, unlucky for her those elevators are slow as shit, so I burst through the stairway door by the side of the lift, air-bursting my way quickly up several flights of stairs, waiting at the top until the elevator makes a quiet ting and the doors slide open. Before she can exit I quickly grab her, putting my hand on her mouth, pushing her back inside and sending the lift to the basement, where people hopefully won’t hear. I stare at her as we descend, not allowing her to speak or scream, at least not until the doors open. I drag her out and pin her against a wall, trying not to be too rough since there might be an innocent explanation for this.

“If you scream, I’ll tape your mouth shut. Now, are you going to tell me what’s in there, or do I have to find out for myself?” I growl, releasing her mouth but pinning her by the arm, not letting her run. She looks absolutely terrified, and I feel a pang of guilt stab through me, but I have to know.

“I-It’s nothing, just lab stuff,” she stutters.

“At three AM?” I hiss, “Try again, Lia,” I say, sliding the strap of her bag off one of her arms, then the other, keeping the opposite hand pinned each time. Her backpack falls to the floor, and there’s the sound of metal clashing against metal. I bend down, fiddle with the single buckle on the top of the satchel, and flip it open, gasping at what I see. Lia tries to make a break for it, managing to wrench free of my arm, but I’m too fast, and I grab her from behind. “What the fuck did you do?” I hiss into her ear, trying to stop myself from hurting her, even though right now I really fucking want to. Her bag is full of silver, probably stolen from the weapons store down here. I drag her back to the bag and pull out one item at a time. A long blade, coated in dried blood, filling me with utter dread. Several empty syringes, with just a little bit of liquid left in them, “You put fucking silver into her!?” I exclaim, barely holding myself back from actually hurting the girl. There’s even a damn silver hammer, and I’m almost sick when I notice it also has blood stains on it.

“Talk, NOW!” I roar, picking her up and holding her up against the wall with one arm, Raava’s energy pulsing through me.

“Don’t kill me,” she sobs, grabbing onto my arm with both hands whilst I hold her by the scruff of her shirt. Shit, what am I doing? This isn’t me… but that knife… and those syringes! No, I can’t hurt her, it’d go against everything the avatar stands for. I relax my arm and allow the glow to fade, then catch Lia’s eyes with mine.

“You’ve made a mistake. Let me fix it, Lia,” I say, trying to keep myself calm. She looks like she’s about to cave, but then I hear the elevator doors open behind me, and five students file out, some of who I recognise, but I can’t put names to their faces.

“I won’t tell you shit, you vampire-fucking whore,” Lia spits in my eye and I release her in shock, trying to wipe it out. She runs to join her little mob, and I can see now that they’re all from cube four, Jonas’s buddies. I guess Lia must have somehow coaxed them into this…

“You should have heard its screams,” Lia says, her face twisted into some fucking lunatic grin, “they keep healing, so you get to cut more, and they heal, and you cut, and they heal,” she starts to laugh, and I’m barely holding myself back now, her words filling me with horror and rage all at the same time, “and eventually they stop healing… but you keep cutting anyway!” she laughs even louder at herself, though it seems her friends are suddenly wanting to be anywhere but here, since they won’t even look at her, or me. She’s obviously even more fucked up than I was, but that’s no excuse.

“I’m going to give everyone in this room ten seconds to tell me where Asami is, otherwise I’ll fucking bury you,” I growl, feeling my anger spilling over, pushing me straight back into the avatar state. I pull up walls of stone, trapping each of them before they can run, pinning their arms so that they can’t bend. Healing, and cutting, and healing, and cutting! I cringe at the images in my mind, worrying if I’m too late, “Five…” I stretch my fingers, getting ready to make these bastards feel really uncomfortable. “Four…” I tighten their bindings just a little. “Three…” and a little more. “Two…” a lot more.

“Stop!” one of the boys yells, “Y-You’re really going to do this?”

“Talk or find out,” I glare. Lia is smiling at me just behind him, her eyes wide, like she’s lost her fucking mind.

“She’s at Haunted Rock. But you’re too late. She’s dead,” she laughs again, in a high pitched shriek, and I swear this is the closest I’ve ever come to wanting to kill someone.

“You’d better hope to hell she isn’t,” I growl, loosening their bindings just a little, though I don’t know if it’ll hold them for long. Then I march towards the elevator and ride it up to the next floor, swinging by Tenzin’s classroom, and grabbing one of the gliders. I quickly send Mako a message just before I set off.

Me: She’s at Haunted Rock. The kids that did it are from c4, with Lia. Get Unalaq.

Mako: Will do. Be careful, Korra.

—

I’ve never glided in the Avatar state before. I float across currents of air effortlessly, bursting jets of flame from my feet, my heart pounding in my chest the whole time, hoping and praying that I’m not too late. It takes me less than five minutes to get the cave, south of Gaoling, on the shore. It’s a dark night, overcast with grey clouds which occasionally break apart to allow a few stars to be seen. I quickly venture inside, delving deeper and deeper, looking and listening for anything, any clues. The last time I came here, I remember thinking it went on forever, twisting out into different paths like a maze, but right now I don’t have time to explore the damn thing! I slam my palm into the mossy, damp wall out of frustration, but I gasp when I feel… something from the stone.

I try it again, closing my eyes, focusing on the rock beneath my fingers. There it is again, faint, like somethings alive. Again, every half a minute, like a heartbeat. A vampire’s heartbeat. “Asami…” I whisper, filled with a sudden hope that it’s her, and that she’s alive. I use my newfound sense to help me, feeling sure it’s guiding me closer, because the pulse is growing stronger and stronger.

I soon find myself stood in a large clearing, the rock walls and ceiling almost dome-like in appearance. And then, I find her, and my heart sinks. She’s motionless, hung limply at the back of the room, chained against the cave walls. Her legs and arms are cuffed in silver, with red, swollen flesh around her ankles and wrists, her hair matted, her clothes ripped showing deep, unhealed cuts and crimson stains.

“How could they…” I grimace, rushing towards her. The closer I get, and the more I see, the more my heart breaks. She’s covered in deep lacerations and bruises, with clear signs of broken ribs, and massively swollen, red lumps of flesh on her arm. That must be where they injected her, kept her weak, and made her suffer as much as possible. Bastards! I’m about to cover the small remaining distance when she suddenly springs to life, snapping herself forwards, yanking on the chains, her face twisted into the most terrifying, fanged snarl, her eyes wide, glowing… and her pupils… her... her pupils…

“No…” I choke, tears spilling onto my cheeks. She’s feral, and my whole world crumbles at the sight, a sudden heavy weight in my chest forcing me to fall onto my knees.

She growls loudly, pulling over and over at the chains, trying to get to me, like she’s gone mad. “K-Korra,” she growls between clenched teeth.

“Asami…” I whisper, meeting her vicious gaze, “You’re still lucid...”

“Not for long. Kill me! Quickly!” she snarls, yanking at the chains again, like she can’t control herself.

“Like fuck I will!” I yell, my voice echoing across the caverns. I clench my fists, my heart shattering into a thousand pieces at the thought of losing her.

“You idiot! I’ll kill everyone!” she wails, yanking her wrist chains more violently than ever, causing a fresh river of blood to stream down from her wrist, “do it, now!”

I won’t. I can’t. It’s too cruel, there has to be something I can do. I’m always telling myself that, but I wonder if it’s really the case. I’ve failed her… I’ve failed everyone. I shouldn’t have let her push me away. I should have found out what was wrong. This is on me…

“I won’t,” I breathe the words deeply, slowly standing to my feet, then taking a step forwards.

“What are you doing? Stop this!” Raava invades my thoughts, sounding panicked.

“I have to fix this,” I think inwardly.

“Fix it how? Korra, this is madness!”

“Well, I guess I’m mad. I’m sure as hell not leaving her like this, and I’m sure as hell not killing her,” I think, putting my other foot forwards… just one step away, now.

“Korra…” Asami’s form hangs limply, her fury visibly dissipates, and her brows slant downward with tears spilling down her bruised, bloodied cheeks, “What are you doing… stop… stop it…”

I take another step, flicking my wrists up and metal-bending the silver binds open with a snap, catching her when she falls. She sobs onto my shoulder for a moment, but then her body tenses, her sobs turn into a low growl at my neck, and I know it’s because she’s literally starving, barely holding herself back. “Do it,” I say, wincing as I immediately feel her bite, rough and painful this time, not that I can blame her.

She drinks, but it feels nice, the stuff in her fangs doing its magic. The bite stops hurting soon enough, and I relax, letting her drink. It seems to be going on a little longer than last time, and I think maybe it’s because she’s so hurt, or because she’s feral. Yeah, there is that. Strange that the thought doesn’t panic me.

“Korra, stop her,” Raava’s voice in my head, warning me. I don’t know what her problem is, this is fine. It feels good. In fact the longer Asami drinks, the better it feels, better than when I was stoned, even. I watch as the massive cut in her left shoulder fuses back together, as though the wound was never there, and I’m kind of mesmerised watching the rest of her body mend itself right in front of me. I start to feel dizzy, and I buckle to my knees, Asami following me down, still drinking. I almost laugh, thinking she must have been really thirsty.

“Korra!” Raava practically yells in my mind, and then I realise, Asami isn’t stopping. She’s… she’s going to drink me dry. I really didn’t think this through. I try to push her away, only to realise I’m too weak, barely able to raise my arm.

“Hey ’Sami…” I mutter, and she pauses from drinking at her name, “I… I think I love you. Crazy, huh?” She makes a strange choking sound, followed by a sob, and I feel her breath, hot, tickling against my suddenly-cold neck. I smile as my head lolls backwards, thinking this isn’t the worse way to go, full of happy vampire juice. I don’t know what I thought I could do, or why I did this, but I know I’ve just condemned the entire Academy to its death. Worse Avatar ever, I think, sighing to myself as my vision blurs, and everything turns black.

Chapter Text

I'm floating around in blackness, hearing nothing, seeing nothing. Am I dead? Is this what it feels like, a whole bunch of nothing?

“Well, that was idiotic,” a familiar voice says, just behind me. I turn around to see Kyoshi, shaking her head. “Don’t you dare die on her, Korra.” she says, raising a single finger.

“Well, I’ll try, but I think it’s out of my hands,” I say, shrugging.

“She might never forgive herself for this, even if you live,” Kyoshi sighs.

“I’ll make her,” I smile.

“Ah, you’ve found your confident side, I see. I like it,” Kyoshi smirks.

“Do you think she’s turned feral?” I ask, noticing I’m suddenly stood atop a wooden floor. Looks like Kyoshi’s chambers have materialised around us, with candles dimly glowing on the nearby shelves.

“The fact you’re alive would suggest not,” she says, walking to her weapons cabinet and drawing out her silver-tipped fans.

“So… it worked?” I ask, smiling.

“Perhaps. It was a bold move… how did you know?”

“I… didn’t. All I know is my blood healed Asami really quickly the first time she drank from me. It was pretty much instant, compared to when you turned and had to heal.”

“That is… very observant,” Kyoshi muses, looking at me with one eyebrow raised. Could it be that she’s impressed? The Kyoshi?

“Live through this, and perhaps I shall be,” she grins. Suddenly, I hear Asami, her voice slipping into my consciousness.

“Don’t die… please don’t die…” She repeats it over and over, sounding clearly panicked, probably not helped by the fact she’s high on my blood. I wish I could open my eyes and tell her not to worry...

“Hey, do you think she’ll try to turn me?” I ask Kyoshi.

“No. You are drained, so it would kill you or turn you feral immediately,”  Kyoshi explains, crouching into a fighting stance, opening her fans and practising a few moves, the candles flickering from the sudden gusts of air.

“Damn. I kind of wanted to give it a try,” I admit, grinning.

“You should be careful what you wish for, Korra,” Kyoshi says, standing upright and snapping one of the fans closed.

“I dunno, it doesn’t seem so bad,” I smile, remembering how powerful I felt when Kyoshi changed.

“To be hated by so many, it is not an easy path…” Kyoshi sighs, and I feel like an idiot, remembering just what both she and Asami have been through.

“What did you do!?” Huh, who’s that… Katara? Whoa, she sounds pissed.

“Save her, please!” I’ve never heard desperation in Asami’s voice before. It’s a little selfish, but I can’t help but smile that she probably likes me more than she lets on.

“They’re probably giving me a blood transfusion,” I say, yawning. Damn… I’m so tired all of a sudden.

“This bodes well, stay strong, Korra,” Kyoshi smiles.

“I will do,” I grin, but then a sudden wave of blackness pulses around me, making me feel sick to my stomach. I quickly lose sight of Kyoshi, of everything, and I’m drowning in a pool of darkness, spinning around and around, making me dizzy.

And then, I feel nothing. I don’t know how much time passes, but sometimes I feel heavy, almost conscious, sure that I detect movement around me.

—

There’s a dull pressure in my left hand, and I try to move my fingers, pleased to feel them twitch in response.

I slowly open my eyes, wincing at the light, and it’s like I have the hangover to end all hangovers. Looks like I’m in the campus infirmary, a green curtain drawn around, and a familiar smell of disinfectant. I feel my hand become tightly clasped, there’s a sharp intake of breath, I look to my side to find a pair of gorgeous green eyes staring at me and I smile, overwhelmed with happiness that she’s here, that she’s okay, somehow… she’s okay…

“Korra…” she whispers, her cheeks stained with dry tears. Her clothes are tattered and blood-encrusted, she’s covered in dirt, and she looks exhausted, like she’s been through hell.

“You look like shit,” I can barely even croak the sentence, but I smile, not meaning a word of it. She’s as beautiful as ever, after all. She turns away, looking anguished, “Hey,” I squeeze her hand, and she looks at me, “I know I taste good, but damn, Asami,” I say chucking, figuring some of our usual banter might clear the air.

She doesn’t come up with any kind of witty retort, instead her face creases into sadness, she sinks her head in the sheets above my chest, and I think… I think she’s crying. Ugh, I’m such an idiot… I stroke her matted hair, cursing my choice of words. I mean, she’s just spent what probably felt like an eternity, trapped in some shitty cave like an animal, tortured, starved. And then on top of it all turning feral, the most terrifying thing a vampire can ever experience. “Sorry,” I mutter,  “thought you might find it funny,” I add, slowly sitting up, pushing my back into the large pillow behind for support, my body aching, my head fuzzy. There’s a clear tube in my arm, and an IV bag.

“Damn, how long was I out for?” I croak.

“All day… it’s almost Monday,” Asami sniffs, sitting back up, her face unreadable. She suddenly clenches the bed sheet, raising her head and looking at me angrily, “You could have died! What the hell were you thinking!?” she asks, and I’m taken aback by her ferocious gaze.

“I… I had to…”

“You idiot! What if it hadn’t worked? What then?”

“It did work. You’re not feral.”

“But I could have killed everyone… I almost killed you…”

“Almost,” I smile.

There’s a few minutes silence, and I try to catch her eye, but she’s looking down, appearing sadder than I’ve ever seen her before. She eventually sighs, and looks towards the infirmary door.

“I… I think I’ll leave, head back to the city,” she says, “the council can send another sane.”

“No,” I state, clenching her hand.

“Huh?”

“No running from bullshit guilt. It wasn’t your fault, and I forgive you anyway.” I say, running my thumb across her hand, “Look, we both made it… and the only thing you should feel sorry for is that you’re not kissing me right now.”

She manages to choke out a half-laugh, and shakes her head, “You cocky shit.”

“That’s more like it,” I grin, “But I’m still not feeling your lips. You should feel terrible by now.”

“I do,” she smiles, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand, then leaning forwards, cupping my chin in her palm and kissing me, more gently than ever. It’s a long, lingering kiss, warming me from the inside out, and when she pulls away, I see something glint in her eyes that I’m not sure I’ve seen before. “Happy?” she asks.

“So she almost drinks you dry, and you kiss and make up?” Katara suddenly appears, rolling her eyes, “Kids these days. You know, we had to use three bags to fill you back up!”

“Huh?” I mouth.

“Three bags!” Katara exclaims, spreading her arms wide, sending a few strands of her white hair into the air for a second. Her gaze softens when she looks down at our joined hands, “Asami told me everything, or at least she did once she’d finished arguing with the skeleton mannequin in the corner.” she chuckles, shaking her head at a suddenly blushing Asami.

“Well, beats trees and dead ferals,” I mumble, wondering how long she was high for, “What happened to the bastards who did this?”

“They’re in custody for attempted sane murder, on top of almost unleashing an ancient on us all. They have a lot to answer for.”

“And Lia?” I ask, feeling Asami’s grip on my hand tighten at the question.

“That one is going to need special care…” Katara sighs, shaking her head and heading to one of the chilled medical cabinets. She pulls out a bottle of water, throws it across to me, and I catch it with ease, twisting the cap off, drinking hungrily.

“As for our stoned vampire friend,” she chuckles, “She drank from you, and thanks to that, we know your blood can stop the tipping point,” Katara says, holding my arm out and checking my pulse, and I raise my eyebrows, surprised that she’d offer to hide the finer details. “There’s enough sane-hate as it is,” she says, acknowledging my surprise, “and I know this wasn’t Asami’s fault. It was mainly yours, you damn bull-headed avatar,” Katara chuckles.

“Hey!”

“Bull-headed, I like that,” Asami sniffs, tapping a finger to her chin.

“Screw you both,” I pout, starting to fold my arms but thinking better of it when my IV drip tube starts to get twisted.

“We’ll talk later about your discovery. You might just change the world, Avatar Korra,” Katara says, beaming at me, then leaving us alone. There’s a sudden silence in the air, and I nervously clear my throat.

“I’m so sorry for what they put you through,” I say, placing my palm above hers, “But I really wish you’d just told me…”

“I thought I should see how big a threat they were first,” she says, shaking her head, “But I certainly didn’t intend to hand myself over.”

“What happened?” I ask, noticing her head tilt down at the question, “You don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to…”

“It’s fine,” she sighs, sitting back into her chair, idly circling the big rip in her jacket above her shoulder, “Lia played me… I wouldn’t have thought it possible for someone so young,” she pauses, leaning forwards in her seat, resting her arms on her lap. “Before I got near the car park I heard a scream and found her by the side of campus, surrounded by four guys. She looked like she was in trouble, so I went to help, threatened the boys… thought I got rid of them. It was only when I comforted Lia, and felt a sharp pain in my side, that I knew…”

“She shot you up with silver,” I say, cringing when I remember the empty vials I found in Lia's bag.

“Yeah. Enough to knock me out three times over, but not before a nice bout of excruciating pain,” Asami says, clenching a hand around her other arm. “When I woke up, I was chained in that damn cave. They kept me weak with silver, and they stood and watched as Lia…” she pauses, nervously sucks at her lower lip, and looks to the floor.

“Hey, it’s okay, I can picture the rest,” I say, slanting my eyebrows, “I’m just sorry I didn’t get there sooner.”

“Heh, it’s not your fault,” she says, shrugging her shoulders, then looking straight into my eyes, “I’m sorry for blowing you off. I just didn’t want to risk you being hurt,” she says, smiling.

“You almost got yourself killed,” I sigh, “just… stop trying to protect me. I’m strong too.”

“I know. I’ll… try.” She says, though she looks almost haunted by her words.

“Will you be okay?”

“It wasn’t the most… pleasant experience,” she says with a shudder, “And it’ll take me a while to sweat the rest of the silver out. But I’ll survive. Right now, I just want a shower.”

“Me too,” I say with a sudden grin, popping out my IV tube and swinging both legs off the bed.

“Korra, you can’t…” Asami says, firmly holding me down by the shoulder.

“I can and I will,” I chuckle, “which part of me being strong didn’t you get?” I wink, hopping off the bed, ignoring the mild dizziness that follows.

“Aren’t you going to tell your friends you’re okay?” she asks, raising an eyebrow, “they’ve been worried sick.”

“Uh, what time is it,” I mumble, reaching for my pocket.

“Here,” she says, passing my phone over from the bedside table.

I check the screen, seeing quite a few messages, and then noticing the time - it’s nearly midnight, “I was out for almost a whole day!?” I exclaim.

“Yeah, hence you should probably stay in bed, and definitely eat something,” Asami says, frowning in worry, holding my arm like I might collapse or something.

“I don’t think I can stomach much, honestly,” I say, walking to the supplies cupboard, rummaging around and finding a protein flapjack. I quickly unwrap it, and start to munch on the snack whilst texting everyone back. They’re probably all asleep, but I let them know I’m awake anyway, since I don’t want to make them worry. “Hey, do they know what happened?” I ask, taking another bite of the bar.

“Yeah… I think they probably hate me,” she says, her eyes darkening.

“I doubt it,” I smile, finishing off my bar and taking a long swig of water, “there, I’ve eaten. Shower?”

“Persistent, aren’t we?” she smiles.

“I’m having one with or without you,” I shrug, pulling my jacket on, slipping my feet into my trainers, stuffing my phone into an inner pocket and heading into the halls. I hold the infirmary door open, raise an eyebrow at her, and she shakes her head with a smile, following soon after.

We head to the gym showers down the east wing, since there’s less chance that we’ll disturb anyone so far away from the inner dorms, and I pick out a cubicle at the far end, starting to strip off right away. Asami stands behind me, unashamedly watching me undress, so I strip completely, then turn and face her, my hands on my hips, “take back the calling it quits bullshit, and I might let you join me,” I smirk. She bites her lip into a playful smile, kicks her boots off and quickly undresses, throwing her ruined jacket and shirt onto the floor, her gaze barely ever leaving me, or my body.

“I take it back,” she whispers, stepping forwards, hooking her arms through mine, pulling my frame against her body. She feels so good against me, her skin hot against mine, her lips against my ear, “and thank you…”

“For what?” I mumble into her shoulder.

“Saving me,” she says, and I remove my hands from my hips, pulling her into a warm embrace, relishing the sensation of every square inch of her body against mine.

“Anytime,” I say, holding her, and just standing there for a while. “Come on,” I smile, taking her hand, leading her into the cubicle, and closing the door behind. I twist the shower handle, finding the right temperature, “is this okay?” I ask, tilting my head around as Asami slips her hands smoothly around my waist from behind.

“Perfect,” she says, her lips hot against my ear. We didn’t bring our wash bags, so I press the top of shampoo dispenser, squeeze a decent sized blob into my hands, then turn to face her.

“You’re going to have to bend down,” I smirk.

“Oh?” she grins, lowering to her knees, moving her head under the shower spray, “and what would you have me do while I’m here?”

I laugh, shake my head, and start to gently massage the gel into her hair, soon working up a fine lather. Asami closes her eyes and tilts her forehead into my abdomen, her shoulders relaxing as I knead into her scalp, being sure to wash every inch of her hair, pulling the long black strands into my hands and grabbing more shampoo to do the ends. The more I knead, the more she seems to relax, her hands sliding up my back, and her lips kissing just above my navel, sending a flush of heat down my abdomen. “Okay… time to rinse,” I say, and she stands up, looking me playfully in the eye.

“So soon? I was enjoying that,” she purrs, standing under the shower, stretching her arms up and folding her hair behind, rinsing it under the hot stream. Her body is like a vision, stretched out before me like this, water cascading between her breasts, down the thin line defining her abdomen, between her legs… my mouth turns dry watching her like this. She opens one eye and cocks an eyebrow, “Enjoying the show?”

I laugh, relieved that she’s showing signs of her usual self, hoping it can only be a good sign after what she’s been through the last couple of days. “You’re beautiful,” I say, thinking the word really doesn’t really do her justice. I push myself into her, stretching an arm behind to the soap dispenser, then barely managing to pull myself away from her addictive warmth. I lather the soap between my hands and start to wash her, and at first she seems surprised, but she soon relaxes, moving away from the shower spray, resting against one of the tiled walls.

“Ah! Cold!” she grimaces, then laughs.

“I can fix that,” I smile, sliding my hands behind her, palms flat to the pale-cream tiles, summoning heat into my fingers, into the wall. “Better?” I ask, grinning, and grabbing more soap.

“Isn’t that a slight abuse of power?” she smirks, then closes her eyes with a soft gasp as I kiss her neck, slowly rubbing frothed soap down her torso, then across her breast, “I… don’t think this counts as washing,” she gasps, trailing her fingertips up my spine.

“I can stop if you want,” I murmur, hoping that she doesn’t.

“I think that would be a terrible idea,” she purrs, lightly raking her nails down my back, causing my whole body to tremble, “but now, it’s my turn,” she says, lightly easing me away from her, grabbing a wad of shampoo, and wiggling her eyebrows.

“Only those worthy may touch the avatar’s hair,” I grin, folding my arms and moving under the streaming water.

“I’m pretty sure I’ve already touched far more than your hair,” she says, grinning wickedly, and I burst out laughing.

“Yes, yes you have,” I smile, closing my eyes as her fingers start to caress my hair, nails softly digging into my scalp. “Mmm,” I mumble, leaning back against the opposite shower wall, resting my palms on her hips. She threads her fingers into the back of my hair, I feel her lips gently press into mine, and I sigh into her kiss. She continues to slowly massage my head whilst we kiss, and I kind of forget everything around me, just the feeling of her lips, and her fingers.

She eventually releases my captive lips, and takes a step backwards, pulling me back under the jet of hot water with her. I tilt my head back, my eyes still closed, enjoying the shower as it floods around my face, into my hair, washing the soap away. Suddenly I feel her lips on my exposed neck, and her teeth as she sucks my flesh into her mouth, “Ah…” I gasp, feeling myself coaxed to the wall, pressed tightly against it and not resisting in the slightest, especially when her lips kiss their way up my neck, nibbling under my ear.

It’s not like before… she’s patient… she explores every inch of my body with her mouth, taking her time, kissing me softly, and I could almost cry because I’m so happy she’s back, and I missed her, so damn much. She keeps returning to my mouth, as though she knows I need her there, kissing me deeply while I thread my fingers into her damp hair. 

Her hands roam my body, stroking down the curve of my waist, around my back, my shoulders, and behind my neck. Eventually she releases me from the long kiss, allowing me to catch my breath, returning her lips to their pursuits. She kisses down my neck, moving down a fraction at a time, occasionally replacing her light kiss with the tip of her tongue, trailing down my collarbone and over the swell of my breast, causing me to groan throatily. “I like that sound,” she says, pausing with her mouth an inch from my nipple, “You should make it more often,” she continues, darting the tip of her tongue across her target, forcing more of the sounds from me that she seems to enjoy so much. She takes my other breast into her hand, teasing my nipple with the tip of her thumb, capturing the one at her mouth between her lips and sucking hungrily. I whimper, suddenly wanting to feel her lips somewhere else, a throbbing need gnawing at me from my core, pulsing away almost maddeningly as she sucks and teases. Her hands slide down my back, her palms squeeze into my ass, and she slides slowly to her knees, kissing her way down my midriff inch by inch. Then she looks up, smirks, cocks an eyebrow and lifts me, as though I’m weightless.

In one fluid movement, she eases my thighs above her shoulders, buries her face between them, and I cry out at the sudden contact of her tongue against me. “A-Asami…” I bite my lip, looking down as she takes me into her mouth, sucking at my bud, pressing her tongue against me, into me, leaving me breathless. I splay my fingers into her hair, and she supports my back with her palms, keeping my clit locked against her mouth, as though it’s her prisoner. I rock my hips into her, barely needing the support of the wall at all, and I hear and feel her hot breath as she moans into me, into my entrance, “Ah... ah… ” I gasp, feeling a throb of energy around my captive bud grow hotter, burn brighter, with every single flick of her tongue.

Suddenly, she lifts me higher, my legs slipping down to her waist as she stands to her feet, slamming me against the wall and capturing me in a fierce kiss. I can taste myself on her lips, feel my wetness on her tongue, and it makes me even more desperate for her touch. I push my hips forwards, grinding into her, desperate for friction, for anything, and she complies, never once leaving my lips as her hand slides down my sleek flesh, past my short curls. I break from the kiss, leaning my head back against the tiles, gasping loudly as her finger circles my clit, “more…” I weakly croak, not sure how much longer I can take this. She growls deeply, and I feel her fingers stretch into my wetness, pushing against my upper wall, entering me deeply, her thumb pressed firmly against my throbbing bud, “yes…” I pant, rolling my hips as she thrusts her fingers into me, faster and faster, meeting my demands, and making me whimper louder. I feel a sudden burst of hotness, swelling out from my clit, from deep inside of me, “I’m… ah… Asami!” I pant, jerking into her, spilling over, moaning loudly into her mouth when she collides her lips into mine. I ride out the waves of pleasure, swirling my tongue around hers, loving her taste, her touch, everything…

I finally relax, panting, my head spinning a little as I shakily unwrap my legs from her waist, returning to my feet and leaning my shoulders against the wall. She sighs softly, tilting her forehead to mine, sliding her palms up my back, smiling. She starts to chuckle under her breath, and I tilt my head to look at her inquisitively, her green gaze meeting my blue.

“This wasn’t supposed to happen…” she sighs, closing her eyes slowly.

I feel a sudden chill at the words, “W-What do you mean?” I ask, panicked. She opens her eyes, slants her brows, and smiles softly.

“Well… I was meant to protect you,” she says, kissing me gently, then moving her lips to my ear, “But…” she hesitates a moment, her breath hot against my flesh, “…I wasn’t supposed to fall in love with you…” The words send me dizzy, and I lose the strength in my legs, sliding down the wall. Asami looks panicked, and kneels down, “Are you okay? Sorry… I didn’t mean… I mean, what you said at the cave, I thought… wait, do you even remember?” she frowns.

Whoa, I’ve never seen her like this before. It’s like she’s actually vulnerable, not wearing a mask for the first time, and I think I just fell even more in love with her. “I remember…” I say, feeling my cheeks burn, “and I meant it. I just never expected you to… you don’t have to say that stuff, just for me,” I continue, thinking she’s probably just trying to make me feel better. But she smiles again, leans forwards, and pulls me into a tight embrace.

“I meant it too.”

My heart throbs at the words, and I sit on the shower floor, just holding her in my arms, burying my nose into her shoulder, my eyes squeezed tightly closed as I weep happy, silent tears.