the new earth queen | lok

chapter ten

Mako sighed, talking quietly to the girl as she sat beside him. "Sorry, but I couldn't ditch him. But he promised to be on his best behavior," he informed, looking over to Ki across the room who was still engrossed in conversation. "Admittedly, I thought he would be more like that," he motioned the the girl who politely opted herself out of sitting with him and his friends.

Asami looked across the room, glancing to the Queen shortly. "I didn't even notice she was here," she inquired. "People really seem to like her. She sounds really smart... I heard her talk at the coronation and the way she stood up to Kuvira was impressive."

"Yeah," Mako said shortly, eyes still lingering on her as she laughed at something an elder woman had said. "She's really good at what she does," he drawled, fondly.

Raising an eyebrow at him, Asami stifled a laugh behind her amused stature. "She's beautiful," she commented, looking at Mako's reaction. It was funny, to her, to see him get flustered.

The boy turned red, averting his stare quickly and clearing his throat. He didn't say anything, not wanting to give away that the girl and him were definitely lingering on something more than friends. He wanted to keep that private, something between only her and him.

Giving up the subject, Asami sighed, turning back to Wu who was still making Korra uncomfortable.

While this sprung into an argument about who the Avatar wrote while she was away, and who she did not, the Queen across the room felt herself becoming severely overwhelmed by the weight of her worry.

"Thank you, everyone, for expressing your concern," she said simply. "The best thing you can do right now is try and stay calm, assured with the fact we are making plans to end this tyranny."

On this note, she stepped away, going out the back door to get some air. The breeze helped calm her overworking system, made her focus on something beside her droning thoughts for a moment.

Unnoticed to the others in the restaurant, she stood behind the back door— leaning against the wall— as they continued catching up, with Wu interrupting periodically.

"As much as I'm enjoying this little catch-up, my royal bladder is about to explode. Mako, come on, I need you to stand guard," Wu said standing up, but Mako was too irritated with the situation involving his friends to oblige.

He gave Wu an angry look, "I'm not gonna hold your hand every time you have to empty your "royal bladder". Go to the bathroom on your own for once."

Wu walked away, dejected, muttering a, "fine," as he sauntered off.

"Do you always go to the bathroom with him?" Korra asked, accusingly, tone laced with a little humor.

Mako didn't find it funny, crossing his arms at the girl with frustration. "I don't go with him, with him, I just stand there in the general vicinity while he ... I don't wanna talk about it."

With both Royals away from the table, the three friends continued to talk as if everything were normal... though that was not the case.

As Wu was knocked out by some faux bathroom attendants, who indeed worked for Kuvira, Ki still held herself shakily against the back wall of the restaurant.

Finally mustering up enough energy, she reentered the building, walking down the hallway past the bathrooms. She heard some commotion coming from the boy's room and mentally debated paying any mind to it.