The Avatar's Master

3. Dinner and a Hot Bath

To dinner, Korra wore her Earth Nation getup, which would more or less be her look while she was in Zaofu. Her hair, freshly washed and damp, hung loosely about her shoulders, and the smell of her shampoo, dusky sweet oils from the Southern Water tribe, wafted into the air and up the nostrils of Kuvira, who sauntered over to the dinner table and took the seat next to Korra.

Korra had noticed Kuvira's outfit as she made her way up – she wore a black sleeveless turtleneck with golden/coppery trim atop a pair of matching breeches. For decoration and likely utility, she sported metal arm bangles of the same color adorned with hanging vines and a brooch of the familiar flower at her breast, all the same material. She no longer wore green, Korra realized, but she had reverted back to sporting her signature long, thick braid, which swung about her butt, hair parted to the side with a wavy tendril curving to her angular face. Just as Asami was beautiful, Kuvira was handsome, dashing even.

Seated around the horseshoe-shaped table were all of this branch of the Beifong family, sans Opal. At the head were Suyin and Bataar Sr., and sitting far to the opposite of Korra and Kuvira was Bataar Jr., who engaged in idle chatter with Wing and Wei. Huang sat closer to his parents on Korra and Kuvira's side.

Suyin's chef, a former pirate and robust man of 300 lbs, approached Korra and presented her with three dinner options, all fancy things she had never heard of. Without Asami there to fill in the gaps, Korra replied, "Do any of these dishes have meat?"

"Yes, the second one," the pirate chef said in a deep-setted voice.

"Great, I'll take that. Oh, and a hot tea, please," Korra said.

"Are you sure you want a noodle juice? You look like you could use some panther piss," he said.

"Panther piss?"

"It's the stuff that makes your chest warm and your face numb – whiskey, sweetheart," he said.

"Oh, um, no thank you to the Piss. Just the noodle juice please," Korra said awkwardly.

"I'll take one noodle juice as well," Kuvira chimed in. "Not really a piss drinker myself," she winked and they both laughed and smiled at each other.

Korra could feel her spirits rise slightly for the first time in weeks, that is, until the conversation inevitably turned to Asami.

***

"So, ladies, how did it go out there?" Suyin echoed from the head of the table, dipping her fork into the elaborately plated food.

"Too soon to tell," Korra said, answering in between bites and looking at Kuvira who did not react. The meal was delicious and she was sure to tell that to the chef.

Suyin figured Kuvira would need some convincing, but Korra wasn't one to back down easily. In truth, she knew Kuvira relished the attention, especially from someone like Korra, who she admired greatly but did not advertise.

"Opal is coming home next week for a few days," Su changed the subject.

Kuvira perked up at this news, and she became flush with excitement but quickly caught herself, taming her emotions so as not to have anyone read into anything.

"Great," Korra said, none-the-wiser to Kuvira's fluster. "I haven't seen her in a while, and I'll have a girlfriend to practice airbending with."

"Speaking of girlfriend," Suyin said. "How's Asami?"

Korra paused, cowering into her tea. Everyone was watching her and expecting an answer. She was quiet a moment before taking a deep breath and announcing, "Asami and I split up three weeks ago. We're no longer together."