Asami Sato almost didn’t want to come with the others to visit Katara, as at this point she felt very little connection to the group. Even as a non-bender, she felt out of place but she had done her best to defend her city and those she thought were her friends. The only person who stuck by her side had been Bolin, her so-called boyfriend’s brother and even she hardly knew much about the earth bender. Asami couldn’t help but feel herself slowly drowning in the current circumstances. Her father was missing and not acting like himself, the company was in ruins and she felt as thought she didn’t fit in anywhere. The coldness of the snow around her wasn’t much comfort either. The woman cradled her chin in her hand as she just sat around the small living room which somehow managed to accommodate such a large gathering. There were Korra’s parents, Bolin, Mako, herself, Tenzin and his family, Katara, Chief Beifong, and one or two others who were aids to Master Katara. It seemed Bolin had been tasked with looking after the children which he seemed to do with ease. As for Asami, she couldn’t wait to get back home and sort things out. Sure, they seemed daunting but even that mess would be better than sitting in a pot of hideous tension. Asami took another look around the room. Everyone was keeping silent or speaking in hushed tones. Korra had rushed out about fifteen minutes ago and Tenzin had said that she should have some space. It wasn’t as if Asami would jump up and try to console her. Some of Asami’s anger wasn’t just aimed at Mako, it was also aimed at Korra, someone who Asami thought she had befriended and could trust. The girl even helped the Avatar with her pro-bending aid, of course Asami knew now it was a ploy from her father’s devious mind but still, Asami’s gesture was out of good faith and not deception. Releasing a heavy sigh, she got up and refilled her cup of tea. All she could do was drink and wait for night to fall. Katara and her aids soon left to prepare a meal and not wanting to be rude, Asami decided to go see if she could help her host. She cradled her hot cup of tea and let herself into the back part of the small home. “Would you care for any help? I don’t have anything to and I’d like to keep busy, to well, keep my mind of things.” She admitted. “I’d still help though, I mean, if I was doing something else.” Asami added gently. Katara declined her offer politely and mentioned that she could help Bolin with the kids. That idea didn’t sit well with Asami. Kids could be really annoying and pry into touchy subjects without even meaning to and the last thing she wanted was to lash out at an innocent kid. As she exited the kitchen to go back to her seat in the corner, it seemed Mako wanted to speak with her. “What is it?” She asked him, her eyes narrowing slightly. The raven haired girl wasn’t sure if she could deal with Mako in the present. He had rejected her and cheated on her and couldn’t even own up to it. And if he did? It’s not like the pain would magically disappear. How could she trust his words after everything that had happened? - - - Unlike Asami who felt a bit useless and out of place, Bolin was content in his current situation. He was happy to play with Tenzin’s children. He loved kids as he was pretty much one in a bigger body. And he was also happy to help out. He liked keeping them content and out of the way, as it meant the adults could deal with the trouble back in Republic City. That was his home, the only place Bolin had ever known and he was determined to help rebuild it. He wasn’t sure how yet, aside from his earth bending skills in general but he would find a way. The kids were so upbeat and friendly, which meant they either didn’t know about the damage in the city, or they had already forgotten about it. They had narrowly escaped death under the hands of Amon who aimed to also take away their bending. Even Bolin knew that would be detrimental to the world. Air benders were important to the world, their skills had to be passed down and preserved. While air and earth were opposites, he could still appreciate bending as an art. It was cool and the kids were already pretty good at it. When Korra had stormed off, he wanted to go after her but he was advised against it and Katara just said she would make a big dinner to warm up the stomachs of everyone, even if the mood itself was still sensitive and hollow. Bolin listened to the girls talk for a bit which he began to tune out. His attention moved from Tenzin and Lin and Pema, to his brother. Mako had always been there to look out for him, while Bolin dated girls and was sociable, Mako kept his distance, always saying that there were more important things than flings. Bolin just liked some friendly company but had always wished his brother would date more. Whether Mako would admit he knew about his fanclub or not, Bolin just wanted his older brother to be happy. The last thing Bolin wanted was to become a reason why his brother never dated. But then Korra came along and Bolin was starstruck from the very moment he saw her. He thought she wasn’t just beautiful but funny and smart and really good at bending. It just so happened that she was also the Avatar but he was sure he’d still like her if she wasn’t. And sadly, that might be the case, as Amon somehow took away all of her bending, save for her air bending which she had just suddenly tapped into. He got up and said he’d go look for Korra since it was dark now and the last thing he wanted was for Korra to feel alone, not when she had a huge room of people who supported and cared about her. Bolin grabbed a jacket and hurried out into the cold. Small wisps of snow circulated through the air as he jogged along until he found Korra just standing, her eyes glowing. “Korra!” Bolin called out to her and slowed his pace, while still nearing her with caution. “It’s freezing, come on, everyone’s worried about you.” He said over the wind. He reached out and tapped her shoulder, hoping she knew he was there. The boy was scared, not for himself though but for Korra. The cold wasn’t it though, he was just scared that she was losing herself as a bender and he just wished he could really help her. “Please!” He pleaded. - - - A lot had happened ever since Avatar Korra rolled into Republic city and stirred up trouble. Lin Beifong was the ex-Chief of the police task force in the city. She had used her mother’s technique of metal bending and improved upon it. There was now a special division of bender who utilized it and got around with great ease. Lin was a stern woman of few words unless she felt the need to bark orders at those around her. Under her hardened exterior was someone who had suffered loss, had endured love and had combated dark criminals of the city’s underbelly. She was a proud woman, she had a lot to be proud of though. From her mother’s legacy to the one she was making herself, Lin had very little regrets to haunt her in the wee hours of the morning when she couldn’t sleep. The silver haired woman had regrets though, she wasn’t perfect and sometimes the thoughts of Tenzin, her past love would keep her up, would beckon her to the bar where she’d shoot the breeze the locals. When she wasn’t pushing her past, burying it deep down where it belonged, she was training. She wasn’t as young as she used to be, clearly, and so she had to keep up her stamina and strength. One of the perks of not being tied down with a family or loved ones, was that she could do whatever she wanted, whenever she wanted. The woman could train early in the morning without worrying about waking anyone up. She could go out to eat and not deal with picky eaters. Overall, she liked to tell herself that her life was going well, even if it was sometimes a pretty little lie. Lin still had feeling for Tenzin, the married man, and they were deeply rooted and hard to evade when there was little to distract her after the workday had concluded. Tenzin was a great man and she missed him. She missed them. And yet here she was, supporting him and his family, the woman he left her for, the one who took him from her. On top of that, she had lost her bending in order to protect said family. That wasn’t one of her regrets however. Lin Beifong did what she did because she wanted to. Not because she cared about Tenzin but because it was the right thing to do. She didn’t have her badge when she took on Amon on her own, nor did she think such an action would win Tenzin back. Lin wasn’t a fool, she was just someone who knew what choices to make, even when times were tough. So she lost her bending, the biggest connection she had with her mother. And it hurt so badly. Lin knew she could survive without her earth and metal bending but it just felt a void inside of her, once which was even bigger than the one Tenzin had left in her. Now she felt even more vacant, haunted and lonely. With her bending gone and her job nonexistent, there wasn’t much that the woman could look forward to when she got back to the city. Yes things needed to be rebuilt and she would help without a doubt but she just wished she had someone who cared, the way Tenzin’s family cared for him. Speaking of which, the air bender pulled her aside after Bolin had made his leave. “I’m sure the Avatar will be fine, she’s a strong woman.” Lin said, attempting to assure the girl’s mentor. “You did your best.” She offered Tenzin a bit of a smile even though it was hard to manage.