Chapter Text
Korra stepped off the train and into the haze of the Republic City Train Station. After 4 long years, she was finally here. Excitement crept into her bones and she wanted to take off running and emerge into the city but realizing that it could potentially make her look like a tourist - a feeling she desperately wanted to avoid - she calmly started heading toward the baggage carriage. As she waited for her bags to appear, Korra’s thoughts wandered.
She couldn’t believe she was here, actually starting the life she had always dreamed of. While this wasn’t Korra’s first time in Republic City, she had visited a few times as a child because her father, Tonraq, was the Governor of the Southern Water Tribe, she hadn’t seen much outside the Cultural Center where they always stayed.
Eighteen years old and ready to take on the world. She took a deep breath, found her bags on the carriage and looked around for the ride she knew was waiting for her. It was the one thing her parents refused to forgo - if they couldn’t be there to drop her off, someone else would be. Korra hadn’t argued, as excited as she had been; she also knew it would be incredibly difficult to leave the only home she had ever known for the next 9 months. Looking around, she spotted a man who didn’t appear to be much older than her holding a sign with her name on it.
Korra sauntered up to the young man and extended her hand.
“Hi, I’m Korra. Nice to meet you…”
The young man stared at her extended hand. Korra gave a light cough to try to rouse the man from wherever his thoughts are.
“Oh. H-hi. I’m Mako, your driver...well your driver for today. Actually, I’m not really a driver. I intern for RCPD and since you’re the daughter of a dignitary, Chief Beifong…”
Korra cut him off with a quick glance and replied, “I get it. You’re my security detail. You don’t want to be here as much as I don’t really want you here.”
Mako winced.
“S-sorry. I didn’t mean it like that. It’s just that my parents often forget I’m not a child anymore.”
Mako nodded. “I’m not really security detail either...I just got voluntold because I am starting back up at RCU as well so Chief figured it would be easy for me to pick you up on my way to move in too. Come on, my brother is waiting in the truck. Do you need any help with your bags?”
“Sure.” Korra smiled.
When they reached the truck, Korra saw a boy with a wide frame and the brightest smile get out the passenger seat to help Mako put her things in the back. Mako patted his brother on the back and said, “Bolin, Korra. Korra, my baby brother Bolin. Bolin here is a senior at Toph Beifong Senior High.” Korra smiled, and said a polite hello. Bolin was distracted by the flight of a flock of birds from the nearby fountain.
Mako nudged his brother who let out a small yelp and finally extended his hand in greeting. His booming voice reached Korra’s ears as he said “Hi. It’s nice to meet you. I can’t wait to get to know you better. We should hang out. Mako wouldn’t that be fun. If we all hung out together. We should all exchange phone numbers so that we can more easily make plans to hang out together. I, for one...”
Mako punched his arm putting a stop to the word vomit. Korra just laughed and nodded. “It would be nice to start off the school year with at least two friends. So, yeah...after I get settled we should totally hang out.”
Korra, Mako and Bolin piled into the truck and set out toward their destination. Bolin sat in silence in the back as Mako and Korra made small talk up front. “I’m a Criminal Justice major,” Mako said. “What do you think you will be majoring in?”
Korra thought for a moment. Everytime she told people what her plan in life was, their eyes usually grew wide at the thought of it. She was weighing complete honesty with half truth and finally settled on complete honesty. “I’m hoping to double major in Pre-Law and Social Work.”
Mako and Bolin both gaped at her. “So...you want to be a lawyer/social worker? THAT. IS. AWESOME.” Bolin exclaimed. Mako nodded in agreement and mused, “You can do a lot of good with that combination. It won’t be easy but if you can do it could really make a difference.”
“Thanks.” Korra said. “That is the first time anyone has ever reacted in that way. Usually people try to tell me it will be impossible. But it should only take me an extra year if I’m disciplined.”
The rest of the trip passed in silence and Korra gazed out the window and took in the sights of her new city. When they arrived on campus Mako dropped her off at the check in table for her dorm. As Korra checked in she noticed a series of men in uniforms carrying boxes into the building as the father of whoever the boxes belonged to screeched instructions about a production line into the phone. Korra rolled her eyes.
Of course she would be in the same dorm as the campus’ prissy rich girl - who, apparently, couldn’t even be bothered to be present during her own move in. Korra thanked the RA for her keys and made her way up the three flights of stairs. Gasping for breath as she reached her floor, she moved out of the way of the moving men and frowned as she saw they were moving the boxes into a room nearby her own. She knew that she would not have the patience to deal with this girl and prayed that she would be able to stay out of her way.
Korra found her room, and noticed that her roommate had not yet arrived. Looking at the two identical sides of the room, she chose the left side. As Korra unpacked her roommate arrived. Thankfully they had been able to connect via Instagram so it wasn’t as awkward as her earlier meeting with Mako. Korra already knew that she and Opal would end up being close friends and she was looking forward to getting to know her better in person.
After Korra and Opal finished unpacking, they decided to head to the dining hall. As they were making their way across campus, Korra’s phone vibrated. She pulled it out and saw she had a text from The Driver.
(17:37) The Driver: Hey Korra. Hope you’re all settled by now. Want to grab some dinner in the dining hall?
(17:37) Korra: Mako! Already on the way with my roommate. See you there.
Korra told Opal that they would be meeting a friend of hers at the dining hall. “Who could you have met in the 3 hours you have been here?” Opal asked with raised eyebrows. Korra chuckled at the implication.
“No one special; just the guy who was forced to pick me up from the train station. The Chief of Police had her lowly sophomore intern drop me off.”
“Oh, I know the chief and that is not at all surprising.” Opal replied.
“You know the chief?!?” Korra gasped.
“Yeah, she’s my Aunt Lin.” Opal said flatly. “Which explains how we ended up being roommates now that I think of it.”
Korra gasped. “You don’t think she and my parents conspired to get us in the same room to keep better track of us do you?”
“Wouldn’t surprise me.” Opal shot back.
As their thoughts wandered to the devious ways adults seemed to control their lives from afar, they entered the dining hall. The smells pulled them in different directions but they eventually made their way back to one another with full trays. “Now to find Mako.” Korra said as she let her gaze wander over the tables until she spotted a waving Mako. Bolin was also seated at the table and Korra wondered how he had gotten into the dining hall since he was still in high school.
“Hey Mako, Bolin. This is my roommate, Opal. Opal, the brother’s extraordinaire, Mako and Bolin.” Korra introduced. Mako nodded a greeting as he finished chewing his seaweed noodles. Bolin gazed at Opal before bashfully mumbling “Nice to meet you.”
Korra smiled at his sudden display of shyness. She had not known Bolin long, but she had quickly figured out that he was not the bashful type. Opal politely greeted them both before settling down next to Korra. The four ate in silence for a time before Korra asked, “So, Bolin. How did you get in here?”
Bolin and Mako exchanged a quick glance and Mako spoke first. “Bolin is registered for one class per semester so he has a Student ID and meal plan. He and I...we..uh…” Mako began to trail off and Bolin picked up where he left off.
“We..uhhh...this is always so hard. Our parents died when we were little so we have only ever had each other. When Mako started here the only way we could stay together was if I moved in with him and then it was really expensive for rent and food and everything. So we decided that me registering as a student was the best solution to combat the expense of food.” Bolin looked down at his noodles as he finished.
Korra broke the silence that had followed and said, “Oh, I’m sorry you all had to go through all that. It’s good that you all got to stay together.” Bolin and Mako looked at each other before smiling and nodding.
Later that night, Opal was getting ready for bed and Korra looked like she was getting ready to head out. Opal eyed Korra questioningly, “Where are you going? It’s our first night here.” Korra turned and smiled. “Just the gym. I want to get a workout in. With all the travelling I’ve done the past few days, I feel so sluggish. So I’m gonna head to there for a late night workout. Shoot some hoops. I should be back in about two hours or so.”
Opal nodded remembering, “Right, basketball. I guess you are used to working out daily to keep in shape for basketball season. When do team workouts start?”
“Preseason starts in October. But I want to be ready to go before then. I know I was invited here to play basketball but that doesn’t mean I’ll make the team or if I do, it doesn’t mean I’ll play. But I plan to put in extra work to make it happen.” Korra replied with a determined look on her face and turned to leave.
Before she made it out the door, Opal called out to her “Text me when you get there and when you are on your way back so I know you’re safe!” Korra rolled her eyes and smiled, “Yes, mom.” she called back and went into the night.