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Asami finished dressing herself for the day and walked into the kitchen to the sight of Korra standing in front of the microwave, post-workout.
"Whatcha heating up?" she asked. She headed to the fridge in search of food.
"Breakfast," Korra replied.
The timer went off and Korra opened the door.
"Oatmeal?" She spied a container of yogurt and a carton of blueberries.
"No, cereal." Korra took the bowl out of the microwave.
"Excuse me?" Asami dropped what she was doing and closed the fridge.
"Oh, I said, cereal. Just heated up a bowl." She took a spoon from a drawer and started munching away.
Asami stumbled over her words. "Have you... always eaten cereal like that?"
Korra took a generous bite. With a full mouth, she replied "Yeah. Why do you ask?"
Asami leaned back against the countertop and rubbed her temples. "It's just... like, this whole time? Even before we started dating?"
"Yup!"
One of Asami's many talents included that of near-photographic memory. It was sometimes an aid and often a curse. In this instance, it was a curse.
She recalled, unconsciously, every single time Korra ate cereal in her presence--she now had to revisit each one with the knowledge that Korra heated up her cereal beforehand. She recalled Korra's blue eyes lighting up with each bite as she enjoyed--no-- relished her warm cereal. While this epiphany didn't fundamentally change their relationship, it did change something .
Asami recovered herself. "What about the times when we took our roadtrips? When we didn't have a microwave?"
"Oh! I just used firebending!" Korra said.
Firebending! Asami thought. Of course! She's been able to firebend her whole life--it's theoretically possible for her to have never had a cold bowl of cereal before. Therefore, it might not actually be preference, but ignorance.
Asami calmed herself. "Have you tried cereal cold before?"
Korra was in the middle of a bite. Time seemed to slow down as Asami waited torturously for Korra, whose brow scrunched up deep in thought, to respond, the rhythmic movement of her jaw like a pendulum. "A couple times, I think. But, I didn't like it that much."
She didn't like it?! Asami thought. The implications flooded over Asami's mind. Did the others know? What will happen when they have kids and they prefer warm cereal? Will they grow up to be normal? How many other foods does she eat abnormally?
Asami lost balance and caught herself against the side of the fridge.
"Woah, careful." Korra came to her side and held her by the shoulder. "Is everything okay?"
"I-I'm fine," she said. "I just need to..." Her eye caught sight of the bowl of cereal in Korra's hand. She could see the steam rising from the milk. A fear rose up inside her. "I-I need to go. I'm late for a meeting."
Korra helped steady her. "Okay, I'm home all day, so just give me a call if you need anything."
Asami grabbed her bag and stumbled out the door.
Zhu Li and Asami had grown closer ever since Asami took over Sato Industries and Zhu Li became the second president of the United Republic. Asami thought that, with Zhu Li's own relationship with Varrick, she could gain some insight into navigating habits that were... nonstandard, to put it nicely.
"Zhu Li," Asami started, "What would you do if someone you thought you knew well did something that... betrayed your expectations?"
Zhu Li, keen as ever, or so she thought, nodded in understanding. If news of Asami's relationship faltering reached the ears of the press, it could affect the financial position of Sato Industries going into the second quarter. "I will admit that Varrick has, in the past, done some things that made me question his trust."
Asami, thinking of Varrick, couldn't pinpoint anything specific since, if she were Zhu Li, she would question his trust at every moment, assuming he had the capacity.
"But, here's the thing, Asami. Varrick's never crossed that line with me before."
"I see." Asami looked away, deep in thought.
If someone like Varrick didn't even eat his cereal warm, then what kind of person was Korra? Was Korra weirder than Varrick? Did that make Asami weird?
Zhu Li looked at Asami with a sorrowful sympathy. She couldn't actually imagine what Asami was going through, and she didn't know if any of the advice she had was even useful in this type of scenario. But, it was evident in the empty stare and attentive posture that her friend was in great pain. Perhaps she wanted advice just as a way to cope, to find some way to move through this. Whether or not that was the case, Asami needed her support.
"Asami," said Zhu Li. "It's going to be okay."
Asami looked down. "I know, it's just... I don't know what's next. I don't know how I'm supposed to move forward from this."
"That's okay," said Zhu Li. "None of us know. And if we did, it wouldn't be as significant."
Asami sighed a deep sigh. "I should just say it and be done with it. Just ask her directly."
"Exactly," said Zhu Li. "You have to be firm. You have to be direct. You need to ask it in a way that will get straight to the point."
"You're right." Asami took a deep breath. "I'm going to look her in the eye and say, 'Korra...'"
Zhu Li nodded and waited in silence.
Asami winced. "I can't say it."
"That's okay, you're doing great."
"It's so hard, Zhu Li... It's so hard."
"Look at me, Asami." She took Asami's hand and gripped it fiercely. "Just pretend that I'm Korra. What do you want to say to me?"
Asami stared at Zhu Li. Slowly, Korra's face overlapped Zhu Li's. Her cocky, cheerful smile, firm jaw, and expressive eyes fell in place. A well of courage built up in her and she allowed herself to say it.
"Korra," she said. "I've had trouble in the past being upfront with you and I fear that it might have caused a distance to form between us. But, no more. I need to tell you exactly what I think..."
Zhu Li nodded in anticipation, waiting for the words of scandal.
"Warming up your cereal is weird."
Zhu Li blinked. "What?"
Asami exhaled. "Phew, that wasn't as bad as I thought. You're right Zhu Li, once it's out, it's out. I'm feeling ready for this!"
Zhu Li still couldn't process what was happening. "I'm sorry, what?"
"I'm really grateful for your advice." Asami clasped both her hands. "I know who to come to when I need help."
"You're welcome? Wait, Korra heats up her cereal?"
"I have to confront her." Asami's mind was somewhere else. "Thank you, Zhu Li. I'm grateful for you."
Asami left before Zhu Li could ask any other questions.
It was a hot day in Republic City, and Zhu Li sipped iced tea in the shade.
"Hot cereal," she muttered.
Korra was on her second bowl of hot cereal that day. It had every macronutrient she needed, and the box said it had several vitamins and minerals that were essential for quick recovery from training. And it was delicious! The warm milk mixed with the cereal gave off a nutty aroma she couldn't get from cold milk and cereal, and the milk itself absorbed the flavor of the cereal, gaining a rich, hearty quality far quicker than the alternative. It reminded her of sweet rice porridge she always ate around new year's.
"Mmm, cereal." She chuckled to herself as she finished the bowl. Maybe if she was still hungry, she could have a third bowl of warm cereal.
Suddenly, the lock to the front door clicked, and Asami burst in.
Korra didn't expect her at all. Asami wasn't supposed to be home till that evening. The second quarter was coming up! The second quarter! Asami spent the entirety of last week working and preparing the company for the second quarter. She didn't have the time to waste coming home!
Meanwhile, Asami noticed two things upon entering: one that, oh no, Korra ate a second bowl of probably hot cereal for the day; and two being that she forgot to move her schedule back two hours because she anticipated this to take two whole hours.
"Korra!" She paused to catch her breath.
Korra ran over. "Asami! What's wrong? Are you being chased?" She looked out the door and couldn't see anyone.
"That's not it. There's something I need to tell you." She caught her breath again. "It's bothered me since this morning and I had to come back and tell you."
Korra exhaled with relief, then a slight anxiety ballooned inside her. What happened this morning? All she did was go outside for training and then meet Asami in the kitchen for breakfast. But, it had been a week since they last spent the morning together. Perhaps, she was lonely without Korra, and not seeing a purpose to their relationship. The consequences of her work life balance were interfering with their relationship and Korra wasn't stepping up to make sure she was supporting her enough. Maybe the relationship wasn't working out and Asami was going to kick her out of the house. Where would she go then? Sure, she was the avatar, but she also didn't have any income. No landlord would allow her to lease. And despite living in a forest for the span of a couple years to train, she had grown soft and accustomed to the luxuries afforded by architecture and modern technology.
"Asami, wait." She thought of a way to avoid what she assumed Asami was going to talk about. "Your dress is beautiful today."
Asami fell for it. "Oh, you think so?"
"Well, it's less the dress and more you, but I think it matches your eyes."
Asami blushed. "Oh, where's all this coming from?"
Korra wrapped her hand around Asami's waist. "I just want you to know the truth is all."
"That's awfully kind of you, but-." Asami's looked away. "I need to tell you the truth too."
Korra gulped and braced herself for the worst. If this was it, then I guess this was it , she thought. We had a good thing going, but nothing lasts forever.
"I think," said Asami, "that heating up your cereal is weird."
Korra felt betrayed, but not at all in the way she was expecting. Her mind raced to their conversation this morning. She thought nothing of Asami's questions before, seeing them as pure curiosity, rather than judgement. But now, it made more sense to her.
Korra spoke up: "It's not as weird as you think!"
"It's not? I've never met anyone else who heats up their cereal!"
"Plenty of people heat up their cereal!"
"Name three."
"Well, there's me..." Korra paused. She couldn't think of any other who heated up their cereal. This realization chilled her. Did no one else understand the bliss of warm or hot cereal? She couldn't imagine preferring cold cereal after having her eyes opened to the truth.
Asami waited, then said, "And?"
"Well, as the Avatar, I can say that all the Avatars before heated up their cereal. That's at least like, twenty people."
"But they're all dead!"
"No!" Korra pulled away. "If I'm the only one, then you have to join me! Those are the rules!"
Asami watched, in horror, as Korra marched into the kitchen to grab a clean bowl, milk, and cereal. "Korra, wait."
She filled the bowl with milk first, then added the cereal.
Asami could feel her spirit lifting out of her body. She had never comprehended that someone would add the milk before the cereal. And it only worsened.
She tried, in vain to stop what was happening. "Korra, what about the texture of the cereal? Doesn't it get too soggy?"
Korra was laser-focused on the task at hand. "No, it doesn't! Besides, if I wanted my cereal to be crunchy-." She put the bowl of cereal in the microwave. "I'd eat it plain." Having done this regularly, she knew precisely the amount of time needed to get the cereal to the exact right temperature: 37 seconds. She hit the start button.
What followed was the longest thirty seven seconds of Asami's life. Like the morning, she recalled every single time she ate cereal. Due to the nature of memory and that of learning, this experience had the potential to taint every other moment she ate cereal. She would now measure each of these times against the present. By proxy, every other breakfast would be altered, then every other meal. She could not escape the fact that this might change her concept of cuisine itself, that how the methods of preparing and eating food would no longer adhere to the socialized set of rules that conditioned her for the past two and a half decades.
The microwave dinged. The cereal was ready.
Korra led Asami to the table where she placed the bowl between a spoon and napkin.
"Okay, now try it."
Asami accepted her fate. She took the spoon, placed it in the bowl, closed her eyes, then scooped the warm cereal into her mouth.
Korra watched her reaction. "So, how is it?"
Asami swallowed her first bite of warm cereal. "It's..." She took another bite. "I guess it's… well…" She took another bite. "I mean…" She continued to doubt herself while taking more and more bites.
Nothing about it fundamentally changed how she had previously experienced eating cereal. The only difference was that the milk was warm, which was pleasant in a way, but still insignificant. Still, she couldn't stop herself from eating the cereal. She felt embarrassed to admit it, but eating cereal like this felt perfectly natural, even preferred to cold cereal.
"Korra," she said. "I owe you an apology. Warm cereal isn't weird. It's actually just as good as cold cereal."
Korra beamed, and said, "Told you so! It might have helped that you were hungry, though."
Asami ceased whatever thought she had and realized the weight of what Korra said. I forgot to eat breakfast this morning, she thought. This put her in the prime state to enjoy just about anything. She knew from the long hours she spent in the workshop before, that even if a food lacked a diverse flavor profile, it could be delicious, edible even. Could she truly trust her instincts in this case? Was it the warm cereal that was actually good, or was it her ravenous hunger? Once again, she had been thrust into another existential crisis, and charted in her brain the complex relationship between hunger and cuisine.
And yet, simultaneously, something felt wrong about the whole thing. Why am I trying to justify this? Microwaving your cereal is weird. But it doesn't change how I feel about Korra. Her feelings about the warm cereal were still unclear, but her feelings towards Korra were anything but.
Korra, satisfied with the apology, started to clean-up, until she felt Asami's hand close around her wrist. She smiled. "I see. You want another bowl, don't you?"
Asami, realizing the mistake she just made, spoke up. "I wasn't speaking the truth, Korra. It is weird to heat up your cereal in the microwave. But, I realized that I was holding it against you, for some reason, and I shouldn't have done that."
"Oh…" Korra turned away. "So you don't like it?"
"It's not that! It's fine. But, that wasn't the problem." She stood up and took Korra's hand in hers. "I've been stressed from the upcoming deadline and I accidentally took that out on you." She squeezed her hand. "I hope you can forgive me."
Korra squeezed Asami's hand in return. "I forgive you. But, I do think you're working too hard." She put the bowl down. "What do you think about an evening walk when you get off work? We can grab dinner and enjoy the sunset."
Asami smiled. "That would be lovely."
Later that night, Korra met her outside the office and they hopped on the bus downtown. The sun turned from a bright yellow to a deep orange. The wharf was filled with others enjoying the sea breeze and aromas from the surrounding food stalls.
They found a comfy bench that looked out to the water. The sun reflected off the water, and Asami felt at peace.
Korra pointed to a stall. "They have pretty good sausage fried rice. Plus, the owner's generous with the portions."
"Oooh, I'll try it then." She handed Korra some money.
"Wait here while I grab the food." Korra winked and ran off.
Asami looked to the horizon and enjoyed the moment. The last time she had the chance to relax was a few weeks back, and Korra had been busy helping Jinora in the spirit realm. This was the first time in a month that they had the chance to enjoy each other's company.
Korra returned with the fried rice. "For you."
"Thank you," Asami said. She opened the container holding the fried rice. "Did you grab ketchup?"
Korra, about to sit down, froze. "Excuse me?"