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“Are you mad at me? This has to be some kind of punishment. Some kind of cruel torture for all the scams I ran. Mako put you up to this, didn’t he? Jinora how could you?!”
Jinora let out a tired sigh “Kai, you’re being more dramatic than Ikki.”
The master airbender gently fixed her boyfriend’s collar, loosening it to allow her fellow airbender actually breath.
Kai took a deep breath, ignoring the burning sensation he felt in his cheeks “More dramatic than Ikki? Now you’re just trying to hurt me. Sorry!” he rose his hands in surrender at Jinora’s raised eyebrow “I-I just never dealt with this.” he gestured to his formal Earth Kingdom Attire.
“I know” Jinora agreed softly, smoothing out the wrinkles in the clothing “But you’re going have to. At least for tonight.”
“I don’t see why I have to go.” Kai fumed “It’s just a stupid party for a bunch of crusty nobles.”
“This is more than that.” Jinora’s voice became firm “With the chaos in the Earth Kingdom, alliances are important. These nobles are agreeing to turn over their power to Prince Wu when Kurvira finally calms everything down.”
Kai scoffed, rolling his eyes with distaste “Rich people giving something up willingly? And I’m a pink platypus bear.”
Kai’s blush worsened as Jinora playfully pinched his cheeks “My cute platypus bear and now you’re pink.”
“So.” Kai replied quickly, trying to hide his embarrassment “Is your dad okay with this? Me and you on this mission. Alone. Together.”
Jinora gave a halfhearted shrug “If he’s got a problem with this, then he’s got a problem. There’s no real option. With all the turmoil in the Earth Kingdom, we’re already stretched thin. Dad needed an airbending master here to show we support this show of unity and since he’s busy trying to negotiate with the spirits in Republic City, it’s me. It isn’t like we have another master just laying about.”
“And me? Why am I here?”
“Because” Jinora answered simply “Having someone born and raised in the Earth Kingdom might keep the nobles calm.”
Kai was not convinced by that response “You’re aware I hate the Earth Kingdom, right? You’re really telling me no one else was available? Not even Otaku?”
Jinora gave sly grin “Well, I didn’t exactly tell anyone else.”
“I’m a terrible influence on you.”
“And I’m a positive one for you. Balances out. As all things should be.”
“And I’m guessing he made you promise no romantic hijinks on this trip?”
“I made no so such promise.”
Kai cracked a smile “Alright, maybe it won’t be as bad as I think it’ll be.”
“It’s worse.” Kai huffed, eyeing the giggling group of noblewomen with disdain.
Kai knew it was going to be a terrible time the moment they were announced to the rest of the party: Everyone spared them a single glimpse then proceeded to ignore them.
“Not a very friendly bunch, huh?” Jinora murmured awkwardly.
Kai scoffed dismissively “Don’t take it personally. They’re jerks to everyone.”
“I guess…”
Kai glanced to his girlfriend, the frown on her lips tugging at his heartstrings. He yawned loudly, knocking Jinora out of her stupor. She tilted her head quizzically at him and flushed a bright red when he wrapped an arm around her lovingly.
“Kai! What are you doing?! There’s people around.”
He couldn’t help but smile at how easily he could make his airbending master and general badass girlfriend turn a lovely shade of red.
“You can’t sulk, that’s my job. You’re the eternal sunshine ball remember?”
“True….” Jinora replied though unconvinced by Kai’s words.
Kai nudged her softly “Really. You shouldn’t take these people seriously. Most of them made their money by just existing, living off their family’s legacy and doing nothing with it. But you?”
Jinora felt Kai’s hand slip into hers and give it a squeeze.
“You’re a master airbender.” Kai beamed with pride “You are the granddaughter of avatar and you didn’t just sit on his legacy. You’re changing the world, you’ve saved the world. You can talk to spirits and you make a cute spirit projection thingy.”
Jinora’s fake smile melted into a real one.
Kai’s cheeks were tinged with pink but he didn’t stop “You have done amazing things, selfless things. Don’t let anyone make you feel lesser especially these plebes. I think we wasted enough of our time. We made our appearance and I think it’s safe to assume the nobles are going to keep their promise. They probably wanted to say they got an airbender to show up so they can boast to their friends.”
Before either of them could stand, the group of giggling noblewomen made their way over with a glint of familiarity in their gaze.
“You there!” The oldest one called, pointed at Kai as if he was an attraction at the zoo.
“It’s Kai.” He muttered with barely contained rage.
“Whatever.” She waved him off, uninterested “I’ve seen you before.”
“I doubt it.”
“Yes I have.” The woman insisted “I know have and since I’ve had the finest education, I know I’m right.”
Kai bit his tongue. This was an important mission and it was important to keep civil. Jinora should be proud of him given his usual response was to run away or throw an ill timed comment.
“You were a bus boy.” The noblewoman said with such certainty
“No. I doubt he’d have the hand eye coordination.” one of her friends sneered.
“And that hair?” the other chuckled cruelly “No one would’ve hired him.”
“True.” The leader replied coolly “But I know I’ve seen you somewhere. Somewhere embarrassing.”
“Kai…” Jinora whispered but he was too caught up keeping his rage in check to notice his girlfriend tugging at his sleeve.
“You were poor!” The noblewoman beamed cheerfully. She stood up proudly as if somehow her outburst was something of worth.
Kai’s cheeks burned brightly with a mixture of shame and rage but the trio paid him no mind.
“Yes.” The noblewoman continued, unaware of the rising tensions she had caused “You were out somewhere in the countryside. Some armpit little town daddy was forced to visit and dragged poor me along.”
Her lackeys cooed comfortingly.
“You were doing these little flips and tricks in hopes people would give you money. Of course you barely got a thing so naturally your clothes were just awful. No flair, no style. No wonder I didn’t recognize you. These fancy duds are nice but I’m guessing they’re borrowed. There is no way in a million years you could…”
“Stop it.”
Kai blinked, unsure he heard Jinora correctly. He never, ever in his several months knowing his girlfriend heard her speak with such a dangerous edge in her voice.
“What did you say?” The noblewoman turned up her nose, clearly offended at being interrupted “Do you know who I am? Who my father is?”
Jinora gave a false smile, its coldness sending chills down the trio’s spine.
“You missed the part where I cared.” she spoke with a steely calm “You will not disrespect my fellow airbender in this manner anymore.”
“Airbender?” The leader quizzically titled her head before realization dawn upon her “OH! You mean...him? And yourself?”
Jinora gestured to her traditional air nomad attire “So not only are you unnecessarily rude, you’re blind.”
“How dare...”
Jinora took a step forward, a vicious gust of wind trailing behind. The trio trembled under the sudden cool breeze.
“I understand you’ve lived a sheltered life.” Jinora spoke with the same cold smile “So I will say this once. There are more important things than your silly little shallow problems and the next time you think you can threaten me, I want you to remember I am not only an airbending master, I am the granddaughter of avatar Aang himself. It is my duty as an air nomad to enlighten and help people. Consider this your first lesson.”
Kai could feel his heartbeat speed up at the sight of his girlfriend, fierce and protective all for his sake.
Jinora held his hand tenderly as she motioned for them to leave “Come on Kai, let’s go have some real fun.”
“Yes sweetie.”