thebearcave | A different chance meeting

Asami wasn't running late, but that didn't mean that she wasn't driving a little too fast, especially for a main street in the middle of bustling Republic City.

A hard lesson learned in the worst way possible: like that girl who had just run straight into the middle of the road. Asami gave a sharp shout as she slammed on her brakes hard, her tires skidding partially out from under her as she careened straight for the girl. It was no use; despite her best efforts, the moped was headed straight for Korra, and it wasn't stopping any time soon.

The shout was all the warning Korra received, and she could only turn to catch the shortest glimpse of a single headlight before the sound of squealing coincides with her being hit full on the hip by the moped. Clothes fly into the air as she's forced back by the collision to her hip and Korra managed to at least roll partially with it, sliding along the asphalt before coming to a stop.

Just in time for her helmet to fall back down and hit her head.

Rubbing just above her pony tail, Korra let out a groan and snapped "Hey buddy, look where-" but that was all she managed to get out before she opened her eyes and her mouth stayed silently open. For one thing, it wasn't a 'buddy' that hit her and it was a very pretty not buddy. The kind that Korra had only seen in newspapers.

"Oh, uh... sorry." She absent mindedly reached behind her for her helmet, the clothes she can get later after seeing if her hip was working. Apologized for calling her that after being hit. Perfect Avatar logic.

Asami was nearly in a panic. She stumbled off her tipped moped and yanked off her helmet and goggles, crouching down to Korra with sincere concern.

"Are you okay? I'm so sorry! I'm such an idiot- Here-" She tried to help Korra up, worried sick that she had just seriously hurt someone and chiding herself at the same time.

...Hang on, this girl seemed familiar.

Any anger Korra had to dish out dwindled away before it could rise up from her stomach to her chest at the offer. She gave a wan smile as she accepted the hand up and only winced slightly at the pain in her hip. "Yeah, I think I'm okay. Nothing I can't fix later."

Dusting herself off, what she wouldn't give to be able to simply airbend to do so, Korra noticed that the girl was looking at her for longer than she expected and after a moment she felt put on the spot. A small bit of color rose to her cheeks from the feeling and she broke the tension the only way she knew how.

"Hi, I'm Korra. I just joined the Fire Ferrets!" Amazingly, her first game wasn't a complete disaster. She held out her hand and smiled, her lightly dirty cheeks pushed upwards.

Well, that was sudden. At least Korra seemed okay, save for what was maybe a bruised hip.

Slightly less mortified, Asami reached out to take the other girl's hand.

"I recognize you! From the match! You're the Fire Ferrets' new waterbender!" And the Avatar. But to be totally honest? Asami was more interested in the Fire Ferrets part.

"Ugh, I'm so sorry... Are you sure you're okay?"

Her eyebrows shoot up at the recognition. Having felt kind of sheepish for just blurting out her recent accomplishment of breaking into the pro-bending scene to a girl who didn't seem the type to be interested in it, Korra almost wanted to apologize for the unvoiced judgement she made. A little caught of guard, she took the other proffered hand.

"Oh, that?" With a wince, she thrust to the side and dull popping noise made her eyes pop open for a second. "Should be good." she said with a light groan and squeezed the girl's hands in reaction. Making a mental note to heal herself after practice, provided it wasn't already over, Korra looked at her assailant curiously.

"You follow pro-bending?" She didn't mean to sound surprised by it, but it was apparent in her tone's higher pitch.

Asami cringed when she heard the *pop*, but she just had to accept that Korra was made of sturdy stuff. And she wasn't... mad? Maybe that meant Asami could breathe easy.

"Yup!" She was used to surprising people with that little tidbit by now. People always assumed...

"I never miss a match! The Fire Ferrets are totally my favorite trio! And I was so excited when they signed on the Avatar as their new waterbender!" Oops, she was in fangirl mode.

Assuming really did backfire; and Korra thought she was a fan. Not missing a match wasn’t something she could do, even on a radio. Smiling and giving a chuckle, Korra bent down to pick up her clothes.

"They almost had to forfeit because the other waterbender was a no show, but hey, we won!" As much as Korra wanted to sound like the professional athlete she suddenly was, the girl’s enthusiasm was infectious and dug straight at her own inner fangirl.

"Did you want to see us practice?" She snorted through her grin. "It’s not that great to watch, but- well, it’s probably almost over now." Sleeping in by an hour or so wasn’t the greatest way to start this day, but it did feel like it was improving. Making an offer she couldn’t even fulfill. "Sorry."

"You really think they'd be okay with that?" Asami jumped on the offer to watch practice without hesitation. But now that Korra was the one apologizing to her? Hold on, here.

"But wait, I have to make this up to you somehow." She paused for a moment. "How about I treat you to dinner? Practice will be long done by then, right?"

She gave a half shrug at picturing Mako ever being okay with anything. Winning Bolin over was no effort at all, but his brother was exactly the opposite. Between her and Bolin, they'd make him allow her to watch.

"Yeah, the practice time slot's pretty limited. But dinner?" There wasn't any harm in it, not from what Korra could see and she had only seen a fraction of the city. After a moment's thought, her baby blue eyes looked up to her green ones.

...she was taller. Somehow, Korra wasn't surprised.

"Sure! I haven't had the chance to eat anywhere here yet. I'm still kind of new." To everything. "What's your name?" Because Korra couldn't just go around calling her 'That pretty young woman who ran me over.'

Well, not seriously anyway.

Edited (Bolin is not some kind of trophy, Korra.) 2014-02-09 16:33 (UTC)

Her name! Asami slapped her gloved hand lightly against her forehead and flushed bright red, embarrassed by herself.

"I'm so sorry- I'm Asami..." Her name! How could she have forgotten to give her name? "Can I give you a lift to the ring? Even if there isn't much time left, I can get you there pretty quickly!"

"Only if you're driving." Asked with a hint of humor, most of it from finding her blush to be kind of cute and all of it hidden behind her own self-deprecation. "I'm not too great at things with wheels."

She could unintentionally find a way to wreck a rickshaw.

"At least I know I won't get hit if I'm on one." Not exactly how it worked, but it made sense to her.

"Of course!" Asami collected herself and picked up her moped. It was really intended to be a one-seater, but they could both squeeze, she supposed.

"Hop on. Can you carry everything okay?"

"Oh this stuff? No problem." Rolling up her helmet in the gear, Korra tied the bundle up with the sleeves. Probably the most unorthodox way to carry them, but it's what she would have done in the South Pole.

She paused and bunched her lips together at the small portion of seat behind Asami. Making things work, or forcing them to work, was her go to and Korra sat down; scooting up closer so she wouldn't simply off fall off. After a moment of realizing there weren't any seat belts, Korra tentatively put her arms around Asami's waist.

"I-I'm good to go." It was awkward, and she was blaming that awkward on why there was color rising to her warm cheeks.

Asami scooted forward as much as she comfortably could as Korra settled on the seat.

"This is cozy..." she murmured, not at all uncomfortable with the current seating arrangement. Now that she was done freaking out over running over the Avatar, Asami was starting to pick up little things from Korra's mannerisms. The slightly flustered air about her, the redness rising in her cheeks. Asami tucked her hair into the riding jacket to keep it from blowing in Korra's face as she kicked the engine to life.

"Hold on!" With that, she took off down the street. Yes, dinner was definitely in order.

When she kickstarted the moped, Korra was thrown back and had to tighten her grip around Asami and the small amount of space meant she had to press into her back. Driving a little too fast, more than the other satomobiles on the road, explained why she couldn't stop in time. She wasn't kidding when she said to hold on.

Even though they met, Korra felt she had to break the ice that wasn't even there anymore. And what better than one her favorites subjects: food. "What kind of dinner did you have in mind?" With an iron stomach, Korra knew she could probably handle anything thrown her way; but she was curious what Asami's tastes were.

"Ever heard of Kwong's Cuisine?" Asami called over the sounds of the busy street. It was true; she did drive fast. But she was confident and smooth in her steering, even with Korra clinging to her. The weight was different, but she adjusted easily.

"I figure we can head there!"

Shaking her head, Korra's chin brushed against Asami's jacket as she looked from her to the traffic intermittently. "No, but I'll give anything a shot!"

She wasn't used to it, but the speed was actually giving her a bit of an adrenaline rush and that's exactly what she needed at the moment. Not only for the practice that would be soon with the building coming closer, but because it was a state she was comfortable in.

"I don't know where it is though."

"I can pick you up wherever you need!" Asami offered as they stopped at a traffic signal. She rested her foot on the pavement for balance. She turned around to face Korra for a moment, well aware of their close proximity.

"All you need to do is be ready."

The closeness made her take in a breath at the same time Asami spoke, and she held her air in while nodding. "I can-" she took a split second to swallow. "be ready."

Now that they were still on the moped while waiting for the traffic light, Korra felt like she was suddenly pinned in place. "Just, at the arena. Since you know where it is, I mean. Well yeah, if you don't miss a match. You'd know where it is. It's where we're going." Why wasn't that green light there to stop her from talking anymore...

Asami's smile widened with Korra's response, if you could even really call it a response.

"Of course. Just promise me you'll dress sharp, okay?" She tipped her head slightly to the side, almost flirtatiously, before the signal turned green and she took off again down the street.

That made her lower lip push up slightly, wondering if Asami knew what that small tilt seemed like.

"Dress up??" Her voice cracked slightly at that and she reaffirmed her grip when the moped was on the move again. "I don't really have any other clothes." she confessed as the wind picked up her pony tail again.

For being hit by a moped, she had no idea why she was the one feeling guilty.

"I can take care of that. All you need to do is be at the arena for 6 o'clock. That gives us plenty of time to get ready. Think you can manage that?" She'd need to freshen up, too. Asami didn't like to be driven places, even to a date, if she could get there herself.

By now, the arena was starting to get closer. Only a minute or so until they were there.

"Now that I can do!" Holding on to one thing she knew was capable of doing, Korra's tone was confident, with a hint of cockiness in there. All over simply being in the right place at the right time.

"Thanks by the way. For giving me a ride."

"It's the least I could do." Seriously. She just ran you over. The fact that that had somehow blown over? Asami wasn't going to push her luck.

Except. You know. Asking the Avatar out on a date.

The moped pulled up in front of the arena, and Asami slowed to a stop. A small favor for what could have easily been a really big disaster. Plus a treat to dinner. That was fair, right?

...Right?

"Does that offer to come in still stand?"

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