Before Akashi could design a training plan for his new type of bending, he turned toward the flying bison, ignoring the women.
The first thing that caught his eye wasn't Tenzin.
It was a teenage girl, around 17 or 18. Brunette, slightly above average height, with deep blue eyes and beautiful features. Her hair was tied in three locks, two on the sides and one from behind. But what really grabbed his attention was her physique. She was incredibly fit for someone who had never seen a gym. Ripped arms, a tight waist with a wide torso and hips, full thighs, and big breasts.
'10/10 physique. Rivals the chief.'
"And I suppose this must be the Avatar, Korra." Akashi approached, extending his hand. "I've heard a lot about you."
She grabbed his hand with both of hers and shook them.
She beamed, "I've heard a lot about you. You are the detective monk, Akashi, right? You're all that the kids talked about."
"The detective monk?" Akashi tilted his head. He pointed to his forehead, "There's no arrow, though."
He wondered where he got that title from.
But it's some name the kids probably gave him.
He didn't care about his title, though. As long as it's not the crazy monk, so be it.
"It's not mandatory, though." Korra said. "Though, I'm trying to get one."
Akashi let go of her hands.
"Must have been excited to learn airbending." He said.
This Korra gave a different impression compared to her cartoon counterpart. She looked way more positive for her first visit to the city. In the cartoon's timeline, she had lost her way, got hungry, became homeless, and had to fish to survive, only to be arrested for her illegal actions. This one, however, hadn't yet experienced the harsh realities of the world outside.
'She's been in the South Pole. So I guess she knows some social skills, though. It's not an empty land, after all.'
"Oh, you have no idea how much." She smiled. "So, when do we get started?"
Akashi tilted his eyes to Tenzin, who put his fist next to his mouth and faked a cough.
"Ahem." Tenzin cleared his throat. "I'm glad to see you doing well in these two weeks we didn't see you, Akashi. As we had agreed earlier, you'd be teaching Korra when I'm not around… and as you know, there is that equalist movement, the Earth Kingdom's envoys' crimes, and many things going on. So I'm quite busy. But I'll pick Korra to sleep the night at the temple, provided that you don't have a place to keep her."
"And what if we need a place to train, a large one, I don't know, like a temple." Akashi asked.
"I'll pick you both up." He replied. "We can always work around the schedule."
Nah. This wasn't sharing responsibility; he was throwing her training onto him.
It's like he had thrown Akashi's training onto his own kids.
"It's not like I mind." Akashi replied. "It's an honor to train the Avatar."
He noticed that Korra seemed to be flattered upon using her name as the Avatar.
'Must be exciting to know you have fans, but meet them many years later.' Akashi thought to himself.
As for honor, it was something that Akashi didn't care about.
Tenzin's training for Korra didn't do much for her until she learned how to move air. Or, well, when Amon took her bending away.
"I knew you'd say that." Tenzin said, "Just be professional."
Akashi gave him a side-eye.
Just be professional.
He knew exactly what Tenzin meant, since this was the same man who wanted to arrange his marriage to his daughters in the future.
It's like trying to control Akashi's life from ten years ahead into the future. As a monk, Tenzin should believe that control is just an illusion.
"Of course I am professional. Matter of fact, I was just leaving to work." He replied.
"That's very good, indeed. I was hoping you'd take Korra with you, to let her explore how things work in this city. Having her follow you during work would be a good way." He said.
Akashi walked over to Tenzin and grabbed him by the arm. "You realize that I work with the homicide department. Being around me isn't the perfect way to explore the City's life for a country girl."
"To experience both the dark and the light of the world. You're the best one to be followed around."
"Have you seen half of the dead bodies I've ever seen." He asked, his tone concerned and scolding.
"I don't mind being around dead bodies." Korra said. "I've attended funerals before."
Akashi realized that she could still hear them despite the distance between them. Maybe he just got loud.
"Death and life are a normal cycle of life." Tenzin replied.
"Let me rephrase it. Have you seen the state of half of the bodies I usually deal with…"
"People in your line of work seem to be fine." Tenzin placed his hand on Akashi's shoulder. "Seeing you worried about her, I know that you're the best option to have her around you."
Akashi lowered his head and sighed deeply.
This world was a world of benders.
Probably, in every death caused by a bending duel, the outcome is far from beautiful.
"Whatever. Most of my work is in the office." He shook his head.
"I'll leave you, for now…"
"Not necessarily. I still have some pastries from last night in juices. Let the kids eat something. You've been flying for a while. Take a break." He offered.
"Won't turn down your hospitality." Tenzin smiled.
"The least I could do." Akashi replied.
And after that, everyone got into his shop before it opened, filling their stomachs with unhealthy sweet things. Akashi didn't make them pay, as he had been eating for free at Tenzin's place for a while.
After the family was well fed, they left, leaving Korra with him.
She followed excitedly behind him as he went to work.
Many people greeted Akashi on the way, while looking at Korra behind him. They didn't know her, and some of them said that she could talk to any detective if she wanted a follow-up on her case. Some of his underlings thought that she was a poor woman related to a homicide.
As Akashi said that she was the Avatar, they got shocked, and most denied it, thinking that he was joking.
At the end, he said she'd stay around him until his day was over. Since he was the sergeant, he allowed it, and no one in his department complained.
And if they wanted to complain, so be it.
He wouldn't invite them to the once-in-two-weeks events… free cookies and drinks… anymore.
Korra sat in Akashi's office, staring at him, before staring at the papers he was working on.
"What are you doing?" she asked. "Shouldn't you be outside… I heard the police run after criminals and jump on them."
"That's the unit on the street's job. I'm a different unit," he replied, "My job is to manage units, to arrest criminals I find with the help of my detectives."
"Wow." She grabbed a large sack of papers. "And you deal with all of that…"
"What can I say. It's not much, but it feeds me." He replied.
Korra looked at him strangely and tilted her head.
"You eat papers?"
For her, who came from the South Pole, the concept of papers earning food came as a surprise.
For the Avatar who had been taken care of and was well fed ever since birth, the concept of a job seemed weird.
Akashi smiled. "No. But the papers I get, feed me."
"Oh… I get it. You deal with currency made of paper here. Right." She smiled, waving a sack of paper. "But I still don't get it."
"By doing my job, I get money, that helps me eat."
"But isn't it a lot, to do all of this just to eat." She replied.
Akashi felt that tears almost welled up in his eyes.
He couldn't understand cops like Amane, who seemed to have a problem with him stealing a little bit of money.
After all, he wasn't on the well-paid side.
"If I don't, I won't be able to eat." He replied.
"Don't you have other options."
"Steal, becoming a criminal, which is a job itself."
"But then, you'd go to jail, no?"
"They feed you for free there." He shrugged.
"See, you don't have to work after all. Just go to jail. And you have home and shelter."
"The food is bad and isn't that much" Akashi shook his head. 'That, and there are gangs of Diddies in jail.'
"Oh, what's that?" she suddenly changed the subject.
Akashi sighed deeply. He could get why Tenzin threw her to him on her first day; He didn't want to be a tourist guide.
-x-X-x-
Lin Beifong was walking around, ready for a new day of work, and busting some triad center.
But she stopped when she heard some cops talking.
"Have you heard today? Something interesting happened."
"What happened."
"You know, the year's star. He brought a girl to his work."
"That guy has a girl."
"I guess he got sick of solving many cases and managing a coffee shop, and brought a chick with him to work."
"That chick, hot, though."
"Yeah, he's boning her. I guess fit girls are his type."
Lin stopped.
From so few words, she could conclude that he had brought a girl to work.
And from the context, it seemed that he was attracted to girls. And the description fit one person.
Lin stretched her arm, feeling her bicep.
She was a fit chick as well…
'I've said we can be fuck buddies and I won't make him commit. But to guide me around, asking for dates. But to bring a girl, and bring her to the Police Station… to my police station, as if I'm a fucking nothing.
'Isn't it his way to say, I'm tired of you, and I bring another girl to work like you're nothing…'
'Treating me like a fool and trying to play my heart… and who the fuck is that chick! I feel like killing her… Calm down… calm down… I'll get down and see them!'
Emotions that she had felt before had surfaced again, the same emotions she had before destroying the Air Island temple.
She tightened her gaze, veins bulging on her face.