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Asami wanders out of the ballroom into the garden. Nice to get out of there for a bit.
She instinctively checks her phone, even though most of the people she knows are here at the gala for the Avatar. No messages. She looks over the gardens at the city lights in the background. It is nice out here.
She walks down a path enjoying the cool night air. The garden is only illuminated by moonlight and the occasional small solar lamp dotted along the path. After a while, she sees Korra, the Avatar, sitting alone on a bench in the dark. The guest of honor out here by herself? Is something wrong?
"Are you ok?" Asami asks.
"Yes, maybe, I don't know. I would like to just be left alone." Korra confusingly responds.
That would be a yes. "Ok, if you want. Sometimes it helps to talk about things though." Asami says back.
"See, that's something I should have known. No one seems to tell me anything I actually need to know. I don't know what I'm doing here. This gala is being held in my name and I don't want anything to do with it. Tarrlok ambushes me infront of everyone and tries to get me to support him and his plans. This entire thing just feels like a set up. I don't want anything to do with the people in there. I just want to be here, outside, enjoying the moonlight." Korra says irritated.
Asami sits down on the bench next to Korra. "I think you handled yourself quite well in there. It's always difficult when you are put on the spot in front of the press like that. I'm Asami by the way." Asami says trying to comfort her conversation partner.
"Thanks Asami. Until just now I didn't know there was such a thing as the press. I'm supposed to be the Avatar, bringer of balance to the world and the more I see, the more clueless I know I am. I know nothing about this modern world. I come to Republic City to further my training and I find myself hopelessly under prepared. I get in trouble for trying to fish in the park and I get sent to jail by the police for trying to protect a shop keeper from thugs. I'm not allowed to have my polar bear dog Naga in the city without something called a permit, and I have to have her registered. Apparently they think she's a vicious animal. My Naga is just the sweetest. I raised her since she was a pup and she's my best friend. She wouldn't hurt anyone unless they were hurting me. And now I'm finding myself having to deal with politicians who only seem to care about themselves and now apparently the press. I feel like I'm from another time. Republic City doesn't seem like the place for me." Korra says venting her frustrations.
"I'm not so sure that Republic City isn't the place for you. Yeah, the bureaucracy can be more than a little frustrating, but if you want to be the best Avatar you can, shouldn't you learn as much about it as you can. Maybe you'll learn things about how to help the people here." Asami tries to calm the frustrated girl.
"I don't know. I guess. But shouldn't I have been taught about all this before I got here? I'm just lost." Korra vents some more.
"It sounds like you should have, but even I went to the best business school in the Republic and I still learnt far more working with my father than I was taught at school. Sometimes experience is the best way to learn." Asami tries to relate.
"I should have been better prepared. I was so isolated for so long. Things are so much more complicated than I imagined. I hadn't even seen a satomobile in person before I came to Republic City, only to find the roads are filled with them. And there are rules on when and where and how you're allowed to even walk across road. It's all been so overwhelming." Korra goes on.
"Maybe you should ask friends of family or other people you know to help with things?" Asami suggests.
"I might have to. But I don’t know who I'd talk to. My family all lives at the poles. I don't have any friends here really. Master Tenzin is extremely focused on the traditions of the Air Nation. I'm pretty sure Breathing and Meditation aren't good ways to deal with traffic and people with flashing cameras." Korra laughs.
Good to see her laugh. "No, that probably wouldn't be a good idea. Maybe I could help you out? I regularly have to deal with politicians and the press. And who better to teach you about satomobiles than a Sato herself." Asami offers.
"I… wait, you're that Asami. Asami Sato. Wow." Says a surprised Korra.
"At your service." Asami smiles.
"Something else I should have known." Korra sighs. "I would hate to impose. I only just met you, I couldn't ask things of you."
"It's ok. It would be my honor and it's the right thing to do. People of the world should give back to the Avatar from time to time." Asami says.
"I don't really know what to say. Thank you I guess. You really are amazing. You seem like the first nice person I've met in this city." Says a happier Avatar.
"If you give me your phone I can put my number in it if you like so we can talk whenever you need." Asami asks.
"Phone? I uh, don't have one of those." Says a puzzled Korra.
"You don't have a phone? Here, take one of my business cards. It's got my number on it. Call whenever you want." Says a surprised Asami as she takes a card out of her handbag.
Korra takes the card and looks at it. "Thank you again Asami. I'll call if I need something."
"You're welcome." Maybe I should get her a phone? Asami once again looks at her phone. "I should probably get back in there. I'm sure someone is probably wanting to speak to me once again."
"I should probably get back in there too. Everyone is probably wondering where I am." Responds Korra.
"You're free to wonder around with me if you'd like. Might help you to get to know the whos who of this crazy modern day city." Asami says.
Korra nods. "You know what, I just might do that. Thank you again." Korra smiles.
The two girls get up off the bench and wander back into ballroom.