Chapter Text
Lin and Zolt had decided on the parameters of the game long before their guests arrived. The rules were simple—she would take a drink every time Su name dropped one of her famous friends, and he would take a drink every time Baatar mentioned architecture, and they’d both drink whenever Su talked over her husband.
Su and her family had only arrived half an hour ago, and they’d already leveled the bottle of moonpeach wine their guests had brought.
“You two sure made quick work of that,” Baatar laughed, glancing at the empty bottle in mild alarm. “We should have brought more.”
“I’ll go break out the fire whiskey,” Zolt said, and Lin pinned him with a glare that screamed, ‘Do you have a death wish?’
“This reminds me of when I was at the King of Omashu’s court,” Su said, grinning. “Now that was one man who could hold his liquor.”
Lin merely sighed as her husband returned with two glasses and filled them both with whiskey.
“You know, Omashu has an architectural style unlike any other in the Earth Kingdom,” Baatar added. “It’s truly fascina—”
“Oh, I just love the columns in the palace. You know, Buttercup Raiko had similar ones installed in her house.”
Lin met her husband’s eyes and lifted her glass as he did the same. At this rate, neither one of them would be able to walk straight by the time this visit was over.
She glanced over to the other side of the living room, where Bolin and Opal sat side by side, hard at work painting with the watercolor set she’d picked up one day on her way home from work. Huan stood over the two, giving them artistic notes, which they mostly seemed to ignore.
“They seem to be getting along,” she said, changing the subject to gain some small reprieve from the game.
“That’s Opal for you,” Suyin replied, her gaze softening. “Kind to everyone.”
“Just like her mother,” Baatar said, and squeezed Suyin’s hand.
Lin nearly choked. She tried her hardest not to make a face, but the two were so preoccupied with one another that she doubted they’d notice if she did. She deliberately tried not to look at Zolt, knowing that whatever expression he was wearing would make her erupt into laughter.
A few minutes and several sips of fire whiskey later, Suyin turned to Lin.
“So tell me, Lin, when are you heading down to see Korra?” she asked.
“I don’t have anything definite planned yet, but probably soon.”
“And you aren’t worried?” Su asked, taking a sip of her drink.
“About what?”
“I only mean you haven’t been in the field ever since you left the police force,” her sister pointed out.
“Your point being?” Lin asked, her eyebrows raised.
“You’re out of practice,” Su said.
“Unlike you, you mean?”
“I command and personally train one of the greatest security forces in the world,” Suyin said. “You sit behind a desk and balance budgets all day. Do you really think you can still keep up with a young bending prodigy?”
“I don’t know, Su,” Lin replied, putting down her drink and standing up. “Why don’t we step out onto the training field and find out?”
“I thought you’d never ask.” Su in turn stood up, despite her husband’s timid protestations.
Lin and Su stared each other down with eyes like steel and iron, each sister proud and unflinching.
“Linny, let me talk to you for a minute,” Zolt said, pulling her aside.
“Don’t try to talk me out of this,” Lin told him, crossing her arms over her chest.
“Trust me, I know better than to stand between you and a fight,” he said. “I’ve just got some questions.”
She sighed. “What are they?”
“First, can you walk in a straight line—”
“Yes.”
“Care to demonstrate?”
After shooting him a withering glare, she walked from the living room to the kitchen, returning with a glass of water. “Satisfied?”
“Mmm. Walk by again. I love staring at that ass of yours.”
Lin rolled her eyes. “Focus, Zoltan.”
“Alright, alright. Second, are you drunk enough that you might fuck around and kill her by accident?”
This Lin actually thought about. After a moment she shook her head. “No, her kids are here.”
“And last, are you alright with doing this in front of the boys?”
Lin chuckled. “Bolin’s in his own world, and Mako’s probably gonna get a kick out of it.”
“Alright, then,” Zolt said, and then leaned down to kiss her. “Beat her ass, baby.”
“That goes without saying.”
“If you two are finished, I’m ready when you are, Lin,” Su said.
“Su, I really think you two should just talk through this misunderstand—”
“Not now, honey.”
Lin and Zolt shared a look before both of them took a sip of fire whiskey.
When they reached the training field, Lin caught sight of Mako, just barely holding his own against Su’s protege. The twins, Wing and Wei, had at some point made their way outside and were both watching the spar with rapt attention.
“Kuvira, we’re going to be using the field for a while,” Su said to the girl, stopping her with a hand on her shoulder. “Make sure you watch closely.”
“Yes, Su.”
“Is everything okay?” Mako asked Lin, reading the tension in the air as he always did.
“I’m fine,” she said, resting her hand on top of his head. “I’m just proving a point to my sister. Now, do you want to watch, or head back inside?”
Mako must have noticed something reassuring in her expression because he smiled. “I’ll watch with Kuvira,” he said. “Good luck.”
In the end, it took under ten minutes for Lin to knock her sister flat. Soon after the defeat, Su made a hasty excuse to gather up her family and leave.
Lin watched from the doorway as the kids said their goodbyes—Bolin and Opal trading sketches and watercolor paintings, while Mako and Kuvira exchanged phone numbers.
Bolin stood in the driveway, waving at the limousine that took the Metal Clan in the direction of their hotel long after it was gone.
When the kids were back inside the house, Lin shut the door, a sense of peace washing over her as she locked it behind her.
“I think that went well,” Bolin said, plopping down onto the couch. “What about you, Mako?”
“It could have been worse,” he said with a shrug before putting the scrap of paper with the phone number in his pocket.
“So when are we gonna go visit them in Zaofu?” Bolin asked, once they were all back in the living room. “Opal made us an invitation and everything!”
He sifted through the artwork on his lap before coming across a hand-drawn image of Suyin’s dome covered city.
“I think Linny deserves a break from her sister for a while,” Zolt said, wrapping his arms around her waist.
“And I need to train more before my rematch with Kuvira,” Mako added.
“Aww, man,” Bolin said.
“How about a trip to the South Pole instead?” Lin asked, her lips curved upward into a smile.
“The South Pole? Really?” Bolin asked, bouncing on the couch cushions. Even Mako glanced up in interest.
“Yeah. I think it’s time we met the avatar.”