Playing with Fire

Chapter 21

I was sitting at the table when they all came back groaning and with frowns on their faces. I leaned back the chair on two legs. 

"Didn't go well?" I asked. Korra shook her head as she sat down next to me.

"I thought they would go a lot different." She murmured. I nodded. 

"Maybe we should've tried harder to convince him to join us." Asami said. I glanced over at her and then at Bolin.

"Or we could've thrown him into a potato sack and forced him into the ship." Bolin said. I just shook my head. 

"That's how they got me to join the United Forces." Bumi said.

"That's sad." I said shaking my head. Bolin just smiled at me and chuckled. Tenzin just shook his head as Bumi kept playing with his spirit rabbit thing.

"We can't coercer people or throw them into potato sacks. They must come freely, but don't worry there are plenty of air benders out there who will want to come with us when they hear what the air nation is all about." Tenzin said enthusiastically. Kyo and I glanced over at each and he just shook his head lightly. I sighed and then landed my chair back onto the ground so I wouldn't fall back and make an idiot of myself. 

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As the days passed and we went to different towns we just kept getting turned down again and again. I couldn't stand this really. No one was joining us because they didn't want their kids coming with us or because they didn't want to embrace the Air Nation culture, but like no offense to Tenzin, he wasn't making it sound pretty good. I was walking around in the ship trying to decide wither or not I should go down to the meeting room and listen to them talk new strategies on how to get people involved in wanting to come. I decided I better go down and see what the talk was about. When I got there Korra was talking to Bolin and Mako.

"Hey just in time I wanted you to come." Korra said. I raised an eyebrow and walked closer.

"Go where?" I asked carefully.

"We're landing and we're going to talk to this guy who got air bending." She said. I nodded and Mako shrugged at me. I watched as we picked a spot to land and then after that we headed into town. She had the address to the house which the kid was staying in. When she knocked a woman opened the door and gasped putting her hands to her cheeks.

"Are you the Avatar?" She asked. Korra nodded and the woman led us into the house. I glanced around and was picking at my nails. Mako nudged me with his elbow and I gave him a tight smile. 

"When my son got air bending my husband and I were so happy." She said leading us into the kitchen of the house. 

"We thought this could open a lot of doors for him, and we can finally get him out of the basement." She chuckled. Korra laughed too and I just looked over at Mako and Bolin. 

"How old is he?" Korra asked. 

"He's 22. He's still figuring his life out." She said quietly. 

"Well we have a great opportunity for him! We're looking for air benders to join us at the northern Air temple." Korra explained. The mother gave a yelp of excitement and smiled.

"That sounds wonderful!" She squealed. I was so not in the mood after being on the air ship for days on end so I really just wanted to leave but I had to stay and try to look interested because of Korra. I spaced out for a moment and then this boy appeared in front of us. I glanced him over and realized that his parents really needed to just kick him out of the house and make him fend for himself because they weren't doing him any favors by letting him stay with them. He had stains on his clothing and only one slipper on his foot.