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lizbeeTitle: Stack Your Stones
Rating: General Audiences
Pairing: Lin/Tenzin
Summary: Tenzin hears about Suyin's arrest.
Stack Your Stones
by LizBee
You've learned how to hold your own
How to stack your stones
But the history's thick
Dessa, "Children's Work"
Something moved in the darkness outside the bison cave. For a second, Tenzin froze. Then he heard the clink of metal.
"Lin?"
She was sitting on a rock near the stairs that led up to the house and dormitories. Her face was in shadow, but he could see a white bandage on her cheek. As he drew closer, he heard her breath catch in her throat and realised she was fighting back tears.
"I hoped it was your father," she said.
"I'll try not to take that personally." He reached for her, but she was rigid. "What's happened?"
"Where's your dad?"
"He left for the North Pole this afternoon. He won't be back for a few weeks." She let Tenzin take her hands. "You're freezing. Come inside and I'll make you some tea."
There was spicy tofu stew still warm on the stove. Tenzin filled two bowls while the kettle boiled. He tried not to stare at the bandage as he placed Lin's food in front of her, but she wasn't fooled.
"It'll scar," she said.
"What happened?"
She ate a spoonful of stew, then got up to make the tea. She took her time arranging the cups, though her movements were a jerky parody of a tea ceremony. When everything was arranged to her satisfaction, she said, "Su's leaving home."
"I don't -- Lin--" Tenzin put down his spoon. "Did Su do that to you?"
Lin touched the bandage.
"Accessory to theft. Resisting arrest. Assault on a police officer."
"And you're letting her leave?"
"I wasn't given a choice." Lin's voice cracked.
"Does Lieutenant Hong think your mom--"
Lin shook her head. There were tears in her eyes.
"Your mother?"
She nodded.
"Tell me you're joking." Absurdly, he was whispering. "There was no actual arrest, was there?"
"There were witnesses."
"How many?"
"Two accomplices. A dozen bystanders -- at least. The next officers on the scene. The healer who treated me. The booking officer who processed Su."
Nearly twenty people.
"Reporters?"
"Not that I saw." Lin wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. "I blacked out for a few seconds, though. And then I was concentrating on -- well, face wounds bleed a lot." She pushed her bowl away. "I thought, if I could get to your dad fast enough, he could change Mom's mind."
"I'm sorry."
"Is your mother still in the Fire Nation?"
"For another two weeks." Tenzin's teacup felt wonderfully solid in his hands.
"Maybe your uncle--"
"He's a Councilman. He'd be compromised." Tenzin tried to picture his uncle choosing between his best friend and his duty to Republic City. The thought was untenable.
"Sorry," said Lin. "Now you're involved, too."
"Hey. We're family."
She managed a crooked smile.
"You could talk to Su. She looks up to you."
That hadn't been true for at least two years, but he didn't think Lin needed to hear that.
"What would I say?" he asked instead.
"Tell her to stand up and accept responsibility, and not to let Mom throw everything away to save her worthless ass."
"Those exact words?"
"Maybe soften it up a bit. You're meant to be a diplomat, right?"
Tenzin hesitated, choosing his words carefully. To be his father's envoy was one thing, but this -- "If Su said she'll face the consequences, would your mom change her mind?"
"Why wouldn't she? Su gets everything she wants."
"Not like this."
Lin's chair fell over as she stood up. She began to pace.
"You need to make her realise that Mom's integrity's on the line. And mine. What will people say? I've sworn to uphold the law -- I can't have my sister walk away when her triad buddies are in jail. I'm supposed to be above suspicion--"
She froze, her face crumpling. Tenzin was already on his feet, pulling her close.
"No one will blame you for this," he said.
"Why not? If I hadn't been so hard on Su, maybe she wouldn't have--"
"Lin, I don't think it was about you."
"It never is." She went limp, leaning against him. "Maybe I need to get it through my head that my family don't need me."
"I need you."
"I know." Lin slipped her arms around his waist. "I don't want to go home. Can I stay with you?"
Girlfriends were strictly forbidden in the dormitories.
"Of course," Tenzin said. "Help me rinse these bowls."
The routine work seemed to soothe her. By the time they returned to his room, she seemed calm again, if quiet. She took a long look in the little mirror that hung over Tenzin's drawers.
"Moment of truth," she said, and ripped the bandage off.
The wound had been healed, but two bright red scars remained, scoring her face.
"My mother might be able to heal some of the scar tissue."
"It doesn't matter," Lin said. "It's not like Mom will see them. I look tough, right?"
"Right. We'll tell Bumi you wrestled a platypus bear."
He watched as Lin shed her armour, stacking it neatly, taking a moment to run her hands over the plates and smooth any flaws. He wanted to point out that she could quit the force, find a career where her mother didn't cast a shadow. Where her face didn't get sliced open. But he knew Lin: she said she did this for her mom, but he could see she was happy. Most of the time.
"I was thinking," she said as she got into bed, "I might get a place of my own. More privacy."
"That sounds nice."
"You might like some space from your family. Why are you smiling?"
"Nothing." Tenzin pulled the blankets up around them. Across the bay he could hear a clock strike two. "It's a good idea."
"Good. I'll start looking tomorrow."
She fell asleep quickly, exhausted, he guessed, by the strain of her injury and everything else. But Tenzin lay awake for a long time, wondering if there was something he could have done differently -- a message to his parents, his uncle, even the Fire Lord. If there would be repercussions at all.
Tenzin fell into an uneasy sleep.
end
Rating: General Audiences
Pairing: Lin/Tenzin
Summary: Tenzin hears about Suyin's arrest.
Stack Your Stones
by LizBee
You've learned how to hold your own
How to stack your stones
But the history's thick
Dessa, "Children's Work"
Something moved in the darkness outside the bison cave. For a second, Tenzin froze. Then he heard the clink of metal.
"Lin?"
She was sitting on a rock near the stairs that led up to the house and dormitories. Her face was in shadow, but he could see a white bandage on her cheek. As he drew closer, he heard her breath catch in her throat and realised she was fighting back tears.
"I hoped it was your father," she said.
"I'll try not to take that personally." He reached for her, but she was rigid. "What's happened?"
"Where's your dad?"
"He left for the North Pole this afternoon. He won't be back for a few weeks." She let Tenzin take her hands. "You're freezing. Come inside and I'll make you some tea."
There was spicy tofu stew still warm on the stove. Tenzin filled two bowls while the kettle boiled. He tried not to stare at the bandage as he placed Lin's food in front of her, but she wasn't fooled.
"It'll scar," she said.
"What happened?"
She ate a spoonful of stew, then got up to make the tea. She took her time arranging the cups, though her movements were a jerky parody of a tea ceremony. When everything was arranged to her satisfaction, she said, "Su's leaving home."
"I don't -- Lin--" Tenzin put down his spoon. "Did Su do that to you?"
Lin touched the bandage.
"Accessory to theft. Resisting arrest. Assault on a police officer."
"And you're letting her leave?"
"I wasn't given a choice." Lin's voice cracked.
"Does Lieutenant Hong think your mom--"
Lin shook her head. There were tears in her eyes.
"Your mother?"
She nodded.
"Tell me you're joking." Absurdly, he was whispering. "There was no actual arrest, was there?"
"There were witnesses."
"How many?"
"Two accomplices. A dozen bystanders -- at least. The next officers on the scene. The healer who treated me. The booking officer who processed Su."
Nearly twenty people.
"Reporters?"
"Not that I saw." Lin wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. "I blacked out for a few seconds, though. And then I was concentrating on -- well, face wounds bleed a lot." She pushed her bowl away. "I thought, if I could get to your dad fast enough, he could change Mom's mind."
"I'm sorry."
"Is your mother still in the Fire Nation?"
"For another two weeks." Tenzin's teacup felt wonderfully solid in his hands.
"Maybe your uncle--"
"He's a Councilman. He'd be compromised." Tenzin tried to picture his uncle choosing between his best friend and his duty to Republic City. The thought was untenable.
"Sorry," said Lin. "Now you're involved, too."
"Hey. We're family."
She managed a crooked smile.
"You could talk to Su. She looks up to you."
That hadn't been true for at least two years, but he didn't think Lin needed to hear that.
"What would I say?" he asked instead.
"Tell her to stand up and accept responsibility, and not to let Mom throw everything away to save her worthless ass."
"Those exact words?"
"Maybe soften it up a bit. You're meant to be a diplomat, right?"
Tenzin hesitated, choosing his words carefully. To be his father's envoy was one thing, but this -- "If Su said she'll face the consequences, would your mom change her mind?"
"Why wouldn't she? Su gets everything she wants."
"Not like this."
Lin's chair fell over as she stood up. She began to pace.
"You need to make her realise that Mom's integrity's on the line. And mine. What will people say? I've sworn to uphold the law -- I can't have my sister walk away when her triad buddies are in jail. I'm supposed to be above suspicion--"
She froze, her face crumpling. Tenzin was already on his feet, pulling her close.
"No one will blame you for this," he said.
"Why not? If I hadn't been so hard on Su, maybe she wouldn't have--"
"Lin, I don't think it was about you."
"It never is." She went limp, leaning against him. "Maybe I need to get it through my head that my family don't need me."
"I need you."
"I know." Lin slipped her arms around his waist. "I don't want to go home. Can I stay with you?"
Girlfriends were strictly forbidden in the dormitories.
"Of course," Tenzin said. "Help me rinse these bowls."
The routine work seemed to soothe her. By the time they returned to his room, she seemed calm again, if quiet. She took a long look in the little mirror that hung over Tenzin's drawers.
"Moment of truth," she said, and ripped the bandage off.
The wound had been healed, but two bright red scars remained, scoring her face.
"My mother might be able to heal some of the scar tissue."
"It doesn't matter," Lin said. "It's not like Mom will see them. I look tough, right?"
"Right. We'll tell Bumi you wrestled a platypus bear."
He watched as Lin shed her armour, stacking it neatly, taking a moment to run her hands over the plates and smooth any flaws. He wanted to point out that she could quit the force, find a career where her mother didn't cast a shadow. Where her face didn't get sliced open. But he knew Lin: she said she did this for her mom, but he could see she was happy. Most of the time.
"I was thinking," she said as she got into bed, "I might get a place of my own. More privacy."
"That sounds nice."
"You might like some space from your family. Why are you smiling?"
"Nothing." Tenzin pulled the blankets up around them. Across the bay he could hear a clock strike two. "It's a good idea."
"Good. I'll start looking tomorrow."
She fell asleep quickly, exhausted, he guessed, by the strain of her injury and everything else. But Tenzin lay awake for a long time, wondering if there was something he could have done differently -- a message to his parents, his uncle, even the Fire Lord. If there would be repercussions at all.
Tenzin fell into an uneasy sleep.
end
no subject
Date: 2014-07-26 05:27 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-07-26 10:35 pm (UTC)