Legend of Orra: Disqualified

Korra leaned forward and stared Tahno down. The cocky pro-bender merely eyed the Avatar back with a lazy smirk. He was confident that she could not touch him. If she did anything at all her team would be disqualified. So, he deduced, it was in his best interest to provoke the girl as much as possible. He wondered how he should go about it. There were a few ways. Tahno had been a bully most of his life so provocation was not strange to him. He knew he could simply direct his team to join in and taunt her with him, potentially coaxing her into action. Maybe that would lead to a stand-off and higher tensions. But maybe not. There was another way things could go.

It was a spur of the moment thought that occurred to him as his eyes broke from hers and trailed briefly down her body. She was athletic, but still quite beautiful in her own way. She definitely had the look of a tribeswoman with her darker skin and blue clothing of making and style emblematic of the south. It was not his type, but it still stirred something in him.

"What? Scared?" Korra taunted, taking advantage of what she assumed to be weakness in his averted gaze.

Tahno lifted his eyes back to hers. "Southern mutt playing civilized in the big city." He uttered sharply. Tahno leaned forward and said it near her ear so that only she would pick it up. The words cut deep. They was not a casual insult. He turned his cheek, placed his hands confidently in his pocket and braced. He did not need to see the punch coming. He could predict it. Her fist struck hard and actually shocked the pro a bit. It made him think that he would have been in trouble if she could hit like that during a match. All the better, he decided, that her shot at using it in the ring would end because it was used outside it.

He blanked briefly. Thankfully his team supported him to stop him from falling. He came back with a grin, watching her being berated mercilessly by her own team. Tahno waved Ming and Shizu off as he found his legs again and watched. It went better than he thought. As Korra tried to explain, her friends would not hear it. Neither of them were Water Tribe and neither of them even heard the insult that she refused to repeat. So the results of her pleas to them were obvious.

"We told you not to do anything! How could you do something so selfish!?" Mako threw his hands out to the side, posturing angrily as he grilled her. As she tried to speak he shut her down.

"Nothing anyone could say should get to you so much that it's worth messing up your friends shot!" That was it. There was nothing she could say in response.

Even Bolin rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly and admitted. "You really messed up, Korra."

"W-wait!" She called after them as they walked away and left her alone. With them gone and their chances at entering the finals shot, Korra returned her attention to Tahno. He was ready for it.

Tahno gasped as he was shoved into the wall. She had pulled him out to a more secluded location, away from everyone. He could have had backup but declined it. Tahno did not have a formal plan, but he had a thought. An idea. Korra spat on the ground next to his feet.

"I don't have to hold back now that we're already done for. What do you have to say for yourself now, huh?" She leaned closer, with less restraint than before.

"What gave you the right to say that, huh?" She leaned even closer until their faces were almost touching.

"Why don't you try saying it again?"

Tahno tilted his head to one side. She thought he was going to give in. He would concede because she was theoretically stronger. The Avatar was more powerful than him. She had control over three elements. As if that were not enough, she was definitely stronger than him. He felt it in her punch and he was glad that she was disqualified for it. But even with all of that he still had one thing to bank on. She was a woman and he was a man and Tahno knew how to press women's buttons, for better or for worse.

"Southern." While she was far too close he rested a hand above her rear, his fingertips pressing into the small of her back.

"Mutt." She did not have time to react before he leaned the rest of the distance between them and kissed her deeply.

Korra felt a wash of emotions. Anger, embarrassment and annoyance were very prominent, but layering between all of those was an unusual sensation. Through her mind flowed all the same calculations as him, just from a different angle. He spoke above his weight class over and over again and even had the guts to insult her, the Avatar. But it was not just that she was the Avatar. He was weaker than her; his body was slight and she knew it from being able to level him with just one punch. So, she wondered, why did he have the confidence to not only insult her but kiss her after. He had no backup. He had no friends in the empty hall and he did not have the strength to defend himself if she went off on him. As the kiss broke she felt herself calming down, oddly. She stared into his eyes curiously and saw a man with no worries or cares. A weak man that was staring cockily back at her as though she was weak.

"The hell is wrong with you?" She broke. Korra leaned back and averted her gaze first. Her face was bright red. Korra was a bit lost. Part of her wanted to just beat the shit out of him and avenge her mouth and her team and her honor. Another part of her was completely defused. The fact that he did not seem to care about what she could do to him was part of it. Another part was the feeling of his lips on hers right after he insulted her so brutally.

Tahno's grin widened enough to show teeth for just a moment before his demeanor shifted. His voice became soft and apologetic.

"Hey, hey... What's wrong with me? I'm not going around punching people, am I?" Her brow furrowed. She refused to look at him.

"Look at me." He asked. She refused.

"Korra." That almost coaxed her, but was not enough. Impatiently Tahno lifted a hand to her chin and turned the reluctant Avatar's face to point at his.

"I asked you to look at me." He said sternly. He could not intimidate her, but she still felt a little moved by his attempt.

"Because I still want your friends to be in the finals"

Korra's eyes widened. "You do?" She picked up on something and narrowed her eyes at him.

"Bullshit. You were trying to get us disqualified. You knew you wouldn't win! You-" As she began to rile herself up, Tahno interrupted her to cease the momentum. He enjoyed how emotional she was. He knew he could use it, but would have to stem it wherever it seemed like she was going to get out of line.

"You didn't let me finish." His lips curled up, slightly.

"Mutt." It was a hazard. It was a gamble outside of his idea that could have lead to disaster. He was careful but he was still a bully and the girl in front of him, he decided, should be bullied. He wanted to do it. After he said that, she could have decked him again and the fun may have been over. Instead, she glared passively. He knew at that point that he had her.

"Say what you're gonna say then!" She raised her fist.

"But so help me, if you call me a mutt again..." She trailed off as he placed his hand on her fist calmly and lowered it. She did not fight it. Korra relented and crossed her arms tightly under her chest.

"Say what you're gonna say, already?" She demanded.

"I want your team to be in the finals. Just not you." He could tell she wanted to say something, but he would not allow it. He spoke loudly as she opened her mouth.

"Don't you think they'll be grateful, even if they need to find a third member? You probably ended that friendship, if we're being honest. Did you see Mako's face?" Tahno chuckled.

"That was a big mistake you made and it's costing them dearly."

"Okay. So I leave the team and you vouch for them to get back in?" Korra asked suspiciously.

"Yep." Tahno responded simply.

"No strings attached? You don't need me to do anything except not show up?"

Tahno leaned forward. "Trying to make it worse on yourself, Mutt?" He felt free to insult her with that once she gave in the last time. He was free. She only responded with a slight stare and more weak words of warning.

"I told you. Don't call me that, or-" He pressed his lips to hers and this time wrapped both arms around her. He was not sure what to expect the second time he kissed her. It was a bit more effort that time, as he had to lean far more of the distance and risked her simply backing off. She did not. Even still, there would be a problem if she felt stilted or stiff. Instead, he was surprised to feel she was still tense, but in an accommodating way. Her lips parted and he immediately took the opportunity to push his tongue between them to pry them apart. Korra gulped, swallowing a bit of his saliva unintentionally. The dynamic shifted as he turned her so that she was pressed against the wall. He was weaker than her, but his tongue was a stronger muscle than hers. It dominated her mouth and made her feel weak, even if for just that moment. When he broke that time and stared down at her cockily she felt hot.

It was an unusual, unfamiliar feeling. Korra was a free spirit, but when it came to the important social matters that a woman may have had to deal with she may as well have been sheltered. Going out to fight and training and whatever Avatar business could never prepare her for the minor struggles of being with a man.

"Or what, Mutt?" He taunted, going in for another kiss that landed on her wet, parted lips. That kiss lasted another full minute or so. They were fully just making out. It was a first for Korra, but Tahno had felt many women before her. He was at an advantage. She was in his realm the moment she gave in to his momentum. None of her strength or power mattered. He stared down at her after breaking that last kiss and stated.

"God, this city would eat you up and spit you out if you weren't the Avatar." They were still close. Very close. His forehead was pressed against her and their noses were touching. Korra was mesmerized by the dominance and confidence that such a weak man could exude. He was pushing all the buttons she did not know she had.

"The hell does that mean?" She questioned.

"It means you are adorable." It was the first compliment he granted her deliberately. Korra felt blood rush to her cheeks almost as much as when she was called a southern mutt for the first time. Only this time it felt good. Tahno lifted his face and kissed her forehead gently as he hugged her and pulled her close. She was not sure how to feel about that, but she did not have to be sure because her body was. Her heart beat quickly. He released her and stepped back once he was satisfied.

"I admit, there is another condition. I want you cheering for me during the match."

Somehow that felt worse than anything else he said. Korra glared at him and said firmly while making an x with her forearms. "No way!"

Tahno could not help but laugh that that was what got to her. "Oh. So... No match at all for your poor friends? How cruel... Oh poor Mako. Poor Bolin. Looks like-" Korra lowered her head.

"Okay, fine. But I'm not one of your stupid fangirls." She claimed.

Tahno's eyes lit up. It was a great idea that he hated to credit her for. Slowly the ad-hoc plan began to form into something more tangible. He clicked his tongue.

"Not yet."

The Fire Ferrets were allowed to compete thanks to Tahno, but at a cost. Korra was not allowed to compete with them. Oddly enough, Mako was still not happy about the situation. The team was still down a third member thanks to her so things may as well have still been shot by her actions. It was not a great feeling to make a sacrifice for someone only to still get treated like crap. The second argument they had when she told them shaded her mood quite a bit. At least, she thought, Bolin was grateful. That was not all of it, however. There was still another part of the deal that she was particularly upset over.

Korra sat uncomfortably between two Republic City girls during the Wolfbat's practice. Even the team's practice sessions drew a small crowd. As far as Korra could tell, the girls were the same fangirls that were always hanging around Tahno. They were as nasty as him, too. She had to endure snide remarks the entire time she was sat between them. She guess that Tahno did it intentionally to annoy and humiliate her.

"Hey, at least you're not gonna have to be seen losing with the rest of your team, huh?" The girl on the left was pale with short dark hair. She prodded Korra as she spoke. It was just one of the snide remarks she was treated to. She had begun to just ignore them and enjoy the show. For all of the faults in their personality the Wolfbats were actually pretty entrancing to watch as a spectator. Tahno was quite handsome and skilled and the other two supported him perfectly. They were champions for a reason.

At one point during the practice Tahno glanced over at the stands. Just having him look in their direction was enough to get the girls excited. Korra did not get it. She crossed her arms and glared at him defiantly. He centered his gaze on her and winked. The other two noticed the attention she was getting immediately and despised her for it. Especially because the look Tahno gave her was not a sneer. It was not a signal for them to berate her more. No, it seemed almost affectionate.

Korra had been receiving the brunt of mild jealousy already. The girls obviously had no idea why she was even there and they certainly did not want her there, regardless of the reasoning behind it. The wink she received from Tahno was the last straw for them.

"Hey, Korra." The girl on her right was a bit more tan, with wavy red hair. Korra did not acknowledge her fully. She just nodded and offered a vague response.

"Yeah."

"Where do you get your hair done?" She asked. It was a confusing question because not only did she not get her hair done by anyone else. She had no idea it was a thing, or why it would be a thing. The hairstyles and products that Korra had been exposed to were narrow in general.

"I just-"

"I would get your money back." The girl did not even let her finish before jamming the punchline to her insult. The two girls giggled. Korra knew she was being insulted but did not feel particularly insulted or self-conscious. She simply did not care about those things like normal girls would. At least, she did not think she did.

The other joined in. "Air drying must be easy with-" She stopped and touched her cheek in feigned surprise.

"Oh, wait... You don't know airbending, do you? Kinda weird for an Avatar." The bob-haired girl said snidely. That one did get to Korra and they knew it instantly. She clenched her fist and gritted her teeth. Korra was not good at hiding her emotions.

"No wonder it looks so drab... You should just shave it like one of those weird monks, right?"

"Right?" The pale one chimed in.

"Cut your losses, hon." She craned her head forward and looked Korra over to pile on the commentary.

"Wow, so you really just... Go out like that, huh?"

"Like what?" Korra snapped back, looking over herself. She was in the same clothes she always wore. The two girls laughed again. It was enough to finally get to her. Korra did not know much about fashion or style in Republic City. Very few did. The place was very far ahead of most of the world in terms of culture and technology. Korra felt a bit left behind as voices behind her began to whisper and join in. She would have been fine if it was just the two fangirls but she was actually starting to become self-conscious. Worse yet, the fact that she was starting to care actually made it wear on her more. She never thought she would be the type to bother with what others thought. Especially where it concerned something so stupid. She was too confident for that. Was. As their voices continued shrilly in her ear Korra tried to tune them out as she had before; only it did not work. She did not need to know what they were saying to know that they were just saying more and more about her clothes or her hair or anything they could pick at to put her down. Suddenly they all stopped. She looked up to see Tahno walking towards the benches.

"Great." Korra rolled her eyes and sunk into the bench. She was already getting it from the girls so it was all she needed to be called a mutt in front of them as well. She knew they would love that. She watched him come up and glared at him as he stood over her. The others seemed in anticipation, expecting the same thing she did.

"What an ugly thing it is to insult someone else over your own insecurities." Tahno commented, leveling his gaze on the two fangirls in particular. Korra thought it was incredibly ironic for him to say that, but also incredibly surprising. Her eyes widened as he offered her a hand and pulled her up to stand close beside him. The two girls were stunned.

"I think you two should leave." Korra's jaw dropped with the two of them.

"B-but Tahno we-"

"We were just joking around!" The other cut in. His glare shut them up. The man stared down at them firmly. They shot Korra the dirtiest look she had ever received as they reluctantly stood up and walked out. Korra could not believe that Tahno would stand up for her over those two. She had no idea why he would. She hated him and was not afraid to show it, while those two were basically worshipers of his. It was crazy to her.

Later, when they were alone she asked. "Why'd you stick up for me? I thought you were gonna call me a mutt or something." Korra had to admit that it felt good to see them put in their place by Tahno. They were so eager to put her down, only to get shut down so swiftly and so brutally. Tahno thought for a moment.

"That's just something between us. Besides. I'm not going to humiliate you in front of others anymore. Not while we have this thing going." He leaned down and punctuated that by kissing her gently. There was that side of him that Korra was starting to grow attracted to. Tahno was a handsome man when all was said and done. The fact that she was with him would probably make any woman upset. Korra was not an impressive-looking woman by Republic City standards and to add to that, she did not seem to value him in public. If she were in their shoes she would probably be pissed, as well. He broke the kiss.

"You're MY Southern Mutt. No one's going to mess with you, except for me. When we're alone." It felt to Korra like a promise, and it was kind of sweet in a warped way. Still, she glared up at him for saying it the way he did.

"You know I actually hate it a LOT when you call me that." Korra remarked firmly. She tried to put her foot down but Tahno simply smirked. It was infuriating. He knew very well. It was the primary reason he still used it on her as an insult. Seeing her getting more and more desensitized to the slur was almost as good as sex for him. He placed both his hands on her cheeks and stared at her with wide, demeaning smile. The look in his eyes offered little recognition of who she was or what she could do to him. Korra felt like she was being appraised; not for skill or power but for something else she did not have.

"W-what?"

"They're right, you know?" Those simple words made her heart jump. Her cheeks flushed deeply.

"The hell are you talking about?" She sputtered defensively, batting his hands off of her.

"You look like you crawled right out of the ocean. Your hair's matted, you don't wear anything on your face and your clothes..." He took his hands off of her easily when she batted them away and raised one to pinch the bridge of his nose while shaking his head.

"I-" Korra stopped, trying to remember her previous Avatar escapades. She could not guarantee that she did not just crawl out of the ocean before practice. It may have been either of their water-bending but there was a faint scent of sea-salt in the air.