Trinkets

Korra saw the ship pull in before she arrived at the docks. If she hadn't been so distracted, she would have gotten there in time to meet her parents as they came off the boat. She urged Naga to go a little faster. It wasn't like she had anything else to do that morning, except mentally prepare for the biannual world leaders conference the next day, and she had wasted that time pacing through the same three or four rooms.

"There you are!" Tonraq called as she and Naga bounded down to meet them. "I was starting to think you forgot we were coming!"

Korra leapt off Naga and embraced them. "It's good to see you," her voice was muted against her parents' tight hug.

When they pulled away, Senna asked, "Where's Asami?"

"Working, there's a closing on a bid she's interested in today." Korra spoke as she helped them on Naga's back, "She's going to meet us for dinner later."

Her nerves came back at the mention of Asami. Korra would have a window of time in which she could talk to her parents about what was keeping her on edge. She couldn't pinpoint the feeling, was she excited or nervous or terrified, thrilled?

They arrived at the mansion after a long ride filled with questions and comments. How have you been? Is that noodle stand still there? I heard there was a new addition to the National Museum. How has the weather been up here, seems like we'll have a light winter this year.

"It was tough but I think we found space for you," Korra joked as she led them inside. Tonraq let out a hearty laugh.

"Same room as usual?" Her mom double checked.

"Yeah," Korra picked up one of their bags and walked with them. She felt her insides twisting up as they went. Her answers to their questions became simple yes and nos.

She hovered about them as they situated their things. They packed light and so they finished quickly, not failing to notice their daughter's strange behavior. "Korra, dear, is something the matter?" Senna asked.

Korra froze in place. She fidgeted as she tried to come up with the words she wanted to say. "No. Well, you see I-" She frowned and focused her thoughts. Korra lead her parents over to sit on the bed in front of her. "I need to ask you something."

The two exchanged looks. Their focus returned to Korra, indicating for her to go on.

"I want to marry Asami." She said firmly. "We've been together for almost six years now and once I started thinking about it I can't get it out of my head. Things have been going great and getting married would be even better." Her words came out faster and faster as she went on. "Family means a lot to both of us and I could be able to give her that again and-" She cut off and glanced down at her feet. Her face felt hot as she glanced back up to gauge her parents' reactions. Her father's expression was unreadable while her mom wore an unsuppressed grin.

Korra relaxed, letting her shoulders slump and the building tension deflate. "How do I do it?" She asked. "Propose?"

Tonraq laughed again, this time the smile not fading from his face. "It's about time, Korra!"

Senna placed a hand on her husband's arm to quiet him. "Have the two of you talked about marriage?"

"A little." Korra tucked some loose strand of hair behind her ear. "Not really," she admitted, "I know that Asami wants to get married eventually and she knows that it's important to me." She had tried sending out some feeler vibes, but she didn't want to be too obvious about it. She figured a proposal should be a little bit of a surprise, it just seemed more romantic that way.

"Eventually can mean a lot of different things." Tonraq glanced at Senna. "Just ask your mother." The two of them moved to make room for Korra to sit between them.

"It was said a couple years ago at Bolin and Opal's wedding." Korra said as she sat down, "Lately I think she's sending hints, but I don't know if that means she want me to propose or if she's thinking about doing it herself or if I'm just imagining it."

"She is a do-it-herself kind of gal," her father mused, "but then so are you."

"I don't know how this is supposed to work for us," Korra grumbled. "It's not just that," she clarified, "That's not a problem, I want to marry her either way, it doesn't matter who proposes." She blushed at the thought of Asami asking her to marry her. Even so, she didn't know how that would look. "When I was younger an thought about marriage I always imagined getting a betrothal necklace, but I don't expect her to make one if she proposes and I don't know that that's what she wants if I were to, she's not water tribe. But that's still what I want."

Senna ran her hand through Korra's hair. "You're not the first couple from different cultures," she reminded her, "what did your friend Bolin do?"

"Opal wanted to do it in the traditional air nomad way, they have an engagement ceremony instead," she added, knowing that her parents weren't likely to know. "He knew how much that meant to her and he didn't feel like he was sacrificing anything to do it her way."

"And you feel like you would be sacrificing something?"

"That's the thing! I don't know!" Korra slumped her shoulders. "Yes and no," she grumbled, "it doesn't matter, it's not going to change anything, but…" She let out a frustrated sigh.

"Well," Tonraq placed his hand on Korra's shoulder, "Asami is a bright girl. I'm sure she knows it means something to you." Korra smiled. He was right. "Now, is there any way you can…" he looked to his wife as he tried to find the right word, "combine the two customs?"

"I'd like that." Korra pondered for a moment. She had already thought of what she wanted to do, but talking about it out loud made the idea clearer, more certain. "I'm thinking about making a ring." She went on, looking from one parent to the other, "it's what they use to propose in the United Republic, but if I make it myself it holds the same meaning of a betrothal necklace."

"It sounds like you have it all figured out, dear." Senna put her arm around her daughter and gave her a tight squeeze.

—-***-

Asami woke to the sound of Korra clamoring around their room for clean clothes. Now that she was in bed by herself she felt cold and drew the blankets up around herself. "Remind me why the conference was moved to the morning?" She yawned and rolled over.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you," Korra said as she pulled on a pair of pants, "and it was Tenzin's idea."

"Of course it was," Asami mumbled. She let her eyelids droop closed. She had taken the day off and wasn't planning on getting out of bed anytime soon.

Korra finished getting dressed and sat down on the edge of the bed. "They better stick to the schedule this time," she grumbled, stuffing her foot into her boot, "I am not sitting through another 'til midnight session on cattle shipping."

Asami smiled, fully imagining a very bored Korra sitting through hours of lecture and debate. At least it was only a day and a half and it only happened twice a year. Korra leaned down and kissed her cheek. "Good luck, today," Asami murmured.

"Thanks, I'll need it if I want to stay awake," Korra said with a laugh, "see you later."

"See you," Asami opened her eyes a crack to watch her leave before rolling over in hopes of catching another hour of sleep. She felt giddy, a smile creeping up the corners of her mother as she tried to rest. Korra's parents were finally there, she could finally get the information she needed.

After squirming around in an attempt to sleep in for a while, she gave up, got dressed and went out to the kitchen to find something for breakfast. Asami scooped up some leftover rice into a bowl and made up a second bowl when Senna entered the room.

She took the bowl and eyed the younger woman fondly. Something Asami liked about Korra's mother was that she never felt like she needed to fill up space, they could sit in perfect silence and be completely comfortable with it. She had a warm presence and always seemed happiest with the most simple things.

Asami glanced over to her. She started tentatively, "could I ask a favor?"

"Of course dear," Senna replied, putting down her food to give Asami her full attention. "What is it?"

"I want to learn how to make a betrothal necklace," Asami admitted. Senna looked a little surprised but she quickly softened to a smile. Asami felt some of the giddiness coming back as she continued, "I looked at some books at the cultural center but-"

"You would rather talk to someone firsthand. Don't worry about that," Senna had a look of confidence on her face that mirrored one of Korra's trademark looks, "I can keep Korra busy so you can talk to my husband."

Asami's face lit up. "Thank you so much. We haven't really talked about it so I hope this is what Korra wants."

Senna held a knowing grin. "She'll be thrilled." Her eyes softened. "I'm thrilled, you know I already consider you a daughter."

Her words compelled Asami to move across the table to embrace the woman. It meant so much to her. She had lost her own family, she couldn't even remember her own mother. It had been hard, and the pain would never fully go away, but it eased it knowing that she had a new family.

When Korra and her father returned from day one of the conference, Senna went right to work. She pulled Korra aside, saying "I have some questions to do with what we spoke about yesterday."

Korra glanced over at Asami before responding, "Oh, okay." Asami gave a look as if to ask what they had talked about, but she didn't get an answer. It didn't matter, Senna was dragging her off somewhere and she would be able to speak with Tonraq.

Talking to Senna had been the easy part, Tonraq on the other hand was a different story. It was irrational, she knew, she got along great with him, but the idea of essentially asking him for his daughter's hand in marriage was another thing entirely. Tonraq was a big softie, but when it came to her and Korra's relationship she was incredibly intimidated.

Asami swallowed down her nerves. "Could we talk?" She could hear a slight waver in her voice and mentally cursed herself.

Tonraq nodded and followed her into a sitting room. Asami sat across from him. He was looking at her with his eyebrows pinched together, curious as to what she brought him there for but would wait for her to speak.

"I…uh," she bit her lip and had her eyes trained on his feet. Asami gripped the hem of her skirt and looked him in the eyes. "I'm going to ask Korra to marry me." Tonraq's lip quivered and his face hardened. Her heart skipped a beat, was he mad? Did she make some cultural slip? Her eyes fell again and her voice was low. "I wanted to ask you how to make a betrothal necklace."

Tonraq threw an arm around her shoulder and laughed. "Of course I'll help, what do you need?"

"I thought you were upset."

"Upset? No," he would not admit to her he had been trying to hold in his laughter. Sometimes the two girls were so in sync that he couldn't help but find humor in it. "except maybe why you two didn't get married sooner!"

"Okay…uh, well…" it took a moment for Asami to regain her bearings, "I have most of it worked out, there are just a few details I want to get right."

"That's our perfectionist for you."

Asami smiled. "I don't want it to just be some trinket, it should be special." Tonraq nodded in agreement before she spilled into her list of questions to make it just right.