With Korra staying in Air Temple Island, some changes inevitably followed. The most obvious of which - other than having the Avatar around - was the increased White Lotus presence. Jinora didn't mind them around, the extra sentries didn't interfere with daily life much. Besides, they were all respectful and helped chipped in with the many chores on the island, which meant there was less of a chance for her to be roped in.

And among the scores of White Lotus now staying on the island, the most curious one was the youngest member of the order who seemed to serve as Korra's shadow.

Jinora had only seen Xing a few times in the South Pole, and even then, he usually kept back at a distance or quickly left to leave her family with Korra and Gran-Gran. Now that he was here and couldn't hide anywhere, Jinora curiously watched as the mysterious Xing did whatever his job was.

Which involved a lot of standing at a distance from Korra for some reason.

"I have been tasked as Avatar Korra's minder," he had explained when her father finally asked. Mom had practically forced him to join them at the dinner table for breakfast, and Jinora found his extremely polite expression and manners to be weird. He bowed his head a little as he elaborated. "Initially, I was assigned to aid in tutoring her in firebending. However…I…my teaching methods were not suitable for her."

It was equally weird how Korra snorted and rolled her eyes. "Clearly." She swept her gaze across the whole curious table (well, except for Meelo who was still gorging his food). "Xing's lessons were all 'read this' and 'understand that', and the firebending he tried to teach was…painful."

"My methodology was flawed, so I was replaced," he added smoothly, not perturbed by Korra's words. "But in the masters' wisdom, they found that I had potential in being Korra's...aide."

"He's a snitch for them, basically," Korra simplified without any heat in her words. "Though admittedly, he's handy in a lot of circumstances."

It was only then that Jinora saw a crack in Xing's placid expression. A twitch of annoyance. "Quite. Like trying to explain your interference to the local metalbending police."

Korra's head shrunk into her shoulders a bit as she gave an awkward chuckle. "Right. Like that. Heh…"

"Or being left to negotiate compensation after you scuttled a fishing boat."

"I mean-"

"How'd she do that?" Ikki asked, eyes wide with curiosity. Xing gave her an almost serene smile even as Korra tried but failed to stop him from opening his mouth.

"She was trying to cook the fish she caught on the boat. Her firebending was…unrefined back then."

"It was a one time thing, okay," a flustered Korra cut in too late.

"The boat, yes. As for-"

"Okay! You've gotten me out of a lot of trouble, okay?"

Xing's face remained expressionless, but there was a sense of smug triumph coming from him nonetheless.

Jinora shared her father's apprehension, at least judging from how his eyes narrowed a little while watching the exchange.

Xing was then with Korra as she made her attempt with the airbending gates, standing just far enough away that he was barely noticed.

It didn't stop Jinora from seeing him sigh as Korra tried and failed to pass through the rotating structures a couple of times.

And Korra noticed too, throwing him a glare as she rubbed her forehead. "You got something to say, Xing?"

"Nothing of value," Xing replied blandly, in a manner that sounded too rehearsed, too often repeated.

"Yeah?" Korra squinted at him. "No 'useful insights' into how I can proceed, or 'helpful tips'?" The tone of voice she was using sounded rather weird to Jinora. It was like they were arguing over an old topic.

The White Lotus observer shrugged lightly. "You've made it clear before that my advice is irrelevant."

"Now Korra-" Tenzin tried to interrupt, but that seemed to touch a nerve, because Korra almost growled out her next words.

"Then why don't you show me how it's done?"

"I probably can't; I'm a defective firebender after all, and this is an airbender's training course," came the smooth reply, though the words gave Jinora a spike of curiosity.

Defective?

Korra continued to glare at Xing for a few seconds before he let out a resigned sigh and turned to Jinora's father.

"Master Tenzin, if I might request your permission to make an attempt?"

He glanced at a Korra who could be waterbending with how cold her stare at Xing was, and then back at Xing, before nodding. "Please be careful."

"Thank you." Xing gave a bow before calmly walking towards the airbending gates. As her father sent the gates spinning again with a gust of wind, Jinora watched the White Lotus guard pick up a fallen leaf and then stare at the audibly spinning relic.

"So?" Korra asked with impatience. And maybe some annoyance

Xing let out another sigh. "As I said before Korra, a second of observation often beats a minute of reckless action." He then glanced down at the leaf between his fingers. "Be like the leaf…?" And then the leaf began to smolder, and Xing gently let it take off towards the gates. The trail of smoke it left as it was dragged into the roiling winds was pretty, almost mesmerizing. How that was meant to help Xing was beyond Jinora's guess, but dad was giving his thinking squint again, which meant…something.

"Fire is often direct, but fire can also sway and flow." Xing's tone became a lecturing monotone as he slipped into a crouch Jinora was sure she hadn't seen in any White Lotus firebender before. From behind him, Korra gave an exasperated scoff. "What fire cannot burn, it finds a way around."

He darted forwards suddenly, following after the fading smoke trail and slipping cleanly between two gates at just the right time, but then just as quickly leapt back out right as the gates beyond them almost swiped him.

"Mistimed that…" he muttered before surging out again, slipping between the gates as the openings presented themselves and sticking close to the spinning devices when no such openings were found, and skipping off when he could. That he could keep up with the spinning panels was impressive enough.

He was quick and almost skittish, but not fluid like Jinora's or her father's airbending movements. He moved…like smoke, she realized, its lazy pattern jerking about from the lightest gust. Xing rushed forwards just as quickly as he leapt back, and it made him look indecisive.

But it worked.

It took longer than Jinora's worse attempts, but Xing did eventually make it across the spinning gates without another thunk of impact. He walked around the obstacle to rejoin them and bowed. "I hope that is not too poor an attempt."

Jinora saw how annoyed Korra was, and before her father could offer any congratulations the Avatar was stomping towards the still-spinning gates.

"Perhaps we should take a break," he quickly chimed in to stop her from running straight at the wooden panels again.

They tried meditation after that, but Jinora immediately had low expectations when she saw the different ways Korra's and Xing's faces twitched. Jinora's eyes were closed and her mind had slipped into the comfortingly familiar trance, but the edges of her senses still picked up on the fact that Korra barely lasted a few seconds the moment she sat down. Even Meelo tried longer before he defaulted to falling asleep way back when.

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"Yeah, it's not sinking in yet, I'm gonna-"

Korra's words were cut off by something, and she sighed heavily. "Fine, fine. I'll try again."

The Avatar lasted far longer this time, maybe even half a minute, but then Jinora absently felt a faint wash of air as Korra quickly rose up. "Argh, my legs are falling asleep!"

"Korra…"

"Look, I tried alright? Xing, you know how my legs are!"

Preoccupied in the tranquility of her own mind, Jinora felt the urge to open her eyes and turn to Korra try and fail to get its claws into her being. Instead, she continued to listen with detachment.

Really.

"Korra, please give Master Tenzin's lessons a chance and take them seriously."

"I am taking them seriously."

Xing let out a weary sigh. "Then stop making excuses."

"Ugh, fine!" Korra descended into a stream of mutterings that slowly tapered off to silence.

"Thank you, Xing." A small part of Jinora felt surprised at how grateful her father sounded. "Would you care to join us?"

"I must decline the offer, Master Tenzin. Preparations must be made."

"Preparations?"

Preparations?

They found out what that meant when maybe a minute later, Korra broke from her meditation again. "My throat's parched, I'm-"

"Here you go, Korra."

"Thank you, Xing," came her dry response, probably said through gritted teeth. "You're a lifesaver." Silence returned, as she presumably was forced to return to meditating.

And then Korra complained about her sore legs, and Xing provided a cushion to ease her discomfort. When she commented that the air was too chilly, a blanket was offered to her. When she said she forgot something, Xing had said trinket with him, reassuring Korra that he was looking after it.

It lasted for a while before Jinora heard her father exasperatedly call for another break.

Only after her meditation did Jinora fully appreciate how defeated and annoyed Korra looked, and how it seemed that Xing had fully anticipated all of her requests, and even more besides. The former was draped in a thin blanket and sat on a rather plush cushion, with a flask and a small plate of half-eaten candies by her side. Whereas on Xing's end, several items were piled up beside him, including an umbrella, a few small sacks, a scroll and a comb.

Xing caught Jinora's amazed look and shrugged lightly as Korra trudged past him in a drone of unpleasant grumbling. "I was responsible for teaching her the finer details of firebending before I became her minder," he explained a bit too nonchalantly. "My teaching methods were inadequate, but I did pick up some tips."

"Aren't you too young to be a teacher?" Ikki immediately cut in without any grace or subtlety. "Is that why you couldn't teach her?"

"Ikki!"

"It's no big deal, Master Tenzin." Xing gave Ikki a smile and a shrug to show that he meant it. "It probably was, in hindsight. But presumably the Lotus Masters thought with my…atypical firebending, I might be able to offer Korra a different insight into the spiritual side of firebending."

"So, Korra's not cut out for meditating?"

"Ikki!"

"It would require…some effort," Xing replied a bit too politely. "But I'm sure that you would be the best authority in such matters, Master Tenzin. Korra herself is confident of your abilities."

His face fell into a frown for a fraction of a second, so fast that Jinora thought she'd imagined it. "Though if I may be so bold, the…distractions offered in Republic City might be a challenge. And Korra does not…does not perform optimally in overly restricted environments."

Her father slumped with a heavy sigh. "So I see. Thank you, Xing."

A loud thunk sounded off in the distance, followed by a roar of outrage. Jinora shared worried looks with her father, but Xing once again shrugged. "That'd be Korra trying the airbending gates again. If I could suggest that you give her some time to vent before you comfort her, Master Tenzin. Maybe avoid mentioning that the lessons would take time; she is keenly aware of that already, however…impatient she might be. Perhaps emphasize that her lessons are not part of a race, and she isn't being judged on how fast she takes to airbending."

Jinora's father glanced off to the distance before giving Xing a nod. "I'll…be sure to note that. Thank you once more, Xing."

The White Lotus minder gave a shallow bow. "My presence would be detrimental to her mood for a while. I'll remain out of her sight for the rest of the day."

Jinora and Ikki ended up blinking at each other, and then turning their awed looks at Xing. He really had Korra figured out.

"Did you get all of that when you were teaching her?" Ikki inevitably asked once their father left to see to Korra.

Xing shook his head. "Ah, not directly. They are merely observations of what Master Katara said to reassure Korra when my initial attempts at tutoring failed."

"But Korra didn't continue?" Jinora had to ask.

"It was agreed that my lessons were likely incompatible with Korra," Xing answered, looking not at all resentful or annoyed. "Though I suppose I must've performed to some adequacy, considering I was…promoted to her minder right after that."

He didn't seem all too happy about that last part.

Jinora glanced off to the side, spying her father and Korra walking side by side, the latter looking far less tense than when she left just now and nodding solemnly to whatever it was Tenzin was saying. She watched them enter the temple before looking back to Xing. "So you'll really stay away from Korra for the rest of the day?"

"I'll be out of sight," he corrected with a wan smile. "I'll still be watching over her, as my duty requires. Just less obviously."

"You really take your job seriously, huh?" Ikki asked, rocking on her heels.

"It would be disgraceful if I didn't," came his reply as he began moving, but paused to look at the still sleeping Meelo. "Should I help you carry your brother back in?"

"It's fine," both Jinora and Ikki answered without hesitation. Jinora offered an embarrassed look. "It's the only time he stays still during the day…he could use the time to relax." And so could mom and everyone else.

Leaving their brother to his meditative sleep, the sisters followed Xing back to the temple, where he easily melted into the shadows while they joined their father in raising Korra's spirits up.

True to his word, Xing could barely be seen throughout the rest of the day. It took some effort for Jinora to notice him standing dutifully behind the doorway or out in the halls, though Korra begrudgingly accepted his company when mother insisted that he join them for dinner.

Lessons continued the next day as if nothing had happened, though Jinora had to admit that Korra still made little progress. At least she was less disruptive when she failed to meditate, settling on disgruntled huffs instead making comments about the weather or her cramps or other such things.