(open) Could have gone better

[unjoined]

Who| Korra and whoever has the patience.
What| A not so great first day.
Where| Training Center, District 10 suite
When| After the arena
Warnings/Notes| Nothing yet!


(a - district 10 suite)

She's left in this strange room with just a vague explanation full of things like honor and luxury and battle to the death so it's no surprise that Korra doesn't really know where to start here. She's gotten to be around the wealthy enough to understand that decorating means having a lot of unnecessary stuff. What even is half of this?

Hesitantly she walks into the main living area, touching the surfaces of beautifully carved wood furniture or gleaming ornaments until she awkwardly settles down into a nice couch, not at all comforted by its softness.

Luxury. Right.

A television is on, reporting the latest updates and gossip about a recent game. A "mover", is what she thinks. Moving pictures had only just been revealed back home and were a hit but they were nothing like this. This had color, for one, and beautiful quality like she were seeing everything with her own eyes.

And see she does. Replaying clips of the latest game flicker every once in awhile, between emotional and delighted speculation. Bloody, violent pictures that left Korra pale and feeling sick. It's not fake. These people, some of them children, couldn't act this kind of horror.

Korra is looking physically ill and starts searching for the light projection, wherever it is. Kinda desperately want to turn this off.


( b - later, out and about )

Korra's first mistake is going to the Peacekeepers. They'd been the first people she'd seen and well, whatever they were they knew something, right?

It doesn't go so well.

Most attempts go poorly, where her question is either waved off or they tell her something that just really doesn't cut it. Getting frustrated, she huffs and tries again. From a distance anyone could hear her voice raising as she gets closer and points at them, saying something like why don't you just skip that and say something useful?

Her second mistake is making them mad. They move like they're going to pull out something and for a moment she enters a stance that shows she's ready for a fight if they are. Even if she did have her bending she could take them without it, probably.

But she remembers she doesn't and suddenly backs off, begrudgingly turning to leave with a halfhearted apology. The fact that she can't bend distresses her more than she'd like to admit. Enough to make her cautious and avoid trouble. Which says a lot.

Korra, looking dispirited and frazzled, slows a few yards away to slump against the wall. "This is the worst."

Comments

[actually112]

"Oh, you met Zuko already?" He isn't sure how that went down and he isn't sure if he wants to know. Firebenders and Water Tribesmen don't get along too well these days. But it must have gone well enough if she knows who Aang is (whether or not she's aware of the Avatar tidbit remains to be seen), so he grins and puts his hands together, preparing to bow. "Yeah, I'm Aang. It's nice to meet you... what's your name?"

[unjoined]

"Yeah, he told me about you two a bit ago," If it looks like she's nervous it's because she is. She's spoken with Aang before but every time she had she'd been so caught up in the moment. This is really, really different. A two foot difference.

Though it is nice to see him again. She thought she'd never get the chance.

"Korra! I mean, Korra. It's, uh, really nice to meet you too," she rubs the back of her neck. "He was going to come bring me to you but he had to leave. So... here I am!"

Nervous laugh. Oh jeez.

[actually112]

"Nice to meet you too, Korra!" Aang fell into a neat airbender bow, giving her a big smile as he straightened up. "That sounds like Zuko. He's always really serious and trying to get stuff done fast."

Zuko had probably mentioned he was with the Avatar, but until she acknowledged that, he won't. He touches her arm, urging her to follow him further away from the peacekeepers, towards the common area. He doesn't like how antsy the peacekeepers are. "How long have you been here? I don't think I saw you in the arena. Me and Zuko have been here for... I actually don't know, since the beginning of the arena?"

[unjoined]

"Yeah, he was pretty all over the place." Tantrums and the like. But maybe that should go without saying.

"I wasn't. Just woke up here today before I was pushed around by those guys back there." She lets him guide her around, meeting his pace. He seems okay for someone who went into an arena. Maybe? "...These people I heard were talking about the arena like it was kind of recent."

[actually112]

The keyword there, Korra, is 'seems'. His smile fades for a moment. "It was. I just got back... a couple days ago?"

He shakes his head, grimacing. "It's horrible. You're lucky you didn't come in during the middle."

[unjoined]

Her eyes widen. She's seen regret on the face of an older Aang but this is different.

It hurts to see it. "It is. I'm sorry." She lowers her head, not sure what else to say. "I wasn't there but- they can't keep doing this to people. I know that."

[actually112]

Aang seems to remember himself and he looks up at her with another smile. "It'll be okay. We'll figure something out."

He supposes he has to do this, since he's responsible for the people in his world, so he takes a breath. "I don't know if Zuko told you this, but I'm the Avatar. So I'll figure something out, okay?" Somehow. Look confident, Aang.

(He can't fail his people all over again.)

[unjoined]

"...Yeah." She tries to smile back, a little nervous.

She should probably be nice about this. It's not the happiest news but what's the best way to let him know she can help? Let him down quick and easy. Like medicine, or pulling out a splinter.

"Oh, you're not going to be doing all the work." A forced, hopeful grin. Oh geez did her voice really just go up an octave? "I'm the Avatar too. So, uh... Nice working with you?"

[actually112]

...

...

...

"Could you repeat that?"

...

...Their world is screwed.

[unjoined]

"Avatar Korra. Master of the elements. More or less you."

Is she still smiling? No, she probably just looks scared.

"Don't freak out." Good job.

[actually112]

Don't freak out. Easier said than done.

Breathe. Breathe. Airbenders are master breathers, he can breathe.

And then bury his face in his hands. "This isn't good. You didn't happen to be in the middle of something super important, were you?"

Ooooooh boy he has no idea what is going to happen now. What if one of them didn't make it back to their world? The stakes just got so high, and...

Crap, how is he going to explain the airbender genocide to her? 'Oh, yeah, that world you worked so hard to protect? I let a quarter of it die.' He is the worst Avatar ever.

[unjoined]

Oh good. He's taking it well.

She seems to wilt at his question, trying not to let it bother her. She was in the middle of something important. It's Aang's dream, after all.

Though she's not sure if she was really needed in it or not.

"...Yeah," she says after a bit, rubbing her arm. "Kinda. Not as urgent as yours though." As important? Without a doubt. If Aang knew what it was, she had a feeling he'd agree. "Zuko told me about it. You two really need to get back. Soon."

Now would be a good time for one of the many revelations they would have. "I know that as much as anyone. Y'see, I'm the Avatar directly after you."

Shoot, thought I replied!

[actually112]

"After me?"

He has no idea if that's a good or a bad thing. On one hand, yay, he doesn't need to explain that he managed to lose a quarter of the world. On the other hand, she knows exactly how much of a screw up he is. On the other other hand, if she's around, that means that the future can't be too awful, right?

Right?

"Uh, I probably shouldn't ask, so don't go into detail, but is the Earth Kingdom still around where you come from?" IE did or did Ozai not burn the whole goddamn continent to the ground?

no worries!

[unjoined]

"That's right." She laughs. Even when contacting the spirits of past Avatars, they're always helpful in as subtle a way as possible. It's good that they both had the thought that they probably shouldn't give too much away between each other.

Though, uh, she guesses that's to be expected, being the same person.

A grin. "Well, since I was just visiting there before I woke up here today, it's safe to say it's still around. So are the Fire Nation and the Water Tribes, if you're wondering."

Korra sounds really eager. Of course she wants to tell him about the Air benders, and Republic city, and Harmonic Convergence and- everything! But she needs to keep a lid on her excitement.

It would probably be overwhelming anyway. Just saying this much should be safe for now.

[actually112]

"Thank goodness." Aang lets out an audible sigh of relief. Okay. Okay, okay, he doesn't screw up so royally that another nation collapses. It feels like a weight he hadn't even been aware of is lifted from his shoulders. "Now... we just need to make sure it stays that way."

Because chances are things won't go well for their world if they don't come back at the times they left.

He wants to ask more questions. So many questions. About him, about her, about the world--but he shouldn't. That would risk the future, and even at his age, he knows that it's not worth the risk. He's learned self-restraint.

"How long have you been here? Did you just get here?"

[unjoined]

Oh yeah. That does kind of put a damper on their meeting like this, huh?

More like, of course she'd get to meet Aang again and speak with him for longer than two minutes only when it's at a terrible risk of their world. Of course.

She nods, not wanting to look worried. "Yeah. Woke up here this morning. I haven't seen any of my friends or anyone from home, other than you two." She'd left her body to speak with Zaheer and came back to this place. They wouldn't leave her body so who knows what separated them.

"They brought two Avatars and Prince Zuko. Do you think it's a coincidence?" As dangerous as it is, it's hard to believe it just happened to end up that way.