fairynuff | TEST DRIVE MEME

[ she really should, but korra's the type of person to kick in a door when someone tells her to be careful, so really it's a lose-lose situation with her sometimes.

but aang's voice breaks her out of her thoughts with a hard jolt to her stomach, and she quickly extinguishes the flame and drops the hand holding the map to her side. someone else who knows about bending? while that's not exactly the best thing she could ask for (having her friends here with her would be the best thing, let's be honest, because they could all work together to figure this out), at least she's not alone. ]

It's okay. You know what— [ and then she's caught with her breath in her throat when her blue eyes fall on the kid. ] —Aang?

[ there's no mistaking him at all, even if he's a twelve year old, and not the man who gave back her bending.

oh no, is she in the spirit world? korra hadn't even considered it, given that this universe looked vastly different than anything she was used to, but if aang's here, then...? who even knows. and now she feels her stomach sink like a rock, right to the base of her feet. ]

[At first, Aang thinks her reaction is because of said unfortunate implications, and maybe she was ashamed to be displaying firebending when there was such a stigma on it due to the war, but then she says his name.]

Um...

[Aang looks her up and down, confirms that no, he does not recognize her, and backs up just a little in case she's one of the many people trying to hunt him down.]

Do we know each other?

[ for a moment, korra's jaw doesn't seem to work and she tries to form words but they just don't come, not the way she wants them to. so she snaps her mouth shut and knits her eyebrows together. howwww is she going to explain this? by all accounts it doesn't make sense. ]

Well, yeah, sort of! [ wait. ] I mean—I know you. [ it would make sense he'd have no inkling of who she is, given that she doesn't know what form the avatar will take in the next cycle. the best way to explain the situation is to just tell the truth, no matter how weird or awkward it is, right? ] I'm... the next avatar.

[ wow not even thinking of what unfortunate implications there could be in that statement. A+ korra. ]

Uh... huh...

[Yeah, he's just assuming she's crazy. He's pretty sure he's not dead yet, and if he is (oh please say he isn't because otherwise chances of defeating the Fire Lord before the comet are gone), he's certainly not been dead long enough for a teenage Avatar to be around.

Back away slowly, Aang. Back away slowly and don't make sudden movements. And try not to pass out because your back has been completely messed up.]

That's really nice. I'm just going to go... over there... to do past Avatar stuff...

[ when aang starts to back away, korra feels herself deflate, shoulders drooping a little. ]

You don't believe me, huh? [ she's not sure she'd believe herself either, but that doesn't mean she's giving up! she holds up her hands and takes a step closer to the door, not wanting to unnerve aang more than she already has because if he bolts?

well.

he's not called twinkle toes for nothing, and she's still not good enough at airbending to match any tricks he might pull out of his sleeve. ] I can prove it to you.

[Unfortunately, Aang's not sure how well he'd be able to bolt this time. If he tries bending, his back hurts so much that he thinks he'll pass out. He really shouldn't even be walking around right now, but he needs to try going back home.

An inexplicable sense of panic settles on him at the concept of proof. Proof means she's telling the truth. Proof means that he's really dead, that Azula killed him, that he failed again. Proof means that there are no more airbenders, that the comet came and went, that Ozai won and Katara and Sokka and Toph all were probably hunted down like animals for their affiliation with him.

So it's kind of a struggle to keep his voice even and his heart from pounding out of his chest when he says,] You're not the Avatar because I'm not dead yet.

...Huh?

[ of course he's not dead yet, he's still a kid... korra screws up her face in thought and remembers what she was told when she arrived here. this place is a "realm between all realms," and the last thing korra remembers after giving her speech in republic city are a bunch of creatures kidnapping her. then she was here.

so... no, they couldn't be dead. korra doesn't remember dying, so there's no way aang would be dead either, right? not when he's looking this young.

okay. OKAY, she's figuring this out now. ]

I'm pretty sure this is Spirit Realm stuff that's messing everything up because I don't think you're dead yet, either. I don't remember dying before I got here; I was kidnapped. And besides, you're not supposed to die until you're an old man.

[ please don't freak out, aang, please don't freak out.. ]

Edited 2014-03-18 04:05 (UTC)

[Breathe, Aang. Breathe. She said you died as an old man. Considering how many threats there are on your life per day, that's really, really good.

Breathe.

He clings to his glider, which he's currently using as a staff, and looks her up and down.]

Can you airbend for me?

[Both as proof of her being the Avatar and as an indication of whether or not there were any airbenders after him that could teach her.

He doesn't know what to think, but he's going to make sure she's telling the truth before he tries.]

[ a quick, confident nod answers his question. her expression melts into a lopsided grin, trying to be reassuring. ]

Sure I can. [ but glancing around the room makes it clear that it's probably not the best idea to do any fancy airbending inside. ] I saw a garden down the hallways a bit. I can show you out there.

[He nods slowly, then looks at the ground, trying to center himself and sorting out his feelings as he turns away from the door and starts walking towards the hall. Now that he's actually moving, it's clear that there's something wrong with his back. And, well, now that she can actually see his back, there's a hole punched through the cloth and there's a brand new, bright red scar from a lightning strike stretched along his spine.]

Okay. Let's go, then.

[At the moment, he sounds very subdued, but don't worry, Korra. Once he's had a chance to process and heal, he will never shut up.]

[ korra hesitates for a moment (if only because she has to take said moment to process this and maybe punch the air in excitement—just think of all the things she can pick up from aang that she didn't have the chance to before she lost... ah, well, let's not think about that, it's going to put a damper on the whole "excitement" thing) before following after aang. she stays a few steps behind him, keeping her eyes out for the garden when she finally figures out what feels so off about aang's movements.

she never learned from past lives, but having katara for a teacher taught her a lot about aang that she was sure she'd never pick up otherwise, and really—what bender worth their chi doesn't know the story about how aang supposedly died in the war?

things suddenly make a bit more sense to korra with regards to aang's reaction. had she met aang a few months earlier on her timeline, nothing would have stopped her from asking about it, but now... maybe she should wait for a better time to bring it up. ]

Hey.

[ she speaks up, voice clear despite the thoughts bubbling in her head. her footfalls have come to a stop at the mouth of a separate hall, one that has a short pathway to the garden. ]

This way.

[Had Aang been looking at her and not in a dazed stupor, he would have laughed. Instead, he doesn't notice her reaction to him, instead wrapped up in his own shock and nervousness. He doesn't know if he wants her to be telling the truth or not. On one hand, he's not sure if he's ready to face the next Avatar, someone who comes along after he's dead and gone, but on the other hand... being the Avatar is lonely. He's always wished that he could know someone else who could fathom the immense pressure, but Roku is the closest thing he's ever had.

Then when she talks, he shakes himself out of his stupor and gives her a small smile. It's just a shadow of what it usually is, but it's still genuine.]

What's your name? You kind of have me at a disadvantage.

[ the second the question is posed to her, korra cringes in a fairly comedic fashion. teeth bared and shoulders tense, her fingers curl and she lets out a frustrated augh! even though she hadn't connected with aang on a spiritual level that often, korra had sort of taken for granted that he knew her name instinctively, so of course she would completely forget now of all times to introduce herself. ]

[ almost immediately she relaxes, though her laugh is awkward. ]

Haha... Sorry about that. It completely slipped my mind.

[ awkwardly rubbing the back of her head before she stands up straight, giving him a grin that's all-too familiar. ]

It's Korra.

[Okay, that he saw, and that he will laugh at.

His laughter is soft, but it's bright and happy and makes his whole face light up. This is not the solemn-faced Aang statue that stares down at Republic City; this is an Aang with a huge smile and a laugh that makes his shoulders shake.

Then the laughter is cut short, because ow, his back.] Mmf. [He winces, but he's still smiling, even as he breathes to keep himself from laughing anymore. He'd rather not irritate his wound.]

No, it's okay. I'd probably do the same thing if I was talking to Avatar Roku.

[Then they reach the garden. Ah, fresh air.] Korra. I like your name.

[ even though korra found said statue to be incredibly awe-inspiring, something about this reaction just feels more natural. it's how she sort of imagined aang to be as a kid—the complete opposite of her, and while she's never been one to shy away from a laugh, there's always been something mischievous brimming just under the surface. ]

Thanks, I like it too.

[ ... okay what do you even say to something like that? tenzin never taught her how to have an actual real-person conversation with her past lives, so she's trying to treat it like, well, a normal conversation.

she does catch his wince, but given the fact that aang's actually laughing right now and that she promised she'd show him some airbending, she continues to push asking about it back a little bit more. maybe if she can find a source of water, she can heal it a little more... ]

So, anything in particular you wanted to see? Tenzin taught me a lot of different forms, so do your worst!

[Tenzin. Tenzin must be her airbending instructor.

Is he an airbender? Are there still some Air Nomads left out there, hidden away and ready to wander back into the open when the war is over? Or does she learn from a non-bender like Pathik, who knows all the forms but can't actually bend the element?

But those are questions he's not sure he's quite ready to hear the answers to. First, he wants to see someone else airbend for the first time since he woke up in the south pole.]

Can you make an air scooter?

[He perks at the thought with a big grin. If she could, they could race each other once his back was better!]

[ oh aang if only you knew... ]

An air scooter? [ pfft, korra says! here was was expecting something more difficult than that! let's just ignore the fact that airbending was basically impossible for her a few months ago because she is totally ready for the big leagues!! ] Just watch me.

[ said with confidence and flair, korra then cracks her knuckles and does a quick glance at her surroundings to make sure she doesn't make a fool of herself by flying headfirst into a wall. with a path laid out in her head, she twists her hands in front of her quickly, summoning a ball of swiftly moving air and balancing perfectly on top of it.

and then, to show off, she does a lap around the garden, zooming up the pathway and right past aang. ]

[As far as Aang's concerned, the air scooter is way better than any of the fancy stuff. But as it's inventor, he may be biased.

He doesn't expect the feelings that explode in his chest when he sees her jump onto a ball of air and fly. The tightness in his throat. The sense of spreading wings in his chest. The prickling behind his eyes.

He's not alone. He's dead in her time. He's with another airbender. She knows everything that will happen to him. He doesn't screw things up so thoroughly that there aren't any other Avatars. This place is messed up if there can be two Avatars at once.

He starts to laugh, because all the feelings are too much and he's happy, no matter how weird it is to be with another Avatar, because she's like him and he's not alone and she can airbend, and then he applauds and whoops when she whips past him, even though it's all swiftly cut short because it hurts to laugh and his back seizes up in pain and he can pretend that that's why his eyes water.]

Yep, you're the Avatar, all right! [The pain can't make his cheer go away, although he leans on his glider and he has to even out his breathing.] Just wait; I'll show you all the airbender games. Does your instructor show you those?

[ even though she gracefully leaps off the air scooter to land easily on her feet, there's no way she can miss the way aang leans on his glider. she can't dance around the giant pink platypus-bear in the room. jogging up beside aang, she rests a hand on his shoulder to help him steady himself, laughing under her breath. ]

Who, Tenzin? [ laughing at the question, korra shakes her head. ] I'm pretty sure his head would explode if he relaxed for a moment and had "fun".

[ she waits until she's sure aang won't topple over before finally letting him go. ]

His kids taught me that.

Edited 2014-03-19 20:48 (UTC)

[Tenzin. Kids. Kids who knew how to make his air scooter.

When he finds out, Aang will marvel at how dense he had to be to not even consider the possibility that they all could be his family, but as a twelve-year-old, the thought of having kids is so remote and far off that it doesn't even occur to him that that's what Tenzin might be. Instead, he just tries to crush the growing hope that there might still be other Air Nomads out there, and that he might not be alone.]

Really? That's no fun. The monks said that fun is an integral part of learning how to airbend. [Beat. Grin.] Weeeeell... actually, only one monk said that. My instructor. Before we airbended pies in the other monks' faces.

[Oh, Gyatso. He misses you.

But yeah, he notices how she tries to steady him, as grateful as he is that she's not bringing it up, he really should get help. With a sheepish smile, he says,] I don't suppose you know how to heal, do you?

[ part of korra—a lot of her, actually—wants to tell aang about tenzin and his family, but there are so many reasons why she needs to bite her tongue and let it come out naturally. not the least of which is the fact that she herself has no idea how she would handle finding out about a potential future family even at her age, so how could she just spring that on aang right out of the blue? he's probably still reeling about everything else.

and, more importantly, he's hurt, and that means she needs to help him before they continue. ]

I was given waterbending lessons by the best waterbender around, so hmmm. [ she places a fingertip to her chin as she once more takes stock of their surroundings, spotting a glass of water several dozen feet away near a couple having a conversation. sorry guys, but she needs that water more, and with fluid movements she summons it to her. ] Yeah, I think I can heal you up a little.

[ the water twists around her fingers and then into a ball between her hovering palms. ]

Turn around.

[One part of Aang wants to ask, but the rest of him knows he's not ready yet to hear the answer. If she tells him that she's being taught by a family of airbenders, he'll be consumed with thoughts of his culture potentially surviving. If she's being taught by non-benders, he'll be crushed by the confirmation that he really is the last.

Right now, he's hurt and already overwhelmed and he doesn't have the emotional resources for either option, so he forces himself to ignore the part that wants to know.]

If we end up staying a while, you mind showing me how to do it some time?

[He dutifully turns around and allows her to look at his back with the angry red mark left behind by Azula.] My waterbending teacher keeps meaning to show me how to heal, but there's never been much time for it. [Between needing to learn three different kinds of bending and being hunted down by the Fire Nation, teaching Aang to heal has been put on the back burner.]

[ the sight of the wound is enough to make korra's voice dissipate in her throat, and for a stretch of time, she's quiet. it's sobering to see this kind of wound on aang's back, and she can't imagine what it must have been like to watch it happen. there's a sudden pressure in korra's chest as she thinks about all the ways that scenario could have gone wrong and spirits is she glad everything turned out the way it did.

who knows if she'd even be here right now if it hadn't?

she has to shake herself out of those thoughts and put her healing hands to work. by no means is she as good as katara, and she's long since accepted that she might never be, but it's enough to take the edge off at least and make it more comfortable for aang to deal with.

breathing out a soft laugh before she replies, korra concentrates on the water around her fingers, ]

I probably wouldn't be that great of a teacher. [ not to put herself down! just speaking frankly because the idea that she is a fully-realized avatar now is still something she's coming to grips with. ] But I wouldn't mind sharing some tips.

[Aang relaxes immediately when the water touches his back, so much that he doesn't notice the pause before she answers. It only takes the edge off the pain, but it's better than nothing.]

Thanks. [He might end up asking her for earthbending tips too if they're here long enough. He's anxious about being away from the war with Sozin's comet coming near, and he'd like to not fall behind on his training if he's here for a while without Toph or Katara.

He won't ask for help firebending, though. He does not want to deal with that element again.] Do you have a glider? For airbending? [Korra. You are so going to go flying with him. This is a given.]

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oh my god i feel so bad dkjslkgslk

Poor Aang never catches a break

weeps, it's true.

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