uptowngirl | [IC] Inbox @ eachdraidh

Hey Asami!

Hey Korra.

[ Girl, it is so good to hear your voice. ]

How's it going?

[ i've been gone for three hours i just wanted to make sure you were still here... ]

For as busy as this road gets, there's a lot of time where there's just... nothing.

[ 3 hours does seem like a long time. ]

You're not going to be gone for too long, are you?

No, I took Appa this time, and he can fly to Redgate and back in less than four hours.

[ she also knows she really shouldn't say this, but: ]

Did you wanna go anywhere today? This world is huge and ... pretty fascinating. In a weird... unfamiliar kinda way.

[ she'll get into so much trouble, but whatever, she has more mercenaries to help out guarding.

"more"... by that we mean "two". ]

[ Asami, of course, hasn't yet figured out all the dynamics of Korra's duties. And perhaps she's a little selfishing in wanting to spend as much time with Korra as possible. It's hard to not want to be around an remind herself that she's okay. ]

Really? [ Hopeful voice. ] How can I say "no" to that? If you've got the time, I'd love it!

[ honestly, korra's stuck to the road for an entire year without leaving it, so ... she feels like she's earned a little break. yes, this is supposed to be a punishment, but korra's turned it into something more than that — she's made a home out of it.

they'll only be away for a day, maybe less, and they can use the fairy rings and appa to get themselves around more quickly. no one need ever know... ]

All right, great! [ Um. ] Check your map while I'm out, see if there's any place that catches your interest.

[ besides, it's not like she's leaving the road unguarded. two of mako's guard detail from the citadel came down and korra hired them to work for her. she has no intention of shirking her duties, but she's not going to be tied down by them, either.

and let's be honest — if asami's selfish in wanting to spend time with korra, then she's just as selfish for wanting to spend as much time as she can with asami. it's been too long since she's seen her, and even though asami's here now, there's that little nagging ache in the center of her chest that tells korra that there was a chance this would have never happened. ]

Edited 2015-06-05 02:47 (UTC)

[ Asami has to laugh a little at that, light as it is. It's good to hear Korra be excited about something, planning her own excursions. Of course Asami is glad to be part of it, but she can't shake the image of just how...broken Korra had been. Zaheer hadn't just harmed her physically, she'd broken Korra's spirit. Those were the wounds that were hardest to heal. Asami wanted to go with her, but she trusted Korra to make the right decision for herself. Help isn't the same as smothering.

So this? This is wonderful. Even though she knows that Korra isn't in peek physical condition at the moment, she's still Korra. That's irreplaceable.]

You do realize that everything is interesting and unfamiliar to me right now, don't you?

[ But it's a friendly tone in her voice. ]

I can't pronounce half the things I see on here...Do you have any recommendations?

[ that's such a loaded question since there are places in glaschu that korra would have loved to go to, but ... hasn't had the opportunity to travel to yet. she saw the pool of souls last samhain and meditated in its waters, and part of her would love to take asami there and show her how beautiful this world could be, but... that's perhaps not the best thing to introduce to a woman like asami right at the start. she should see someplace with technology, and that of course means the station — though korra feels like that might be not unexciting, but not as exciting as it could be.

but maybe it was just what asami needed to get comfortable here in this world. ]

We'll go north! To the Station.

[ Asami has been looking at her map, trying to commit what she can to memory as well as start dividing up the places she should be paying closer attention to. She wants to ask Korra's opinions as well, as she's been picking Mako's already. This is a perfect opportunity.

And, you know, Korra time, which is always a huge plus. ]

The Station...I've heard a bit about it. It's considered neutral territory, isn't it?

Uh huh! Technically it's in Dorchadas, but no one's claimed it for either side.

[ which is good in her eyes. it's a place where technology has flourished, so one side would have a distinct advantage over the other if they claimed the station for their own. ]

There might still be some scars from the Jabberwocky attack a year or so ago, but it's mostly rebuilt by now.

[ She nods, despite the fact that...Korra can't see it, but it's an automatic motion. ]

The Jabberwocky? That isn't the first time I've heard it mentioned.

Oh yeah? [ she perks up a little because, man, it was Bad. ] Who else told you about it?

There were some...interesting people at the party when I arrived. It sounds like a lot happened in the last year.

[ there's a long sigh on korra's end. ]

You don't even know the half of it.

I'd like to when you have the time.

[ She can read about it, sure, and she's heard things from other people, but she wants to hear Korra's account, personally. ]

[ this face ]

[ but.. ]

Yeah... there are some things I'd rather you hear from me than anyone else.

It's hard to believe you've been here for so long.

It's just as hard to believe that you weren't here with us the whole time.

I'm here now. I've got a lot of catching up to do, but I want to help however I can.

[ the conversation lapses into thoughtful silence for a moment or two, ]

There's something I think you should know, but I'll tell you on the way to the Station.

[ sheeee does not trust the lockets. the monarchs might be listening. ]

[ That makes her a little nervous. ]

Alright...is everything okay?

Yeah, it's over and in the past, but it happened and you should know about it.

You know I trust you, Korra.

[ If it's in the past, don't worry too much. ]

I can't sleep. Tell me a story.

[ korra it's not even 2AM yet why are you trying to sleep.

oh right because you're sick. also this is probably the fiftieth message they've exchanged today.

every day.

since asami went back to the castle. ]

[ Oh Korra. She was just thinking about messaging you...except she figured that you'd be asleep.

Not that she can blame Korra. She can't imagine sleeping is much more comfortable than doing anything else, but rest is important.

But how can she really say "no"? ]

I can do that. Can you promise me that you're in bed, at least?

Yeah, I'm in bed. It's not very comfortable, though.

[ since it feels like she's laying on metal, even in spite of the comfy mattress john had brought her in the past. ]

I know. I'm sorry.

[ She really wishes she were there to try and make it more comfortable. ]

[ But what story to tell? Hmm...it takes her some time, but she does put all this down for Korra to read. ]

Long, long ago in a far off land there lived a young man. One day, while working on his farm, a brilliant white cranefish came swooping down and crashed to the ground at his feet. The man noticed an arrow pierced through one of its wings. Taking pity on the cranefish, he pulled out the arrow and cleaned the wound. Thanks to his care the animal was soon able to fly again. The young man sent the cranefish back to the sky, saying, "Be careful to avoid hunters." The cranefish circled three times over his head, let out a cry as if in thanks, and then flew away.

As the day grew dark the young man made his way home. When he arrived, he was surprised by the sight of a beautiful woman whom he had never seen before standing at the doorway. "Welcome home. I am your wife," said the woman. The young man was surprised and said, "I am very poor, and cannot support you." The woman answered, pointing to a small sack, "Don't worry, I have plenty of rice," and began preparing dinner. The young man was puzzled, but the two began a happy life together. And the rice sack, mysteriously, remained full always.

One day the wife asked the young man to build her a weaving room. When it was completed, she said, "You must promise never to peek inside." With that, she shut herself up in the room. The young man waited patiently for her to come out. Finally, after seven days, the sound of the loom stopped and his wife, who had become very thin, stepped out of the room holding the most beautiful cloth he had ever seen. "Take this cloth to the marketplace and it will sell for a high price," said the wife. The next day the young man brought it to town and, just as she said, it sold for many coins. Happy, he returned home.

The wife then returned to the room and resumed weaving. Curiosity began to overtake the man, who wondered, "How can she weave such beautiful cloth with no thread?" Soon he could stand it no longer and, desperate to know his wife's secret, peeked into the room. To his great shock, his wife was gone. Instead, a cranefish sat intently at the loom weaving a cloth, plucking out its own scale feathers for thread.

The bird then noticed the young man peeking in and said, "I am the cranefish that you saved. I wanted to repay you so I became your wife, but now that you have seen my true form I can stay here no longer." Then, handing the man the finished cloth, it said, "I leave you this to remember me by." The cranefish then abruptly flew off into the sky and disappeared forever.

[ Sorry that took so long, Korra! But at the moment it feels just as important as her research. ]

I'm sorry, I guess it's actually a sad story, but it was one of my favorites growing up. My mother would tell me it before bed.

[ you know, korra was about to say something kind of smart-assed about being depressed as well as tired, but the little detail about asami's mother keeps korra's tongue from flapping uselessly. ]

[ so she takes a different route: ]

Didn't he run after her? Why would he just let her go like that?

It never says. But...that doesn't mean we can't make up the rest?

[ oh, that's a good idea... and korra's line goes quiet while she tries to think up a suitable ending. ]

Then I say he did. He ran after her, and he thanked her for the cloth but he wanted to tell her that seeing her healthy was its own reward. But he'll still remember her kindness and generosity.

I think that's a nice ending, Korra. Maybe if he's able to love a cranefish, they could even stay together.

They were together for so long already. If they were happy, then there's no reason why he shouldn't try, knowing what she really was.

I think that's the moral of the story. There's nothing wrong with happiness and kindness. We should always be grateful for it and not ask why we're happy.

[ You make me happy, Korra. ]

[ first of all, how dare you ]

But what if it's the wrong kind of happiness?

[ korra you must be feeling sick to ask these kinds of questions. ]

After two years of never seeing you and never knowing if I'd ever see you again, I'm happy that you're here. But I feel like I shouldn't be. This place was too hard for Bolin, he never really found a place... Which is good, I think. He deserves to be happy at home, not suffering here.

You deserve to be happy and home, too. I missed you so, so much, Asami, but I don't want to see this place hurt you.

[ not like it's hurt mako, not like it's hurt korra herself; but they can take it. they've been fighters their whole lives and they'll grab onto whatever they can with the points of their teeth and never let go. korra fully believes in the seelie goals now, having had her time to think on them, but she doesn't want anything more happening to her friends. not if she can help it. ]

[ So...this got decidedly more introspective than she intended it to be. Asami rereads the message a few times, her notes pushed to the side for the moment, before responding. She wants to be careful in her word choice. ]

I understand what you mean, at least to some degree. I haven't been here that long but I was still so relieved to see Mako at that party even though I knew the implications of the situation, the same with seeing you later.

[ She can admit to a little bit of selfishness at seeing Korra again. She had wanted to go down to the South Pole while Korra was healing--she'd been willing and ready to let the company run itself or administer from afar for as long as she needed. People are more important than things. Her family legacy means a lot to her, but it doesn't matter if there's no one else to share her life with going forward. ]

But I don't think it's wrong to feel happy when you're with people you care about. I think that's just how we're programmed. I can't imagine I'd be feeling any differently if our situations were reversed, Korra. Even a few weeks can seem like forever when you miss someone.

[ She's definitely speaking from her own experience there, though she promised Mako she wouldn't bring up anything from the future she's aware of and Korra isn't. ]

I want you to know that as strange as this is, I'm not necessarily upset that they brought me here. If I somehow knew that you two were here fighting a war and I wasn't there to help? I'm not sure I could be happy back home. You guys are my family now.

[ unfortunately for both asami and korra, late night conversations tend to go one of two ways: they either drift off into silliness or they take a turn for the deep and introspective. right now it seems like there's a lot of that these two girls need to get off their chests; perhaps driven as much by fear on korra's end as anything else. fear of losing the ones she loves, fear of never being honest with them, fear that morla and her goonies would use korra's love for them against her.

but fortunately for asami, the allusions to what's in store for korra's future go right over her head, and as she thinks over her response, korra rolls over and draws her fingertip down over rizhao's mane, causing the dragon to gently coo in mommy's direction. ]

Then we'll have to all fight together. No matter what happens, we should be a united front. [ this isn't really the time to get all avatar speech-y, and korra knows that, but she also knows that she can't do all of this on her own.

( and on her back, unknown to her, the silver starts to recede slowly. ) ]

You're part of our family too, Asami. Mine and Mako's.

[ that feels so... inadequate to say after so long, but korra doesn't want to get ahead of herself and say something she'll regret. ]

So we'll take care of you. I know you can handle yourself in a fight, but these people aren't like benders. They're... nothing like anything we've ever fought before, so if we want to make a dent in them, even just to protect ourselves, we have to work together.

[ Even if she can't hear it in Korra's voice, the resolve she sees in text makes her smile. It's reassuring, that she hasn't given up yet, that she isn't the same broken person Asami saw sail off to the South. There's a chance they can save her and that everything will be alright. That's what they're fighting for right now. ]

That's what friends are for, right?

[ United Team Avatar. Minus...Bolin, although from what Korra has said, he might be better off back home. But Asami can't help but feel that he would be thinking similarly to her; he would want to help and be where the people he cares about are, at the very least his own brother.

But Korra's affirmation warms her heart in ways she can't really portray in just words. Even though she tries. ]

Thank you, Korra. That really means a lot to me.

[ After everything that's happened between them and to them all. It could be easy to feel lonely so distanced from her only relative, but despite the hurt she still harbors from her father's betrayal, her friends have filled the gaps and crevices and made her whole again. She won't leave them. ]

I feel safe with you.

[ It's something she's said before...although to someone else, but it holds true despite all the perils she and Korra--all of them have faced together. Asami believes they will work together and make it out. Whatever physical dangers lay before them, she feels happiest and safest with them. ]

Just don't forget that I'm here to make sure you're safe too. When this current hurdle is over, I'm going to learn everything I can. I'm here to help you. This is where I want to be.

[ On the 19th, a small gift is left for Asami. Notes on runes and protective enchantments, duplicated from Hermione's own, and a small set of magical sweets from her own world. Left with it is a note; 'Thank you. - H.' ]

[IC] Inbox @ eachdraidh

voice; pre-event, post-meeting obvs, somewhere around there.

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june 10th ; 11:50PM

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2/??? I lied

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7 DONE

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