七

[anatural]

[action]

[After a week gone, Korra finally has her head screwed on straight -- sort of. She still doesn't feel ready to face her friends, their worries and their questions, but she knows she can't put it off any more.

She sneaks into the apartment, hoping that nobody's there.]

[voice]
H-hey Chekov. Sorry I've missed our sessions. Can we meet up later this afternoon?

[Korra tries to turn off the device, but accidentally flicks the video on. For a few seconds you can see her -- her eyes are dark and sunken, and there's a gray cast to her skin, a subtle loss of color that anyone who's known the City dead would recognize.

She quickly closes the device.]

Comments

[video // filtered // unhackable]

[candothat]

Korra! Where have you been? What happened? I have been calling your device, and-- [WAIT NO DON'T TELL HIM, HE CAN GUESS.] ...Something killed you? When did that happen?

[video // filtered // unhackable]

[anatural]

[She winces, and kind of wishes she hadn't sent a message to him. His frenetic energy slams against her like a rock hitting stone.]

It's a long story. Okay, not really. I don't... I don't really know what happened.


I'm sorry.

[video // filtered // unhackable]

[candothat]

[At least it's worried frenetic energy.]

Why are you sorry? I assume you did not die intentionally.

[Now, what can he trade to the deities to get Korra's life back...]

[video // filtered // unhackable]

[anatural]

What? Of course not!

[Who would even? And don't even think about it, Chekov. She's got enough on her conscience without you adding not it.]

I should have told you sooner. I know I worried a lot of people.

[video // filtered // unhackable]

[candothat]

Dying is hard--or so I have heard. I think you can be forgiven.

[video // filtered // unhackable]

[anatural]

Dying's easy. It's everything else that's hard.

[video // filtered // unhackable]

[candothat]

There are ways to get your life back.

[video // filtered // unhackable]

[anatural]

Like...a trade?

[He had done that before, for another friend of his.]

[video // filtered // unhackable]

[candothat]

Exactly, yes. The price can be high, but it's worth it, I think, for a life.

[video // filtered // unhackable]

[anatural]

I don't know what I'd trade. [She wants to be alive again, to have a heartbeat, but she can't give up the last of her bending.]

[video // filtered // unhackable]

[candothat]

You may not need to worry about that.

[video // filtered // unhackable]

[anatural]

[She almost asks what he means, but then it comes to her. Chekov has already made sacrifices to bring another friend to life.]

No. No way.

[video // filtered // unhackable]

[candothat]

[But Korraaaa. He looks rather put out.]

Why? If lives can be given back, why shouldn't they?

[video // filtered // unhackable]

[anatural]

It's my life. [She doesn't know ow to explain it. She's the Avatar. It's her job to sacrifice for other people. Other people shouldn't be making sacrifices for her.

Taking care of her, that was one thing. But she remembers Chekov's loss of identity after the sacrifice he made to get his friend's life back, and she still feels the pain every day of her own loss. She wouldn't wish that on anyone for any reason, and definitely not for her sake.]

[video // filtered // unhackable]

[candothat]

But you would accept a gift, wouldn't you? If someone wished to give it to you?

[video // filtered // unhackable]

[anatural]

Not this.

[video // filtered // unhackable]

[candothat]

I understand, I think.

[He certainly wouldn't want anyone to trade something for his life (although, selfishly, he doubts he would protest as much as Korra if someone was insistent.]

[video // filtered // unhackable]

[anatural]

Thank you.

[video // filtered // unhackable]

[candothat]

[He moves to end the video feed, but stops short.]

Korra, if you go to the deities about this to trade, try not to let them ask too much of you. I think that they are often willing to take less than what is offered.

[video // filtered // unhackable]

[anatural]

I will.