poly_chromatic | accidental video;

Entry tags:

legend of korra: jinora

accidental video;

[The video feed starts. There's nothing exciting to see; this particular device has been discarded in the frenzied panic the monsters have inspired, giving the network little to see but a whitewashed apartment wall.

The ambient nose is ghoulish: moans, groans, short phrases from the more articulate creatures, nails screeching along windows, rattling at the door. A dog is barking, low and angry.]

Hamlet? It's okay, boy.

[Jinora's voice, soon joined by her worried-looking face as she picks the device up.]

They can't get-- [The girl gasps and clutches the network device close. There's a brief view of the front window where a man, pale-faced and undoubtedly in some stage of decay, puts a gnarled hand against the glass. His voice is almost inaudible, but a word can be made out.]

Disappointment. Disssssapointment...

[The network device clatters to the ground. Quietly, disbelieving, Jinora whispers:]

Daddy?

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[It feels like it takes forever to get back to the apartment. Her heart pounds with terror, a rapid, erratic rhythm that seems to thunder a name.

If anything happens to Jinora, she's never going to forgive herself.]

[Much against the dog's wishes (and likely Tohru's, if Tohru didn't think that Jinora was meditating in her room), the ten year-old has left the apartment. She knows her father isn't her father, but she has missed him so much; she can't ignore him, not now that he spoke to her.

The girl isn't stupid, however, and has her glider staff in hand as she approaches the ghoul that looks like Tenzin.]

Daddy... is that you?

[The ghoul shambles towards her, repeating a single word: disappointment.]

[Korra hasn't quite made it there yet, but this is what she left Naga here for. The polar bear dog pushes herself in front of the young airbender and snarls at the ghoul, warning him off.

But when do ghouls ever listen?]

Naga, no! Don't hurt him!

[Listen? Ghouls? Never. The Tenzin-creature lashes out at Naga with long, curling nails.]

[Naga easily bats his hand away, her claws gouging his rotting flesh.]

[The thing that looks like Tenzin howls and lunges at Naga.]

Naga! Dad!

[Korra puts on an extra burst of speed when she hears Naga howl in pain. She rounds the corner and finds Tenzin with his teeth sunk into Naga's shoulder.]

NO!

[She sends a blast of air to knock Tenzin off of the dog.]

Jinora get inside!

[Jinora didn't mean for Naga to get hurt. She almost runs, but then Tenzin goes flying...]

Don't kill him!

[The ghoul has survived worse than that from Korra. Did she sound that young when she was talking to Li?

Naga herself shakes off the wound, but other ghouls are coming for them. The polar bear dog fends them them off, leaving Korra free to focus on Tenzin. He gets up with eerie speed and charges once more at Jinora. Korra tries to get him with another airbending attack, but he deftly blocks it and sends her flying.]

[Jinora watches Tenzin toss Korra aside like she's nothing. That's... not the way it should be.

She can't hurt him too badly, but Jinora takes a breath and lets it go, directing all of her energy into a gust of air focused on her father.]

Dad, stop!

[You're a better airbender than Korra, but Tenzin is still the master. He cuts apart the gust of air as though it's nothing.

Korra pushes herself to her feet.]

Don't use your airbending! He'll forget he has it unless you remind him.

[She looks around for anything she can use as a weapon, and finds a shovel.]

Get inside now!

[If she can't airbend... she can't do anything.

Jinora backs away towards the door but doesn't go inside.]

Korra...

[Li was right. She can't control them. She's not strong enough to keep them from hurting people. She's not Aang.

There's only one thing she can do, and Jinora can't see it.]

Tohru! Get Jinora inside!

[Tohru had been cooking lunch, but once the noise had started, she found Jinora gone, and followed outside. She missed the beginning of the encounter, and stood there shocked for a while - it seemed they knew this one. That was just wrong.]

[Gently, she reaches out to take Jinora's hand.]

Jinora, come on. Come back inside.

[Jinora looks from Tohru to Korra to the ghoul. The monster is still hissing disappointment--perhaps it wasn't personal.]

That's my dad...

[If there's anyone the word "disappointment" is meant for, it's Korra. Her grip tightens on the shovel and she's trying her hardest not to scream.]

Please.

[Go inside before she breaks.]

[Is that Tohru's heart breaking for her? Yeah. That's what her crestfallen expression is as she hugs Jinora to her.]

I'm sorry. It can't be.... For him to be brought here just for that.

We need to go inside. [She tries to tug Jinora along with her, eyes tearing up as she does.]

[Korra's please and Tohru's insistence are enough to make Jinora move. With one last look at the ghoul and Korra, she hugs Tohru tightly and lets the older girl lead her inside.]

[Jinora's inside, but there's no relief. There's nothing to stop her from doing what she doesn't want to do.

Naga, despite being injured and bleeding, has finished off (for the time being) the other ghouls, and comes to Korra's aid. The polar bear dog charges behind Tenzin, knocks him to the ground and holds him there.

No time for hesitation. She takes a deep breath -- her lungs are already coated in filth; the stench no longer bothers her -- and swings the shovel down.

Once.

Twice.

Three times.

She stands there, staring at his headless body, gore oozing from wounds. Then it dries and crumbles into dust.]

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accidental video;

action; some point later

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