[ Catching Pai's small hand in his, Hei coaxes her closer, the counter-island separating them. He doesn't realize it, but there's so much history and warmth in that simple gesture. They're certainly not a couple, but how like a couple they can act, a couple of long standing, at ease together, casually looking after each other. (The bewilderment on her face is plain. He wishes he could tell her, You don't have to use callsigns and messier codes here. Not unless you need to. He hopes she can be herself in the City. Hopes she'll have the freedom to choose. For a man who's learnt to prioritize duplicity and masks, it's strange how Hei's ethos has come to revolve around freedom and personal choice. If Pai learns to adjust here -- to be whatever she wants -- it'll make it that much easier for Hei to follow.) ]
[ Korra's words stir him from his trance. Blinking, he glances at her. His mind still whirls from the strangeness of this moment, shaking out snippets of past memory, strong feelings that put him off-balance. It isn't fair, the way he's been put on the spot. For a moment both Pai and Korra seem to meld, then separate, then meld again as he watches them. Scowling, he tries to clear his vision. The sleepless hours he's crossed crunch up and slam him. He's tired. So tired, but also lonely. The type of lonely that has nothing to do with Pai. ]
[ To Korra, ] Do you want to go? [ The tone is almost combative, but the look is half-confidential. It seems to ask, Are you that uncomfortable? Because if she is, he has no business making her stay. ]
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[ Korra's words stir him from his trance. Blinking, he glances at her. His mind still whirls from the strangeness of this moment, shaking out snippets of past memory, strong feelings that put him off-balance. It isn't fair, the way he's been put on the spot. For a moment both Pai and Korra seem to meld, then separate, then meld again as he watches them. Scowling, he tries to clear his vision. The sleepless hours he's crossed crunch up and slam him. He's tired. So tired, but also lonely. The type of lonely that has nothing to do with Pai. ]
[ To Korra, ] Do you want to go? [ The tone is almost combative, but the look is half-confidential. It seems to ask, Are you that uncomfortable? Because if she is, he has no business making her stay. ]