二

[anatural]

[action]
[This place is definitely weird. The day before yesterday she had been sweltering in her Water Tribe clothes, and now she's grateful for her heavy coat and fur-lined boots.

She had been trying to meditate in the apartment, but there had been too many distractions. So she went outside, hoping the cold would help sharpen her focus.

Problem is, meditating is still boring. Very. Boring.

Somebody. Help her.

Please.]

Comments

[zipperbent]

Yeah???? [He levers himself up onto his forearms, then pauses there, appearing lost in thought.] You did, this is true. [A cheerful admission; he's not afraid to acknowledge that she has the advantage, because...she does have the advantage. But he isn't about to tap out, yet. He draws his knees in and flips himself to his feet, landing in a classical earthbending stance.]

But there's still earth beneath all the snow.

[To prove it, he starts raising tiny chunks of it close to her feet in an attempt to trip her up.]

[anatural]

[The earthbending causes her to stumble, so she can't take advantage of the snow at her feet. She scrambles backwards. When she regains her footing, she tries out a new move, a modified earthbending move to hurl blocks of air up towards Bolin -- and the air would bring snow with it.

It doesn't work. Shoot.]

[zipperbent]

[Quite abruptly, this has become a training exercise. And rather than take it easy on her, rather than allow her to recover from her failed technique, he picks up the pace, raising wave after wave of earth beneath and around her.]

Come on, Korra! This the best you can do?

[Another burst, but this one is bigger, this one's a slab that can knock her skyward if she's not careful.]

[anatural]

[Korra's attention focuses and she feels that familiar thrill, the one that only comes when she's training. She lets the giant slab lift into the air, using its momentum to flip backwards. Circular motion. Her waterbending moves will work best. She makes a tornado around Bolin, the air picking up snow in a tunnel.]

[zipperbent]

[For all that he's getting snow up his nose and in his mouth and for all that this is a PRETTY UNCOMFORTABLE POSITION TO BE IN, Bolin can't resist whooping. Korra can only get better from here. He knew she had it in her.

--of course, the whooping eventually stops because inhaling snow kinda sucks and he waves his arms around to try to ward it off, with only marginal success.]

[anatural]

[Korra laughs and whoops with him. In her excitement, she starts running around in circles, inadvertently (and fortunately) releasing Bolin from the snow tornado.]

[zipperbent]

[Once the cyclone dissipates, he falls backward, laughing, into the snow, arms and legs splayed out gracelessly.]

Quite satisfactory, Korra.

[He declares, raising one arm and finger skyward.]

You may praise Sifu Bolin accordingly.

[anatural]

[Korra laughs and bows deeply.]

Thank you, Sifu Bolin. I could not have done this without you.

[zipperbent]

[He gives her one of those doofy smiles he probably shouldn't be throwing around in casual conversation.]

He is quite aware, and is pleased his student recognizes as much.

[anatural]

[Korra offers him a hand up.]

Of course I do. I mean it, Bolin -- I couldn't do this without you.