poly_chromatic | 二十一

Entry tags:

legend of korra: korra

二十一

[Coming out today in an Underground comic store near you -- a self-published comic by a local artist. Posters advertising the comic say: "INSPIRED BY TRUE EVENTS".]

[It's a good thing Korra's not working tonight, otherwise heads might roll. As it is, she's going to be pretty darn pissed when she finds out about this.

Who wants to break the news to her?]

[ooc: Art courtesy of the ever-amazing

candothat]

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[Korra and Naga are curled up together in the park, staring up at the moon. She's tired and run ragged and a little numb, but there's a comfort in the cold air, Naga's steady breathing, and the glow of moonlight.]

[This looks like more than the fallout from some Underground cartoon. Chekov approaches cautiously.]

Korra? Naga?

[Korra sits up when she hears Chekov's voice and gives him a little smile -- weak, but genuine.]

Hey Chekov.

[She gestures for him to sit down next to her (and take advantage of Naga's warmth.)]

[He will gladly take her up on that. Once he's seated, he tilts the open bag of chocolates towards her.]

Hello.

Should I ask what's wrong?

[Korra shakes her head and gently pushes the chocolates away. Sweets aren't a comfort for her.]

It's just been a rough week.

[With a little sigh, she leans back and rests her head on Chekov's shoulder.]

Is there something wrong with me?

[He sets the chocolates aside and chokes back an agreement with her first statement.]

Of course there isn't. Why do you say that?

[Chekov hugs Korra carefully.]

[She takes the hug, but doesn't quite feel reassured. She doesn't want to say it...it seems so stupid, so shallow, when she puts it in words.]

The guy I love didn't want me. And... [Ugh this is the really embarrassing part. Chekov knows too much about her, about Li. Would he even understand?] There was this guy, I was kind of seeing. But... I kind of told him I sort of liked him, and he said he didn't want to see me anymore. That it had been a mistake.

Korra...

[He knows that he'd be devastated if Lucy decided she didn't want anything to do with him. As for this guy...]

I believe that indicates that there is something wrong with him, not with you. Why did he think it was a mistake?

He said there was "no reason to continue making myself uncomfortable."

[That's not quite what Li said, but time and hurt feelings play funny tricks on the memory. Regardless of the young man's intent, those are the words that Korra took to heart.]

Were you uncomfortable?

I mean him. Make himself uncomfortable.

[Yeah, it had been weird, confusing, emotionally rough, and often painful. But Korra wouldn't think of it as being "uncomfortable" for her.]

If he was making himself uncomfortable, why is that your fault?

Because being with me was the problem.

[It's not like they had even spent that much time together. She hadn't hung around his work, making stupid schmoopy faces, or asked to see him all the time. They met by accident more often than they had by choice. She'd thought she was pretty low-key.]

Am I really that hard to be around?

Korra, of course not. I like to be around you.

[And he can't be the only one, certainly. The problem isn't Korra; it's clearly this unnamed person who has taken the liberty of toying with her feelings and blaming her for his down shortcomings.

Who on earth could that be?]

Is it Hei?

[GERK]

How did you know?

Korra, please. I am a genius.

[Not that it was difficult to guess. He has only seen Korra and Hei interact a handful of times, but Korra, at least, was easy enough to read.]

What can I do?

[She groans a little and hides her face in his shoulder. This is humiliating.

There's a moment of silence as she considers his question. Unfortunately...]

Nothing. I just have to deal with it. It's not like I even liked him that much. [Just enough for it to hurt.]

[He pats her head. No need to feel humiliated.]

That doesn't make you feel better, does it? [and, jokingly (although he might be serious)] Would you like me to punch him for you? I can do that.

[Korra snorts at his question. She doesn't bother saying "Thanks, but no thanks" assuming it's implied. But it'd be easy to mistake her silence as a "yes, please."]

[Chekov plans on scolding Hei, at the very least. He'd punch him if he thought it would hurt Hei's face half as much as it would hurt his fist.]

Korra, there is nothing wrong with you or your company.

Thanks.

[She sits up to lean back against Naga.]

Sorry I'm such a downer.

If I minded, I would not be here.

[tilting her head to look at him]

How have you been?

Better, and worse. Now is a very confusing time, but nothing can be done for that.

Wanna talk about it?

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