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Latest Posts by satogem - Page 2
she stood back & gladly watched from the sidelines as korra navigated the rolling storm of children, her hair whipping around her as the fallout made its way over. but the sight saw a smile touch her lips, warmth in her stomach & along her skin as she watched korra clearly in her element. it was nice seeing this side of her.
but... she couldn't get over the fact that she was barely making eye contact with her, at the ready for more than the ones in their care ... did she really think so badly of her ? ... she thought they had something & whatever sticky mess they'd gotten into wasn't worth this friendship. she could HOPE that korra might open up to her but in the meantime... she knew she could at least try showing her they would always be good.
she was surprised frankly that korra hadn't taken off in a whirl of air along with the kids the first chance she got, finally sparing a glance her way. " — uh, " in the moment it took her to react her choice had already been made for her as she saw the last of the three disappear from her vision, a gentle shrug as she warily agreed, " sure, why not. " she had always wondered what it would be like. & she trusted korra, so she asked no further questions. no resistance was put up to the sheer force of air that gusted her straight into the other girl — her hands curling naturally around her biceps as she clung on, the safety of the ground left behind. the familiar lurch in her stomach might have resulted in a small shout that unfolded into astonished laughter & gleaming eyes— just like taking a bend at top speed.
" ... i think there's hope for you yet behind the wheel. you've got great adaptability. "
❝...The Avatar will protect you...?❞
A weak rally behind a weak chuckle. Because Asami's generosity makes her want to die. Or fall through wood slats, never to resurface. Or never speak to her again— which, incidentally, she’s tried. But. Rice. Paper. Walls.
She’s itching under the collar, she’s sweating in the chill evening air. Shouts clamour land-side for the glory of the night's first mischief, but it’s the one too-agreeable voice that sets her ears ablaze. The waters below lap nervously at the pier. She's almost sure she's about to spontaneously combust.
❝It's fine. Really. Jinora, Ikki, Meelo, and Rohan, they're family to me.❞
The shift in subject feels like a clean breath. She starts to move, gathering conviction, desperate for the distraction of said company.
It's much harder to spare a thought for the other stuff when engulfed in a mini vortex. That's when the Avatar comes alive, shedding the whispers of tension for hearty belly laughter. Not that she's avoiding talking- she wants to talk about all that's happened, but... look where that headfirst straightforwardness has gotten her before. She imagines spring's thinning ice with Asami, imagines the rush of words she's holding back as a sheer blunt force—-
she wonders what anger looks like on Asami.
Air scooters emerge before the picture emerges. Up stone steps, too fast for feet. She looks to her side in question.
❝I can- ❞ take you away like I did Mako ❝ -if you want...?❞
her lips parted at the sudden loss of contact, arms folding briefly across her chest as she gazed across at her, separated by their tent for the night. she didn't like seeing korra like this — looking at her with hot, stinging betryal. but that's what you got when you agreed to be the messenger. she found her hands lifting in defense despite no incoming attack, " it wasn't my idea but... Tenzin thinks that I should be the one who heads back into Chun... alone. "
she tried to smother the guilt spreading across her face as she took a step closer, stopping her hands gravitating from her sides to allow korra her space, " i'd really just be making sure my mechs are all working properly, considering the dicey terrain. hey — this isn't because of anything you've done wrong, okay ? it's not your fault these people happen to be great at holding grudges — " hundreds of years great.
❝Hey!— ❞
But the playful indignation is short lived, Korra's good-natured grin falling from her face just as quickly as her hand withdraws. The roundabout manner of Tenzin's directive plays like cleverly aimed strikes to her sore points. It brings up accusations abound aimed at the Air Nomad, alongside a healthy reawakening of taking his side again.
It sets her off preemptively.
Korra's two steps back before she knows it. With arms crossed and a little sharper than she should be with her girlfriend.
❝Well?❞
I Would Do Anything For You.. 💕
she watched as korra navigated herself around an old model, looking more off-balance than she'd ever seen her before. she'd... heard about what had happened in Zaofu, had noticed that the wounds she'd carried around with her before she left for the southern water tribe still lingered in the hesitancy of her blue eyes. it quietly broke her heart to see, made her fingers itch & soothing words start to crawl their way up her throat as she thought of the honest words on paper she'd chosen to share with her. but all she could do was be here for her when she needed a friend — ... & try to contain the heat that rushed to the surface at korra's insistent belief in her plan.
the nervousness she could sense was also NEW. she raised an eyebrow, eyes conveying laughter she felt bubbling up, " so you're all mine for the day then. i guess varrick finally came through for once, " up until she'd heard korra's voice she'd figured this was just another one of his empty promises. as much as she hated to admit it, she might owe him big time for this. " having extra hands right now would be a huge help. progress has been... a lot slower than I'd like, " but she wouldn't be letting her home, or korra down, " why don't you come over here ? " & she turned her back to her as she approached the hull of the mech she'd been working on for the past... ... — how many days had it been ? it dawned on her that it'd been a while since she'd even looked at herself in a mirror... not that it mattered all that much in the middle of a world crisis. she cleared her throat then, crouching low to the ground and hugging her knees as she inspected her latest work... " ... you think you could lift this thing for me ? "
❝The Avatar's got a role to play in preparing to face Kuvira too.❞ Stripped of selfhood this thoroughly, her words might even have the capacity to sound upbeat. ❝Your mechs are our best chance against that spirit weapon. That makes this the place I need to be.❞
Two flatteries, only one sincere. But she skirts the context with the skill of a master airbender.
—And lands right into another budding truth. She is glad to be here. Without so much as meaning to, Korra's revisited the conversation they had on Air Temple Island in the handful of days since. Like, a lot. Asami's rebuffs to each of her bleak recollections comes back in echoes at all the proofs that would support her. Misplaced or not, hers feels like the last wisp of faith Korra can claim hold to.
She doesn't have the words to tell Asami. It feels... important to.
Too important to mess up. Korra instead feigns curiosity at the object beside her. If it happens to be tall enough to slip behind until she can tuck away the train of thought, well, that's just coincidence.
It also hides the uninvited blush and unceremonious mental picture. That's not what she meant.
❝I'm- all yours.❞ No-- why. She hasn't felt this foolish with her words in a while, and that’s saying something. ❝...Just show me what you need me to do.❞
her spine straightened at the sound of her voice, a disbelieving smile curving at cherry-red lips as she raised the goggles from her face. she definitely hadn't been expecting to see korra here today... or anytime soon if she was honest. THIS was where she was most useful after all, working away under harsh lighting while her city was at the brink of war, knee-deep into steel & embers — unfortunately, that meant their paths didn't cross all that much ( not as much as she'd like them to ) but she could always count on meeting her at the end of the road. she reached over before turning around, twisting the valves beside her so she could gently set the torch down, “ i have to admit, i was expecting varrick to send... well, anyone else when he said he'd get me an assistant for the day — ” she turned, taking in how... endearingly small out-of-place korra looked standing next to the large prototypes she'd been working on. she felt herself warm pleasantly at the thought of getting to spend some time with her, alone; it had been a while to say the least. there had been so much unspoken history since they last stood together just them... & she tried to block out memories of empty tumblers, sleepless nights, & crumped papers piling on her desk that were too much, never right. it was moments like this that she almost wished she'd been brave enough to sign her name to one of them. “ — not the avatar herself, ” she quirked an eyebrow, pulling a hefty glove from her hand so she could brush a lock of hair from her slightly damp face, “ you sure you wanna get your hands dirty with me ? ”
She checks a chestful of thoughts at the door to @satogem's workshop. It doesn't exactly make her feel any lighter, but by the time she steps inside, the thick heat and smell of singed metal almost tastes refreshing.
— Until she finds her tucked into the side of a mechasuit and chokes on the smoke. It's a spectacle she's not thought to appreciate before today, but seeing Asami's welding sparks practically halo her dark foregrounded hair makes it very hard not to stare. Korra can only be thankful that she's remembered to smooth her windswept hair and straighten her clothes before entering—- only so she doesn't fall too short of the unrealistic expectation of looking as good as Asami at work, of course.
Her hands come to rest at hip level, surveying this unfamiliar setting. It sets off a flutter of nervousness as Korra's reminded of how she doesn't know the first thing about... any of this.
But it's better than not being of any use.
❝I heard you were looking for an extra pair of hands.❞
a hand cupped the back of her girlfriend's neck, the other sliding along her waist to hold her now that she welcomed her touch, feeling the radiating heat begin to disperse between them. as terrifying as that had been she'd always had such admiration for korra's untamable ire when it came to the things she so whole-heartedly cared about, blazing what she could from her path. her mouth curved, “ — it's alright, i know how much you care about helping these people. enough that you'd even try to bite my head off a little, ” laughing words accompanied by a nervous chuckle. THAT had been the easy part — here goes nothing... “ — speaking of... there's something else Tenzin wanted me to tell you... ”
Her grip winds tighter around the glider, rooted in her plight. She's the Avatar, doing her job isn't supposed to be optional here. If she can't help when she's made for helping; what would that make her?
And yet,
smooth and soothing, deceptively soft, the words pierce skin.
Korra's smile is tentative, but her body is surer. Despite herself. She thinks letting go might just pull her very core to pieces, she knows the certainty of Asami will hold her together.
Korra drops the staff,
to find her heart quiet, her voice admiring.
❝Thank you. You always know what to say.❞
And when I don’t belong, Oh you say I am yours.
“ ... korra... hey— ”
she could feel the tension beneath her touch, the stinging heat of something moments away from combusting. but she only reached with her second hand to guide her nearer, her thumb brushing beneath her chin to help ground her, “ — they will be getting some help, no one's suggesting we just pack up & call it quits. ” “ i know how much you want to be a part of this... but these people have some old wounds that haven't healed yet. we shouldn't rush them, even if that means they're missing out... big time. ” her life had ultimately changed for the better from the moment korra had stepped foot into her hometown.
The soothing warmth doesn't quite negate the bruise of an ego. Korra presses on, in time with the thump thump thump of I can do this, I need to do this. Because, as much sense as the two make together,
❝But they clearly need my help!❞
❝Who holds a grudge over a ceremony that happened over three hundred years ago, anyway?❞
Decisiveness is written in her very stance. The pride! the stubbornness! none of it makes any sense! She's not about to just stand by over a slight that reaches beyond any living memory.
❝I don't care what the people of Chun want. I'm going.❞
& THAT wasn't exactly how she was hoping this would go ( she'd shaken hands with at least ten people this week but her girlfriend might be her toughest sell yet. )
“ ... well, Tenzin does make some good points... ” she could tell when she'd make the wrong adjustment to the problem at hand, time to pivot the other way... she sat a hand upon korra's shoulder, gentle & reassuring like her smile was, “ besides... it's not like you don't have loads of other cities on a waiting list for the avatar's help right now. ... — my office has been more of a storage facility for letters to you lately... ” but that was a separate issue.
It feels as if breath itself has been sucked out of the room— or maybe just out of her. Korra's stomach is hollow like the dawning realisation.
❝Are you taking his side against me?❞
But bitterer than the words is the very notion of @satogem's betrayal.
the tension that her touch seemed to trigger had her gaze captured, although ONCE AGAIN she couldn't exactly be sure if the daunting task of keeping three highly active air-bender children busy for a few hours had also yanked the rug out from under her or... the perpetual elephant koi wedged between them. she just WISHED that korra would talk to her about it already, but then she doubted rushing the avatar into a conversation like that would lead anywhere good ( the urge to let everything spill from her mouth kept her lips flattened into a line & her teeth catching her tongue. ) ... maybe she wasn't completely over the whole thing but she'd ALSO never let something so petty come between them. she liked korra, she liked her a lot.
“ i'm just glad i get to see it with you around. ” a warm smile thrown in her direction as her hand eased away, relief & calm rushing through her with korra around despite everything. “ ... — thanks... again, for offering to help earlier. i'm sure on top of all the other duties you've had since getting your bending back & figuring out air bending a night off would've been nice. but i really appreciate it. plus, it's nice to finally catch up with you again. ”
❝Wouldn't dream of it.❞
The Avatar's conviction spills over, full-hearted. ( If only the bravado went any deeper than skin. )
But the smile in her eyes is genuine— she can definitely relate to the children's excitement of being given free rein at long last. And, in the same vein, commiserate with the deputised at this time. Which is why she's here. With Asami. --It's not like she doesn't also live on this island, or spend most of her time here gladly orbited by the children; she's here to help a friend.
Because they are. Friends. The uneasy place in her stomach keeps score ( she's not sure ). She keeps her stance easy, unonfrontational, watching the dwindling distance with only a side glance. Close enough to attempt a grapple now, —not that she thinks Asami would want to, but if she did, she wouldn't exactly be unjustified, not after—-
Coiled muscles suppress a twitch upon contact, and she woefully considers bending a cold sea spray for the heat on her cheeks.
❝Not that I've not seen you handle yourself in tougher situations, but Meelo's just invented a new airbending move that's... -you have to see it for yourself.❞
a smile remained SAT at her lips as tenzin & pema's figures began traveling towards the harbour, slowly swallowed by darkness of the night sea. only once they were gone did she cant her head to the side to find a likely overdrawn grin on @inkorrnate's mouth ⸻ & her eyes roamed for a moment to find the rest of her was much the same. it ALSO didn't go unnoticed that they had only been three children apart ever since korra had sailed in.
she stepped over the imagined barrier uncaringly & wandered over, an eyebrow raised, a hand hitched against her hip as she spoke for korra's ears only, “ — you sure you're sure about not backing out tonight ? i won't hold it against you if you do, you know — ... ”
the sound of meelo declaring ' a pool party ! ' as he launched himself towards the edge of the chilly docks had her immediately choking back on her words, her hand planting itself on korra's arm ⸻ -
“ — or maybe i would actually. ”
stratagem — a plan or scheme, especially one used to outwit an opponent or achieve an end. independent ASAMI from the legend of korra. private & mutuals only. written by veronika, she/her, 21+
other half at @inkorrnate
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