lucetilogs | (no subject)

Oh, Aang...

[She moved to pull them a little closer together, her heart aching for him.]

[And he grasped her shoulders for support, as he looked down at the ground.]

When I'm around either of them, it's just... so easy to forget everything this place has done to us. And it's been so long since I've been around any kind of actual Airbender. But... but I know now what it'll be like back home. I have fifty-two years left, and the only other Airbender I'll know in my life is Tenzin... who - who I know will alone be more than I could have hoped for. I know I'll love him, but I already love them too.

Aang, that's not wrong. It's not wrong to be upset about a sudden limit on - on your life. And it's not wrong to love them now.

[She bites her lip and looks down for a moment.]

This place is terrible for children. Part of me will always wish that they never came here because of that.

[And then she looks back up at him.] But I am so glad for you that you get to meet them. And I don't believe that the love you feel for them now is useless. Love is never useless. Even if we don't remember it when we get home, it's still important that you love them, right here, right now.

Thanks, Katara. I... I'm glad you understand. I'll treasure all the time I have with Ikki and Jinora, a-and... anyone else who might end up here. I'm glad that we've been able to take care of them so far. And I appreciate everything you've done to make this comfortable for them.

[He glances up at her briefly before returning to the ground. He knows there's something else related to his lifespan that he has to get out.]

But... I feel kind of conflicted, too, when I think about how long I'll live. Did you know that Avatar Kyoshi lived to be under 200? Whenever I thought about that.... I was always afraid of outliving all of you and being alone again. Now I know this won't be the case, but I'm still worried. Because you'll be the one who's left. And I'll.... I'll be stuck in the Spirit World forever.

[Being alone.

Being left.

Abandoned.

When it came down to it, this really was Katara's worst fear.]

We don't have to think about that right now. [Her voice is firm.] And I won't have you feeling responsible for something that you can't control.

[She pulls back enough to look him in the eyes.]

When I think about that - Aang, it's hard enough to imagine getting married - but when we get home, we're going to have the rest of our lives together.

[And no matter how she feels or doesn't feel about him romantically, that would be something she'd want. To be around him, to be with him.]

It's not long enough. It's no where near long enough. And I hate the thought of either of us being separated from the other. But that's not something you need to be guilty about.

[He looks into Katara's eyes for several seconds before making a slow, decisive nod.]

You're right. There still is a lot to look forward to. And I know that... even if we can't see it coming back home, we'll make every moment worth it. [She's been there almost every day of his life since he woke up from the iceberg. And it looks like that'll continue, as long as he lives. He still doesn't like to think about afterwards, being stuck in the Spirit World with just the other spirits.

I wish I could come back for you, when you're ready.]

It... it does feel a little better to talk about all of this.

[She rubs her hand across his back and above his wings briefly before she starts to pull away.]

Good. I know it's hard, but... it's hard for everyone right now. So at least you're not alone in that. We're all here for each other.

[Aang feels more of a smile as he hand slides across his back.

We're here now, at least. We're both right here.]

You're right. That's what makes us so great. [He smiles at her and pauses before going on hesitantly, knowing that he has to return this favor.] So... Katara. You had trouble sleeping, too. Is there anything that- that you want to say, too?

...mostly, I was worried about you, Aang.

[About what the coming of Korra means.]

And I was thinking about what Asami said about... Amon and Tarrlok. But we'll all have a chance to get together and talk about that later. Still, it's... a difficult thing to think about.

Thanks for that, Katara. I... I did really need someone to talk to. [But he gets lost in the second train of thought.] And it is really difficult. To think that someone would use his own children like that... I don't like to think about those kinds of families. And it makes me afraid to wonder what Zuko and Azula's childhood must have been like. It's horrible to think that people like Ozai and Yakone can't just... treasure their children.

[Her gaze shifts from his to over the river.]

I guess terrible people don't stop being terrible when they become parents.

[That's... the only explanation she has.]

[He briefly follows her gaze but looks back at her.]

If... if that's true, then I hope that means that good people become even better.

That's a nice hope.

[She looks back over at him a bit wryly.]

But it's more likely they just try to do the best they can, and hope for the best.

[Just like we're doing right now.]

Yeah. Hoping's always great, if we can't guess how happy people would be with a family just yet. [He gives a more straightforward smile. Hope at least gets his head on a more positive track, even if Katara seems to be lacking some enthusiasm.]

At least... it sounds like things are okay now, in the future. And Avatar Korra? She's pretty great and funny, right?

I've got my preferences.

[Lightly, she moves to bump his shoulder with hers.]

But yeah, she seems pretty great.

[He finds himself giggling after the shoulder bump, but he quickly straightens his face with a blush as if that didn't happen.]

Y-yeah, I'm glad we agree. And she's South Water Tribe, just like you and Sokka, so that's pretty neat. Not to mention that I'm starting to think she also doesn't really like mornings that much.

[What, did those heathens start their Waterbending practice sessions in the mid-afternoon?!]

[Please, waterbending sessions are best at NIGHT.]

Mornings are evil.

[Sorry. But they are.]

[He sticks his tongue at her. Yeah, yeah, rise with the moon etc.]

But that'd make me an evilbender.

[In any other situation, in any other time, she might be tempted to give in to the random impulse she has to lean her head against his shoulder. She might want to try to explore this... strange feeling of being okay as long as he's here, and okay.

But. Hahahahahahahahaha ha. Not now. Not tonight. Not when every little action had some... future implication.

She settles for a wry smile.]

Just because you're deceived by actually liking dawn doesn't make you evil. Just misinformed.

[Even if they're not as close as they are back home... after everything that's been tearing at him, to be able to just joke around with her is comforting enough.]

That's a relief. I wouldn't want to be the first evil Avatar. Instead, I'm just a misinformed one. They're a lot more common.

[She chuckles warmly at that.

...though the feeling that there are mountains they're avoiding discussing looms a little closer.]

[He accompanies her chuckle with some warm belly laughs to keep said mountains at bay, to escape in their shared laughter. Even if it won't last. He hopes to return from this laughter to find all of their problems magically disappeared.]

[Laughter subsiding, Katara just takes a moment to enjoy this moment. Everyone's safe and relatively at peace. She's sitting by the river in the moonlight with Aang. There are things that she knows she needs to address, but right now, for this moment, she's just going to live in this moment.]

[Aang holds onto this moment as well. This is the same river where Katara had to realize that Aang was Robin and where she believed she was dying. It felt like a karmic voctory, if a temporary one, for them to be laughing there.

At the least, it helped him to realize how far they've come in just a few months. Heputs a hand on her shoulder.]

At least... things are okay right now, we're all okay... right?

[Even if there was still someone here he couldn't help. Even with his energy bending.]

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