sirenspull | [VIDEO; an hour after dark]

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[VIDEO; an hour after dark]

[ A messy line of text streams across a rampant new post on the network, apparently something of an accidental keysmash that reads, IM~H W#RHR AH [KTRARRR[#'APAA??/ Moments later, the Video kicks in and shows someone upside-down in reds and golds, the bottom of a disapproving grimace visible over the edge of the screen. He doesn't look pleased, probably wouldn't even without half his face melted into a permanent squint, but there's something else wrong.

His shirt is burned through and one hand is clutching a nasty mess in the centre of his chest, trembling badly as blue sparks shiver through him at odd moments. ]

— ey! Can anyone hear me? Who are these guys? [ Standing some way from the Greeter unfortunate enough to find himself serving a shift with one very pissed off prince, he hoarsely tries to be heard. ] Don't they understand? I have to finish the — ungh! The Agni Kai, I can't go and hide in a house somewhere! I —

[ Coughing in pain, he turns over the NV to inspect it, fortunately righting the screen by accident as he pauses to catch his breath. ]

K-Katara, are you okay? Did she get you — huh? Who's there ... ?

[ It's dark outside, that much is apparent from the off. Throughout his heated rant, Zuko's wandering has taken him outside the baseball diamond and straight into the path of something that welcomes him the good old-fashioned Darkness way; the NV clatters with a tinkling of brass as he throws himself into a ferocious attack, flames flaring to scare off the moving shadows across the street.

Scooping up his communication device, huffing and pounding footsteps can be heard for a few seconds before his back hits a wall and he hisses urgently, golden eyes wide with alarm and pain. Slumping down to crumple over his knees, he gasps and fights for calming breaths, tiny electrical shocks zipping over his skin and the dao swords strapped over a shoulder. ]

Can't — Can't keep moving. [ Teeth grit against the sting of being forced into combat so soon after sustaining a blast of redirected lightning back home. To the normal eye, though, it looks like something tried to chew through his gut. ] That's it. I've had enough of these games, I want answers. Now!

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[After a few moments there is another knock at the door, but this one waits a little more patiently until someone tells her to enter before opening it. Korra pokes her head in the door, and the tip of Naga's nose inches its way in above the top of her ponytail.]

Hey, I thought I heard Iroh's voice and Naga pointed me here.

[She enters the apartment and opens the door wide enough for the huge polar bear-dog to wiggle in with some effort. These doors were obviously not designed for animals so large.

Once they are both inside, Korra shuts the door while Naga finds somewhere to sit as unobtrusively as possible. Korra observes the goings on and approaches them with a nervous smile, staring rather openly at Zuko.]

[ Laid out as he is, he calls in whoever's outside only to be pleased when Katara's friend turns up, along with a massive polar bear-dog. Eying the creature warily, his attention is stolen by the Water Tribe girl who ... keeps staring. ]

You're Korra?

[Korra nods and pulls up a chair, (belatedly) bowing respectfully to those in the room. She turns the chair and straddles it, folding her arms on the back and watching with keen interest as Unohana works on Zuko's wounds. If she'd had her bending, she could have used it to heal him.

She pushes that thought aside for now.]

That's right. That one over there is Naga. We're glad you made it.

My uncle says you're old. Seventy ... [ Radiating scepticism, he presses on. ] You're from the future, is that right?

[ Since the spirits here are very, very real, he's prepared to believe Iroh about pretty much anything, but he wants confirmation from Korra herself. It means a lot when someone vouches for the truth. ]

Huh? No, I'm not that old. I'm seventeen. [She purses her lips at him. Honestly, does she look seventy years old?]

I am... from the future, though. Your future. Er, maybe not yours specifically, but from the future in our world.

You are if you're from that far ahead, technically. I've heard about people contacting their past lives, but to meet someone from somewhere that hasn't even happened? This is really strange.

[ He's just getting things straight, woman, don't pout your lips off. ]

So, how do you know Katara?

Not really. You're eighty-six in my time but that doesn't make you eighty-six now. This is pretty weird for me, too, y'know.

[She will pout her lips when she wants to okay because she is a strong Water Tribe woman and she's also older than you so there.

She clears her throat.]

Master Katara was my waterbending teacher. I've known her since I was four years old.

[ Wrinkling his nose at the thought of getting so old, he winces reflexively when his wound twinges, holding in a hiss. ]

You're a waterbender? That's useful.

[ What he means to say is, I'm sure you're very talented and I'm lucky to have met you, but being distracted - and who he is - he forgets to word it as nicely. ]

How old is Katara for you?

Tell me about it. [That's grumbled more to herself than for Zuko to hear, so she quickly moves on.]

She's about... eighty-four, I guess? She's in good health, though. I saw her just a few weeks ago.

You've got to know Sokka, then. I doubt Katara's living in the South Pole without him around.

[ It makes sense, and at a stretch ... ]

How about Aang and Toph? Ever met them?

[Korra's face falls slightly.]

I met Sokka when I was little. He was really great, but... he died a few years ago. I'm sorry. Toph, too. I know her daughter, though. She's amazing.

Aang... well, he died a few months before I was born.

They're dead?

[ Stricken at the very thought, Zuko's gaze lapses to the floor. ]

I can't imagine what that must be like for Katara.

I'm sorry. [She averts her eyes for a moment, too. It must hurt him to know that his friends are dead, even if it's at some nebulous date in the future.]

Katara has a great family, though. They love her very much, even if she doesn't get to see them often enough. I know she misses Aang and Sokka and all of her friends, but she's strong. She's always been strong.

Well, I'm here and so is my uncle, so I guess that means the others could turn up too.

[ Hesitating, he offers Naga a hand where he's laid out on his back. ]

This is your pet?

[Naga approaches and sniffs at Zuko's hand before licking it. Her tongue is about the size of his forearm so that leaves him a little slobbery, sorry. Korra shakes her head and grins.]

She's my friend. I raised her up from a cub. I'm lucky she was brought here with me since we weren't together when it happened.

She's kind of like Appa.

[ Ew, gross ... sleeve-saliva. ]

I guess she is. She can't fly, but she's a good swimmer. Hey, you should come for a ride with me sometime when you're feeling better.

[Naga 'woof's in agreement and settles in by the couch, as out of the way as possible despite being larger than the couch itself. Korra is staring again but trying to more discreet about it than before.]

[ Tipping his head farther to the side than most people would, he compensates for his narrow field of vision when he reaches out to scratch behind one of Naga's ears. Hopefully he isn't moving too much for Unohana. ]

If she wouldn't mind, sure. I'm going to need to train back up after this, would you mind sparring with me? Since you and my uncle are the only other benders around and I'm used to deflecting fire.

Naga wouldn't mind at all. She's carried me and three of my friends around, so one extra passenger isn't a big deal.

[At his next request, Korra goes rigid, tensing up and looking anywhere but at Zuko.]

I'm sorry, but I can't. My bending... it's gone. I-- [She sighs and rubs gently at the center of her forehead.] I was attacked by a bloodbender. He did something to me and now I can't bend. Possibly never again.

[Not wanting to dwell on the experience, Korra shakes her head and forces a smile.]

I can still spar with you; I'm a good fighter. You'd just have to keep from roasting me.

I didn't know bloodbenders could do that, Katara never mentioned it.

[ He gives her an enthusiastic nod. ]

I'll still spar with you, sure.

Nobody knew. Bloodbending has been illegal for decades.

[Right, moving on. Korra grins and nods, too.]

Well, don't expect me to go easy on you just 'cause you were in your eighties the last time I saw you.

If you meet her again, she could probably heal you.

[ He snorts when Korra gets sassy, arching a brow as he tries to look as sceptical as possible without wriggling. ~~Sorry, Unohana.~~ ]

I wouldn't want you to go easy on me.

I don't know. The same bloodbender who attacked me has taken away a lot of other benders's abilities too. The best doctors in the nation couldn't undo it. I don't wanna get my hopes up.

[Get used to it, geezer. Sassy is Korra's default setting.]

Good. Prepare to be schooled, Water Tribe style.

Why hasn't somebody stopped that guy? If he's running around screwing up everyones bending, he should be taken down.

[ Spirits help Amon if he pops up here. ]

You can't take away that kind of ability, as far as I know. I have a friend who can chi-block really well, she'd probably say it was something like that.

We've been trying, but he keeps getting the drop on us. He has hundreds of supporters, and he uses chi blockers and new technology to attack us. He's been rattling our cage for months now and-- rrgh!

Can we please not talk about this anymore?

[VIDEO; an hour after dark]

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