fictionalized | open rp post;

[She flinches away from him.] I don't need--! [Her jaw clenches as she cuts herself off. She doesn't need to be lashing out at her friends on top of everything else.] Just...let me do this on my own.

[Korra manages to get back into the seat, though with some difficulty. She rubs at her face tiredly.]

I can't walk anymore, okay? I was... injured.

... Fine.

[He backs away without protest, apparently not offended by the outburst. Even if he'd rather be able to help her, he can understand, at least, her aversion to it.

How often did he tell Ken to leave him alone, even when everything hurt to the point he couldn't stand?]

Injured how?

[The way she paused makes him wary, on top of his growing concern. He's never seen Korra like this before.]

[He doesn't insist, and the way he back off immediately at least loosens a knot in her chest. She doesn't want, doesn't need to be coddled right now.

But she still balks at telling Fujimaru what happened. She hates talking about it, hates the way she can still feel the poison seeping into her skin, as painful as needles. Hates the way she can still feel the air being sucked out of her lungs, suffocating her. It all still seems too real, too close.

She forces it out eventually.]

It was poison. Something metallic... [She closes her eyes.] Katara said it did a lot of internal damage.

[... Poison, huh? Fujimaru blinks, though his surprise quickly disappears. There's nothing unusual about it: he knows from Allen and Lenalee that their 'Innocence' was responsible for their physical issues at first, and for the tekigousha of his own world...

He's quiet for a few moments, before he asks—]

... What's the verdict? Is the damage permanent? [...] How'd you get poisoned, anyway?

[A small part of his mind is pointing out that he might be asking too many questions, but Korra is a friend, and he's worried. He wants to know.]

[She shakes her head.]

Katara says it's possible for me to walk again, but it's been six months already and I can barely take a couple of steps without collapsing.

[Korra presses a hand over her eyes, willing back the frustrated tears that threaten to well up whenever she thinks about this. After so many months of trying and trying without getting anywhere, Korra's starting to think Katara's initial verdict had been too optimistic. Sooner or later, she'll have to face the possibility that she might never be the same again.

Noticeably avoiding the topic of how this happened, Korra swallows harshly, letting some of her feelings leak out, finally.]

I'm just...really tired.

Edited (words are hard) 2015-01-21 21:39 (UTC)

[... It's strange, seeing Korra, of all people, admit to being tired. Not that she doesn't have the right, but Fujimaru hadn't thought her to be the kind of person to admit that sort of weakness.

It says a lot about how exhausted she must be, to reveal that vulnerability.]

... Poison isn't necessarily something you just bounce back from. You might never get better.

[If he were someone gentler, he might've comforted Korra, assured her that she'd definitely be able to walk again if she kept trying. He's not a gentle person, though, or an optimistic one. He's lucky in that now, no one would be able to tell from looking at him just how much he'd struggled to survive, but he's seen what poison does to others. Like Ken, who never got better and whom Fujimaru has had to watch, as he's wasted away from it.

He doesn't believe that it's a given that Korra will recover, and so he won't lie to her and give her false comfort. It never really helps.

... That said, he doesn't intend to crush her hope and give her a reason to lie in defeat, either.]

Is it frustrating?

["Or are you too tired to even care anymore?"

Because even though he doesn't believe in getting her hopes up, he knows what being 'tired' can do to a person. He knows that sometimes, it's something intangible that ruins you, and depending on how she answers, he'll do everything he can to make sure Korra doesn't fall as far as he did.]

[She's partially relieved that he isn't mincing his words, and partially horrified to hear some of her worst fears confirmed. But it's when Fujimaru asks that question that something in her finally breaks, and the words begin to pour out like water in a suddenly open dam.]

Of course it's frustrating! A crazy guy poisoned me, and now I can't dress myself, walk by myself, or do anything for myself!

[Korra's aware that she's blowing up, her words cutting and loud at the same time, but she can't bottle up these emotions she's suppressed for months again, now that the they're all rushing out at once.]

And my friends are all off saving the world and helping people, when I'm stuck here in this wheelchair, and I can't even do the things I'm supposed to be doing!

[In another situation, to have someone yelling at him, Fujimaru might've responded in kind. Right now, though, he's not angry at Korra for blowing up at him.

(He also doesn't miss the information she leaked.)

Instead, he's relieved. After waiting for a moment, to ensure that she's done ranting, he speaks.]

... Good. If you say you're tired but you can still talk like that... then stay that way. Stay frustrated.

[It might seem like odd advice, since he's essentially telling her to be negative, but he has his reasons. Besides, he already once gave her similar advice, a long time ago.]

[Instead of keeping a hold of the anger, though, Korra seems to deflate immediately, all of the wind taken out of her sails. It's not exactly a bad thing, though. She's had the chance to rant, to give her pent up anger an outlet. Now all that's left is churning guilt and shame.

She rubs a hand over her face, sighing.]

I don't think I can get rid of the frustration now anyway. [There's so much of it. Korra looks at him.]

Sorry about blowing up at you.

That's probably for the best.

[Because if she doesn't have her frustration, and she doesn't get better, then what else is left in her? Anger may not be the healthiest way to cope, but it's still better than emptiness.]

... Don't worry about it. You really think I'm bothered by people yelling at me?

[Fingers still pressing at her temples, Korra doesn't answer right away. She gives herself the time to calm down, focusing on her breathing until she feels a little more like herself again.]

Even if you're used to it, doesn't mean I should get away with it.

[Her eyes lingers on the water trickling past them.]

Did...I miss anything?

[He smiles wryly.]

No. You're good on that front, at least. You're in time for whatever they throw at us next. [...] And you can test to see how much you can do, even in a wheelchair.

[Another scoff.]

Probably not much. I can still bend from the chair, and heal, but I won't be able to get around like I used to.

[She can't go on like this, not in Haven. Something has to be done before things get even worse. Her jaw clenches with renewed determination, now that she has a goal, and people to protect.]

I need to learn how to walk again.

[Without Katara's help, this would probably be even harder, but what else can she do?]

Bending and healing's still a lot, y'know. And like I said, in the worst case scenario, you're gonna have to learn to make the most of what you can do, instead of focusing on what you can't. You think Shirayuki goes around cursing her physical incapability?

[It might be a bit harsh, but, well, it's something that needs to be understood. In the event that Korra honestly can't get better, she can't be held back by the constant wishing that she could do more.]

That said, while I seriously doubt that I need to tell you it won't be easy... I've known people who've managed to walk even with poison in their body [and technically, he's one of them, but his case isn't as bad as, say, Ken's], so given how hardheaded you are, there's probably still hope for you.

[Korra's a fighter, after all. And if someone like Fujimaru managed to pull through from everything the experimentation did to his body when he didn't have half the will she does, he'd like to think her chances are better than most.]

[She sees the sense in what he's saying, she really does. The mention of Shirayuki has Korra gripping the side of the chair with a frown. She'll just--deal with it later. If she can't walk even after trying here, then she'll settle for what she has.

But for now, she has to focus on getting better.]

We'll see.

[Hardheadedness is one of her traits, just like Fujimaru said anyway. Korra turns to him.]

Got any spare metal lying around?

Yeah. What do you need it for?

Katara had me trying to walk with the help of some parallel bars.

[Korra rubs at her face, trying not to focus on how badly her sessions with those bars had gone before.]

If I'm gonna do this, I'll need them.

... Got it. I've got a lotta metal that I've been keeping around, so that shouldn't be a problem.

[She nods, a sharpness to her expression that wasn't there before.]

I'm gonna head back down to the apartments. Think you can meet me at mine in an hour?

[There's something that she needs to do now, to match her new found resolution.]

[He blinks at the new edge to her expression, but doesn't comment on it.]

Sure. Should I bring the metal?

Yeah. [She turns toward him again, expression softening just a little when she's focusing on him.]

Thanks. I'll see you there.

[Korra begins slowly wheeling herself toward the steps, determined to get back down to the apartments on her own.]

[He can tell, and so doesn't offer to help (even if he wants to, to be honest). Instead, he watches her for a few moments, before trailing behind her, since he might as well go down as well.]

[They part ways at her apartment block, and Korra wheels herself inside, glad to find it still empty. Though she's feeling better now, she's not sure she could handle seeing Sonia or Wan right now, in her current state.

Taking in a deep breath, Korra grabs the longish dagger she'd found in North some time ago, and raises it to her hair once she's gathered it all up in her free hand.

Later, when Fujimaru arrives with the metal, he'll notice that her hair's much shorter than it used to be.]

[Fujimaru's glad that Korra doesn't live far away, as he lugs a bag of metal over to her place.

Since he doesn't actually have anything in the way of manners, he opens her door without asking, pausing when he sees her. He blinks, and for a moment, he says nothing, before he, well, states the obvious:]

You cut your hair.

[Korra reaches up and touches the shorter strands self-consciously. She's worn her hair the same way since she was a child. Changing it now feels a little frightening, though she thinks some people might laugh at her feeling this way about a hair cut.

She drops her hand with a wry smile.]

It's a fresh start. [Baggage that she's leaving behind, along with the troubles that had been weighing her down.]

You brought the metal?

open rp post;

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

I just wanted to use my new icons :C

pretty new icons C:

\o/

(no subject)

(no subject)

(no subject)

(no subject)

(no subject)

(no subject)