With This Ring (Young Justice SI) (Thread Fourteen)

Mr Zoat · May 8, 2024

Oh, they were not 'coming together organically'.

monochromaticPrism · May 8, 2024

Mr Zoat said:
Oh, they were not 'coming together organically'.

I found it somewhat awkward as well. Not only was it the last viable main cast pairing aside from Bolin+Asami, and the only one left for the Avatar, but if you watch a stitched together collection of all their interactions over that season and the previous nearly all Korra-Asami interactions were purely utilitarian. "They aren't gay they're just really good friends" is a line many pieces of media had walked before Korra, so standard writing techniques and cues already existed if they really wanted to write them that way. Sure, they looked good compared to the awkward interactions the others were prone to, but generally their interactions hung around an emotionally neutral position ranging from "allied coworkers due to both believing in the importance of their work" to "two individuals who are friends but not best friends".

While I mostly brought them up as a joke, I would use the stakeout Pai Sho game between Bolin and Asami of an instance of actual chemistry between the characters, even if it was comedic instead of romantic via their funny guy / straight man, relaxed / stuffy, and streetwise / highly educated dichotomy. Korra + Asami is seriously missing any scenes close to that, and generally to end on a "kiss" payoff at the end of the series you want at least 5-6 such scenes.

Mr Zoat · May 9, 2024

170 After Genocide, Late winter, early the next morning

"So, Bolin." Korra smiles as we walk up the steps to the island's living area. "Did Azula make the cut?"

Bolin stops gradually edging away from his new team mate as the group's attention turns on him. "Ah, well-."

Azula doesn't even look at him. "Yes."

"All the other firebenders ran away. Um." He risks meeting her eyes. "We don't usually decide who gets on the team by Agni Kai."

She raises her eyebrows. "We didn't decide who got to be on the team by Agni Kai this time."

"I mean…" He looks away awkwardly, scratching his head with his right hand. "Technically…"

Korra's smile widens. "And the waterbender?"

"Well, she's-"

Azula lowers her eyebrows as we reach the top of the island. "Remedial."

"-not the Avatar, but I think she'll be a great addition to the team." He nods with faux confidence. "Once we've done some team training."

Mako smiles faintly. "I was worried that you wouldn't be able to find anyone to replace us. I'm glad I was wrong."

"They're not replacing you, they're-"

"I am."

"-just filling in. Heh." He smiles for a moment, then his face drops. "She doesn't mean that."

"So, ah…" Mako considers his successor. "Azula. That's an unusual name."

"Is it?"

"Were you named after someone?"

"Yes. Fire Lord Azulon."

Korra looks away awkwardly while Mako's mouth tightens slightly. "The man who was in charge of the Fire Nation during most of the Great War?"

"Yes."

"That's…" He frowns, clearly trying to find a polite way to ask if her family are Nazis. "Were your family-?"

"He was also the man who changed the Fire Nation's conscription laws so as to reduce the burden on poor rural families and liberalised the laws on owning land and business in the colonies. He made people who had effectively been serfs under his father into the near-equals of the Fire Nation colonists. The consequences of his reforms are why the older colonies which make up Republic City's territory didn't want to rejoin the Earth Kingdom." Now she actually turns her head to look at him. "It isn't wise to accept a simple summary for a complex situation." He looks a little more thoughtful as she turns away from him. "But yes. My family were… Difficult."

"So, ah, guys?" Korra pulls ahead slightly as we get to the main courtyard, then turns back towards us. "You know I learned energy bending?"

"Yes." / "Yeah?"

"It turns out I might be able to just… Give people bending."

Bolin stares. "Huh?"

Mako frowns, then nods. "That makes sense. It's a shame you couldn't do that a few months ago. It would have completely undermined Amon."

Azula sniffs. "If you can do that now, we could have open auditions for a waterbender."

Bolin frowns at her. "We can't just kick Yurrare off the team!"

Azula considers that for a moment. "Waiting for her to die seems a little cruel. But perhaps we should be ready for when nature takes its course and start interviewing for a successor now."

Korra bunches up her fists. "Why aren't you guys more freaked out about this? I can give people bending!"

"For one, you might be able to give people." Mako steps forward to put a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "That's what you said, right?"

"Well, yeah. But it should work."

"Okay." He shrugs. "So what? It's not like anyone really knows where bending comes from in the first place, or why some people get born being able to do it and other people don't. I don't see why you being able to give it to more people is a problem, exactly."

"A commendably rational attitude, young man. Have you ever considered a career in shamanism?"

"No. I think I'll stick with the police. I need a regular paycheck."

"Also commendably rational."

"Why am I the only one freaking out about this?"

Azula regards her levelly. "Self-absorption. The world didn't begin with you and won't end with you and your problems aren't actually all that important. If you're worried about being able to give people the ability to bend then just don't."

Korra blinks, staring at her.

"A little harsh, but true. The real problem will come if other people realise that anyone can learn to energy bend. Avatar Aang learned it from a lion turtle after all, and I know of no legends where lion turtles use any other sort of bending."

"Uh…"

"Or that people might not be limited to one form of bending."

"Okay, no. Only the Avatar-" Azula's already rolling her eyes, but Korra sounds confident. "-can master all four elements."

I step away from the group, into the centre of the courtyard. "Ah yes. How does it go again?"

I slide my hands into my pockets for a moment, drawing out my four new rings. Who should remember that they work for me now.

I take a solid stance, arms bent and fists balled at my sides. "Earth."

I stamp and a chunk of brick leaps up. I punch, and it goes flying across the courtyard and onto the grass. I then switch to a more offensive stance.

"Fire."

A one-two punch combo vaguely reminiscent of the two actual karate lessons I took back on Earth Prime, each creating a small bolt of fire. I then switch position again to one of the poses Tenzin showed me yesterday.

"Air."

Korra boggles. "How are you doing that?"

A swing of my arms and a ball of air forms in my hands. A swirl and I toss it into the air, where it explodes in an omnidirectional blast of wind. A shift of my leg and I'm in a water bending pose.

"Water."

Hands raised and clench, and water vapour precipitates out of the air as ice crystals.

"How did-!?" She gesticulates, apparently at random. "What-?! What?!"

I relax my pose. "So anchored in your preconceptions of what is and isn't possible, Avatar Korra. You already know enough to work out what and how. Try and work it out over breakfast."

Venustoise · May 9, 2024

Mr Zoat said:
I slide my hands into my pockets for a moment, drawing out my four new rings. Who should remember that they work for me now.

Uh, who were those rings? Anyone specific or...?

Ngamer11 · May 9, 2024

Mr Zoat said:
I step away from the group, into the centre of the courtyard. "Ah yes. How does it go again?"

I slide my hands into my pockets for a moment, drawing out my four new rings. Who should remember that they work for me now.

I take a solid stance, arms bent and fists balled at my sides. "Earth."

I stamp and a chunk of brick leaps up. I punch, and it goes flying across the courtyard and onto the grass. I then switch to a more offensive stance.

"Fire."

A one-two punch combo vaguely remeniscent of the two actual karate lessons I took back on Earth Prime, each creating a small bolt of fire. I then switch position again to one of the poses Tenzin showed me yesterday.

"Air."

Korra boggles. "How are you doing that?"

A swing of my arms and a ball of air forms in my hands. A swirl and I toss it into the air, where it expodes in an omnidirectional blast of wind. A shift of my leg and I'm in a water bending pose.

"Water."

Hands raised and clench, and water vapour precipitates out of the air as ice crystals.

"How did-!?" She gesticulates, apparently at random. "What-?! What?!"

I relax my pose. "So anchored in your preconceptions of what is and isn't possible, Avatar Korra. You already know enough to work out what and how. Try and work it out over breakfast."

That was so awesome. So at the very least, Paul assimilated a spirit for each element, and now he can fake being a bender for each element whenever he wants? I can't wait to see the next part so that we can get other peoples' reactions. I hope they'll get to learn about the story of Avatar Wan early, since Paul becoming one with the Ophidian is pretty close to what happened with Wan and Raava.

Someguy Somewhere · May 9, 2024

Oh captain planet is gonna be pisssssssed

EDIT: Just a reminder of who might have Elemental rings that a future OL would have run across.

https://forum.questionablequesting....y-only.8961/page-35?post=2509010#post-2509010

Ciber · May 9, 2024

Paul defeated Captain Planet!

Who it turn out was the real villain all along because he did not embrace Avarice and Capitalism!

Ngamer11 · May 9, 2024

Mr Zoat said:
Bolin stops gradually edging away from his new team mate as the groups attention turns on him. "Ah, well-."

That should have an apostrophe between 'p' and 's'.

Mr Zoat said:
I relax my pose. "So anchored in your preconceptions of what is and isn't possible, Avatar Korra. You already know enough to work out what and how. Try and work it out over breakfast."

I just realized that Future Paul's lesson sounds very similar to what Zaheer says when he debuts. Now I wish we could see the two have a philosophical conversation, as that could be interesting.

Signaller · May 9, 2024

@Mr Zoat, a while back you asked if there were any lore elements that had been forgotten. I wonder if Jade's first Orange ring use, fixing various health issues and upgrading brains in Vietnam, impacted how they were able to respond to the Anti-Life Equation?

Ardy · May 9, 2024

Signaller said:
@Mr Zoat, a while back you asked if there were any lore elements that had been forgotten. I wonder if Jade's first Orange ring use, fixing various health issues and upgrading brains in Vietnam, impacted how they were able to respond to the Anti-Life Equation?

He also hopefully didn't forget all that stuff he asked me to remind him about. Also, whatever happened to the Sivannas, and the former prostitute girl whose name I forget and her travel agent girlfriend, and the world in general?

Ardy · May 9, 2024

Mr Zoat said:
I imagine that right now a convoy of cars with blacked out windows are converging on the author's house and place of business. The SI is unlikely to go looking for him, but is probably going to see him on television in the next few days.

Also, whatever happened with this?

Rebu · May 9, 2024

Venustoise said:
Uh, who were those rings? Anyone specific or...?

I'm thinking Captain Planet.

Because I loved that show.

Ardy · May 9, 2024

Mr Zoat said:
No, there will be a resolution. It just won't be 'they were fine, the game is great and game of the year'.

And maybe also this

Ardy · May 9, 2024

Ardy said:
also, we never cleared up where all the supergirls were coming from. We know where demon supergirl and future supergirl aka Diane dearden and maybe nazi supergirl (time trapper/krona causing the portals to open?) but not new Kara or why they all seemingly appeared on one earth over a relatively short period of time.

And also this one. Man, I'm getting nostalgic over here.

edit: And why Icon disappeared during the ~~Lord Lantern~~ Manga Khan saga and Rocket said he couldn't be contacted barring a world-ending catastrophe, specifically mentioning Paul should not be contacting him barring a really fucking extreme emergency.

I will try and nominate you for a hugo award if all of these end up being tied together somehow.

Chojin Patriarch · May 9, 2024

Mr Zoat said:
170 After Genocide, Late winter, early the next morning

"So, Bolin." Korra smiles as we walk up the steps to the island's living area. "Did Azula make the cut?"

Bolin stops gradually edging away from his new team mate as the group's attention turns on him. "Ah, well-."

Of course she made the cut. She's probably a better firebender than any three other candidates. And do you really see her settling for anything less than absolute success?

Azula doesn't even look at him. "Yes."

"All the other firebenders ran away. Um." He risks meeting her eyes. "We don't usually decide who gets on the team by Agni Kai."

Heh. I hope she didn't threaten to make it to the death, did she?

She raises her eyebrows. "We didn't decide who got to be on the team by Agni Kai this time."

"I mean…" He looks away awkwardly, scratching his head with his right hand. "Technically…"

Well, if the other young ladies and gentlemen felt intimidated by her... Imagine how your opponents will feel?

Korra's smile widens. "And the waterbender?"

"Well, she's-"

Azula lowers her eyebrows as we reach the top of the island. "Remedial."

...That bad, huh?

"-not the Avatar, but I think she'll be a great addition to the team." He nods with faux confidence. "Once we've done some team training."

Mako smiles faintly. "I was worried that you wouldn't be able to find anyone to replace us. I'm glad I was wrong."

Not sure they really succeeded with their waterbender, but hey, you take what you can get, right?

"They're not replacing you, they're-"

"I am."

Ah, Azula. Confident as always. Though some would call it arrogance.

"-just filling in. Heh." He smiles for a moment, then his face drops. "She doesn't mean that."

"So, ah…" Mako considers his successor. "Azula. That's an unusual name."

I suspect it's kind of rare since the time of the war's end. Kind of like 'Adolf' is for boys.

"Is it?"

"Were you named after someone?"

"Yes. Fire Lord Azulon."

Her grandfather, not that she'd tell anyone here that.

Korra looks away awkwardly while Mako's mouth tightens slightly. "The man who was in charge of the Fire Nation during most of the Great War?"

"Yes."

"That's…" He frowns, clearly trying to find a polite way too ask if her family are Nazis. "Were your family-?"

They had more issues than a newsstand, yes.

"He was also the man who changed the Fire Nation's conscription laws so as to reduce the burden on poor rural families and liberalised the laws on owning land and business in the colonies. He made people who had effectively been serfs under his father into the near-equals of the Fire Nation colonists. The consequences of his reforms are why the older colonies which make up Republic City's territory didn't want to rejoin the Earth Kingdom." Now she actually turns her head to look at him. "It isn't wise to accept a simple summary for a complex situation." He looks a little more thoughtful as she turns away from him. "But yes. My family were… Difficult."

...Okay, I guess he did have some good points? Another example of assumptions and perception.

"So, ah, guys?" Korra pulls ahead slightly as we get to the main courtyard, then turns back towards us. "You know I learned energy bending?"

"Yes." / "Yeah?"

Hard to miss, since she recovered not only her bending but helped out dozens of other people.

"It turns out I might be able to just… Give people bending."

Bolin stares. "Huh?"

Well, that's a hell of a thing to drop on your buddies.

Mako frowns, then nods. "That makes sense. It's a shame you couldn't do that a few months ago. It would have completely undermined Amon."

Azula sniffs. "If you can do that now, we could have open auditions for a waterbender."

I mean... Any new waterbender would be pretty bad with their powers at first, since they'd have to learn the basic forms at the minimum. Mako does have a point with his comment, though. 'Benders oppress those without' loses some sting if anyone can become a bender.

Bolin frowns at her. "We can't just kick Yurrare off the team!"

Azula considers that for a moment. "Waiting for her to die seems a little cruel. But perhaps we should be ready for when nature takes its course and start interviewing for a successor now."

An interesting butterfly right there, since the waterbender seen with the team in season 2 was a guy (assuming the sashes' colour match their element in that pic...)

Korra bunches up her fists. "Why aren't you guys more freaked out about this? I can give people bending!"

"For one, you might be able to give people." Mako steps forward to put a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "That's what you said, right?"

And besides, two teenage guys who have had bending all their lives aren't likely to grasp the full importance of that concept.

"Well, yeah. But it should work."

"Okay." He shrugs. "So what? It's not like anyone really knows where bending comes from in the first place, or why some people get born being able to do it and other people don't. I don't see why you being able to give it to more people is a problem, exactly."

Heck, Mako is a good example of its' randomness. Having a mixed parentage, he had a chance to be a firebender or an earthbender, or a non-bender at the outside chance... His parents would probably have loved him whatever happened.

"A commendably rational attitude, young man. Have you ever considered a career in shamanism?"

"No. I think I'll stick with the police. I need a regular paycheck."

Probably a bit less dangerous than being a mendicant ghostbuster, too.

"Also commendably rational."

"Why am I the only one freaking out about this?"

Because you're the Avatar, Korra. Big things like this are expected of you.

Azula regards her levelly. "Self-absorption. The world didn't begin with you and won't end with you and your problems aren't actually all that important. If you're worried about being able to give people the ability too bend then just don't."

Korra blinks, staring at her.

Boy, that's a big difference from the old days. Being an Orange Lantern really gave her perspective, didn't it?

"A little harsh, but true. The real problem will come if other people realise that anyone can learn to energy bend. Avatar Aang learned it from a lion turtle after all, and I know of no legends where lion turtles use any other sort of bending."

"Uh…"

Ah, when the truth comes out... Assuming Korra ends up taking a spiritual deep-dive into the memories of the Avatar...

"Or that people might not be limited to one form of bending."

"Okay, no. Only the Avatar-" Azula's already rolling her eyes, but Korra sounds confident. "-can master all four elements."

Not easily, certainly. Even the Avatar had spiritual help. Something about people exploding if they kept two forms of bending at once?

I step away from the group, into the centre of the courtyard. "Ah yes. How does it go again?"

I slide my hands into my pockets for a moment, drawing out my four new rings. Who should remember that they work for me now.

Assimilated spirits, I take it? Let me guess, gonna do the classic opening scroll?

I take a solid stance, arms bent and fists balled at my sides. "Earth."

I stamp and a chunk of brick leaps up. I punch, and it goes flying across the courtyard and onto the grass. I then switch to a more offensive stance.

A mountain spirit, no doubt.

"Fire."

A one-two punch combo vaguely remeniscent of the two actual karate lessons I took back on Earth Prime, each creating a small bolt of fire. I then switch position again to one of the poses Tenzin showed me yesterday.

The volcano spirit, at a guess.

"Air."

Korra boggles. "How are you doing that?"

A swing of my arms and a ball of air forms in my hands. A swirl and I toss it into the air, where it expodes in an omnidirectional blast of wind. A shift of my leg and I'm in a water bending pose.

A storm or wind spirit. Probably one making trouble...

"Water."

Hands raised and clench, and water vapour precipitates out of the air as ice crystals.

Let me guess, the coral reef spirit mentioned previously?

"How did-!?" She gesticulates, apparently at random. "What-?! What?!"

I relax my pose. "So anchored in your preconceptions of what is and isn't possible, Avatar Korra. You already know enough to work out what and how. Try and work it out over breakfast."

And I can just picture her freak-out face, straight out of the animation.

I'm betting... She will decide that his spirit patron made him able to do that using some kind of special trick. It's the most logical explanation given what she knows. Which might well lead her to wonder if the Avatar has a spiritual connection like that, perhaps. Then again... She's not really one for seeing subtle connections.

...give people the ability too bend then just don't.

...give people the ability to bend then just don't.

A one-two punch combo vaguely remeniscent of the two...

A one-two punch combo vaguely reminiscent of the two...

...where it expodes in an omnidirectional blast of wind.

...where it explodes in an omnidirectional blast of wind.

Prince Charon · May 9, 2024

Given that I know the show more from fanfiction than from actually watching it, I didn't know (or forgot) how much I wanted to see someone getting Korra to really think.

Senevri · May 9, 2024

Mr Zoat said:
I step away from the group, into the centre of the courtyard. "Ah yes. How does it go again?"

I slide my hands into my pockets for a moment, drawing out my four new rings. Who should remember that they work for me now.

I take a solid stance, arms bent and fists balled at my sides. "Earth."

I stamp and a chunk of brick leaps up. I punch, and it goes flying across the courtyard and onto the grass. I then switch to a more offensive stance.

"Fire."

A one-two punch combo vaguely remeniscent of the two actual karate lessons I took back on Earth Prime, each creating a small bolt of fire. I then switch position again to one of the poses Tenzin showed me yesterday.

"Air."

Korra boggles. "How are you doing that?"

A swing of my arms and a ball of air forms in my hands. A swirl and I toss it into the air, where it expodes in an omnidirectional blast of wind. A shift of my leg and I'm in a water bending pose.

"Water."

Hands raised and clench, and water vapour precipitates out of the air as ice crystals.

"How did-!?" She gesticulates, apparently at random. "What-?! What?!"

I relax my pose. "So anchored in your preconceptions of what is and isn't possible, Avatar Korra. You already know enough to work out what and how. Try and work it out over breakfast."

...Well. yes. Okay, Paul is cheating hard, but bending was learned from spirits or spiritual animals in the first place. No reason someone couldn't do that now.

Mr Zoat · May 9, 2024

Venustoise said:
Uh, who were those rings? Anyone specific or...?

Korra, is that you?

Ngamer11 said:
That was so awesome. So at the very least, Paul assimilated a spirit for each element, and now he can fake being a bender for each element whenever he wants?

No exactly. None of the elementals he's bound are benders, and their capacity to manipulate an element isn't quite the same as a benders'.

Ngamer11 said:
That should have an apostrophe between 'p' and 's'.

Thank you, corrected.

I just realized that Future Paul's lesson sounds very similar to what Zaheer says when he debuts. Now I wish we could see the two have a philosophical conversation, as that could be interesting.

If only he'd been more interested in actually causing change rather than symbolising it.

Signaller said:
@Mr Zoat, a while back you asked if there were any lore elements that had been forgotten. I wonder if Jade's first Orange ring use, fixing various health issues and upgrading brains in Vietnam, impacted how they were able to respond to the Anti-Life Equation?

A little bit. Mannheim didn't really focus on Vietnam, but the general positive feeling let them weather it a bit better than they otherwise would.

Ardy said:
Also, whatever happened with this?

It happened. That SI saw it was happening and changed the channel.

Ardy said:
And maybe also this

Already written, it's in the next episode.

Ardy said:
And also this one. Man, I'm getting nostalgic over here.

edit: And why Icon disappeared during the ~~Lord Lantern~~ Manga Khan saga and Rocket said he couldn't be contacted barring a world-ending catastrophe, specifically mentioning Paul should not be contacting him barring a really fucking extreme emergency.

I will try and nominate you for a hugo award if all of these end up being tied together somehow.

I don't remember that.

Chojin Patriarch said:
...give people the ability to bend then just don't.
A one-two punch combo vaguely reminiscent of the two...
...where it explodes in an omnidirectional blast of wind.

Thank you, corrected.

Signaller · May 9, 2024

Come to think of it, I don't recall it being previously established that construct lanterns in ring form retain their abilities pre-assimilation? Paul could do all those things with a standard ring anyway, and for that matter so could a repaired Martian?

Doc Sithicus · May 9, 2024

Venustoise said:
Uh, who were those rings? Anyone specific or...?

He took them from Planeteers.

aresfantasy · May 9, 2024

Mr Zoat said:
If only he'd been more interested in actually causinig change rather than symbolising it.

Well, that's not necessarily true... He did intend to cause a lot of change, he just wasn't interested in guiding it, which makes sense as his philosophy was basically 'hierarchy bad, screw you got mine'. Ending the Avatar line permanently along with killing the Earth Queen were solid opening steps to causing chaos everywhere. He did also basically cause a coup in Ba Sing Se after killing her, he just didn't stick around to take control after. I think it was mentioned he was also going to kill the Queens son/nephew whatever, I don't remember his name. I mean, it took Kuvira going all 'Great Uniter' to put the Earth Kingdom back together again, if she hadn't they'd have probably completely splintered into the Earth Kingdoms.

Tzeentch · May 9, 2024

Mr Zoat said:
"Uh…"

"Or that people might not be limited to one form of bending."

"Okay, no. Only the Avatar-" Azula's already rolling her eyes, but Korra sounds confident. "-can master all four elements."

I step away from the group, into the centre of the courtyard. "Ah yes. How does it go again?"

I slide my hands into my pockets for a moment, drawing out my four new rings. Who should remember that they work for me now.

Besides working with spirits, (whether through posession/fusion in the case of Raava/Wan, or using a "fetish" like those rings to manipulate additional elements), people looking into increasing their own spiritual potency through energy bending based cultivation so that they can acquire the other elements themselves, certainly sounds appealing.

Benders already passively tap into external energies to help fuel their bending, (Water Benders=Moon, Fire Benders=Sun, etc), so why not develop an internal focus and use for them?

Darko · May 9, 2024

Chojin Patriarch said:
I'm betting... She will decide that his spirit patron made him able to do that using some kind of special trick

And that's technically true, since he used the Orange Light to do it.

Mr Zoat said:
Korra, is that you?

Mr Zoat said:
No exactly. None of the elementals he's bound are benders, and their capacity to manipulate an element isn't quite the same as a benders

So the rings used to be benders that he assimilated?

Doccer · May 9, 2024

Mr Zoat said:
slide my hands into my pockets for a moment, drawing out my four new rings. Who should remember that they work for me now

"I'm the Planeteer now."

Mr Zoat said:
How did-!?" She gesticulates, apparently at random. "What-?! What?!"

I relax my pose. "So anchored in your preconceptions of what is and isn't possible, Avatar Korra. You already know enough to work out what and how. Try and work it out over breakfast."

Wonder what's going to happen when you start her questioning how anybody knows killing an Avatar in the Avatar State would end the Avatars for good? Did Gaia give you the rings or did you just take them? What if Captain Planet?

Mr Zoat · May 9, 2024

Darko said:
So the rings used to be benders that he assimilated?

Ah. Find out tomorrow, I guess.

Oh, and they've added extra forum formats. Not quite back to normal, but an appreciable improvement.

Zig · May 9, 2024

Mr Zoat said:
"Air."

If these are indeed the planeteer rings, Linka had "wind" and "air" wouldn't work by default

Impartial Panic · May 9, 2024

Mr Zoat said:
I slide my hands into my pockets for a moment, drawing out my four new rings. Who should remember that they work for me now.

"You forgot heart."

"No Azula has that one since she had a greater need for it."

Mr Zoat · May 10, 2024

170 After Genocide, Late winter, a little later that morning

Breakfast with the air bender family is… Almost unbearably nostalgic. Tenzin's wife -an Air Acolyte named Pema- is doing circuits of the room with their youngest son, a boy named Rohan. And from the state of the table I'm guessing that Tenzin has tried to take up some of her usual duties in the kitchen, and done so not incompetently but certainly inexpertly.

A distant memory from before I got my ring: my own father doing the same. I don't remember where Mum was at the time… Visiting friends? Ill? Was that back when my sister was born? I honestly don't remember, and there aren't many memories I can say that about anymore. He cut carrots into cross sections rather than strips.

Anyway, there are two large flat balep loaves, one at either end of the table with no cutlery for cutting them. There's a pot of porridge in the middle of the table on a thick mat to protect the table from the heat, but the mismatched pile of bowls piled up next to it-.

Tenzin's older son -a boy named Meelo- waves his hand and makes a gust of air throw a bowl off the top of the pile and land in front of him. He grins, then leans forward and peers around thoughtfully at everyone else's place setting. Jinora, Tenzin's eldest child, spots what he's doing and then looks expectantly at her father. Unfortunately, Tenzin hasn't spotted what just happened. In fact, he looks quite out of sorts. I do hope that he didn't spend all last night trying to copy my 'air bending'.

I pull a ladle out of my robe and then stand, leaning over the short legged oriental style table. "Porridge, anyone?"

Tenzin snaps back to the present, spots Meelo and sends him back to his seat with an interrogative glare as I begin dishing out the porridge in a bending-free manner. Korra is sort of twitching as she tries to work out how I did that 'bending', her eyes pointedly avoiding looking at anyone. Mako and Bolin give her the occasional worried look, but appear to have decided to let her work through it.

"Master Renkun?"

Ikki, Tenzin's younger daughter, tugs lightly on my sleeve as I wave the last bowl at her father in the hopes of drawing his attention back to the present. He looks at it blankly for a moment, then nods in thanks before taking it from me. I smile at Ikki as I retake my seat next to her.

"Yes, Miss Ikki?"

"Why are you orange?"

"My tailor ran out of other colours. I'm just glad he had some grey left, otherwise people would mistake me for an air bender even more than they do anyway."

She frowns childishly. "No, not your clothes. Can't you see it?"

I'm wearing my rings of course, otherwise this conversation would be mutually unintelligible. But my environmental shield is set to 'absolute minimum', and shouldn't be visible.

"Well, my patron spirit is normally orange, and after I introduced her to Korra last night she might be paying my surroundings a little more attention."

Tenzin looks up from his porridge. "You introduced Korra to a spirit?"

"The Ophidian and I have been together a long time. She can use my spirit as a point of contact with the material world. Korra just had to touch my chakra network to commune with her." I wave my right hand. "Rest assured, if I was going to bring a spirit like the Ophidian here in the material sense I would have asked your permission first."

"Yes. And is that necessary?"

"Necessary?"

"By 'touching your chakra network' I assume that you are referring to energy bending." I nod. "Is that the only way to see the.. 'Ophidian'?" He frowns mildly, and then with only a brief glance reaches out with his right hand to redirect Meelo's spoon-hand to his mouth before he can attempt to convey his porridge there by flicking it in from arm's length.

"Technically, no, but the ways of thinking that she responds to are fairly antithetical to those associated with air bending. You would-." I frown. "I was going to say, 'you would have to choose one or the other', but I suppose that Avatars manage it-" Korra comes out of it a little, looks at me to see if I was talking to her, then realises that breakfast is in front of her. "-every time. Or you could learn energy bending."

"I'm not sure that someone who isn't the Avatar-" At the opposite end of the table, Bolin breathes in sharply while Mako winces. "-can learn to-" He glances their way but can't work out why they're responding like that. "-do that."

"You never know until you try. Isn't that right,- "

"HE CAN BEND ALL FOUR ELEMENTS!"

She's pointing at me, eyes slightly… Ah, crazed.

I might have had a larger effect on her than I aimed for.

"-Avatar Korra?"

Tenzin shakes his head with a frown. "Korra, that's impossible. And a little rude. Please don't point and shout-" Meelo worms his way onto his father's lap and nods imperiously as Tenzin speaks. "-at our guests."

"Ah, Master Tenzin?" Mako realises that he'll have to take the lead. "Master Renkun… Did bend the four elements. He did a demonstration outside."

Tenzin frowns in confusion, then looks at me.

"Oh, come now. Avatar Korra, you energy bent me. You know that I'm not a bender."

"THEN HOW DID YOU DO THAT?"

I smile politely, taking a spoonful of porridge. "How do you think I did it?"

"Okay!" She gets up and starts pacing. "Either-. Either you are a bender, and you can hide it.. somehow-."

"Not-" I shake my head. "-on touch, though I can hide things at a distance."

"Or you.. got a bender to do it for you while you did the gestures." She stops to stare at me. "Was that it?"

"Where would I find an air bender to help me?"

For a moment her face falls, then she looks suspiciously at Meelo. He straightens up for a moment, then glares at her.

"I don't know what you think I did but whatever it was I wish I did it!"

Korra looks away, huffing.

"Come now, Avatar Korra. I already told you everything that you need to in order to work it out. I hope you were paying attention."

Bolin winces harder.

"You..?" Tenzin's face has fallen a little, but his face naturally lends itself to that expression. "Aren't an air bender?"

"Sorry, I just threw some pigment dust out so that it looks like I was bending something. As far as I know, that gesture-."

"SPIRITS!"

I return my attention to Korra. "In the sense of-?"

She looks triumphant, grinning broadly. "You got a spirit to do it!"

"A spirit, for all four elements?"

"Four spirits. You made a deal with four spirits, and they did the bending. Was that it?"

"Close enough. Well done. Which spirits?"

"I… Dunno." Her shoulders slump.

"Korra, I told you their names. It's what I was doing before I got here."

"Wait, you mean-? The Dread Wind of Mount Greyspire, the Reef That Hunts-" I nod. "-and-. You beat up a bunch of spirits, and now they work for you?"

I smile at her. "You got there eventually. Well done." I reach into my pocket, pull out the four rings they're bound as and drop them onto the table. "Once grievous threats, now useful-" Ikki reaches out to pick one up. I interpose my right hand and pull them away from her with a small shake my my head. "-tools. And if you ever want a four elements on four elements sparring match, I'll be happy to oblige you."

Ngamer11 · May 10, 2024

I'm glad Korra finally got the answer, even if Future Paul had to lead her to it. Though I am worried about how Tenzin will view him now that he knows "Master Renkun" did something to spirits that turned them into tools.

Darko · May 10, 2024

Mr Zoat said:
sense I would have ask your permission

"have asked"

Mr Zoat said:
"Wait, you mean-? The Dread Wind of Mount Greyspire, the Reef The Hunts-" I nod. "-and-. You beat up a bunch of spirits, and now they work for you

Hmm, I thought it would be the Red Lotus.

With This Ring (Young Justice SI) (Thread Fourteen)

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