[Open]

[alphatar]

Characters: Korra, Finnick, Po, Bean, Dinah, Tony Stark (616), Amon, Sabriel, Jim Kirk, Damian, Toph, Lin, Jack Frost, Raimei, Enjolras, Kyle Rayner, Bruce Banner, Asbel, Aisha, Katniss, Iskierka, Richard, and OPEN (That means YOU.)
Date: Various dates throughout July when not conflicting with Korra’s time during the clueventure.
Location: Korra’s suite, Various locations
Situation: Fish, Training, Flying, and whatever else happens!
Warnings/Rating: Physical violence, PTSD, NPC death, blood, FEELS, maybe even some swearing.

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Comments

[raptorcanaria]

[Dinah catches that pleading, but doesn't acknowledge it, assuming that no teenager wants their own perceived weaknesses brought out and commented on. She continues her circle walk, concentrating on each movement in turn as she tries to remember the sequence.]

Well, I've never used my chi to control elements. And I'm not really a Taoist practitioner. [She wishes Connor were here, his Buddhism would be closer.] But I know about the flow of energy in one's movements. We can work on it together, if you'd like?

[alphatar]

Yeah, I think I would. [Korra continued their circles as well, going through the katas she had learned; imaging the trigrams on the floor. That actually gave her the idea to have Amaterasu pain the trigrams in the practice area. It had been missing something in her mind and now she finally knew what it was.]

What’s a Taoist?

[raptorcanaria]

It's one of the philosophies that inform the practice of Baguazhang. That's the name we give this art on our world.

[Dinah pauses for a few steps to give her full concentration to the form, then continues.]

Well, Taoism and Buddhism. They're the major religions from China, which makes sense, considering.

[As far as any of the connections between Korra's world and her own made sense.]

[alphatar]

Oh! The religion thingies on your Earth! [She had been wanting to ask about those, but had forgotten to since most people didn't seem to care to talk about them.] Like the Jesus Christ one and the Dolly Lama thing. Tony Stark said I was like Jesus Christ or something and Kim said I was like the Dolly Lama. [She pauses for a second to remember how he said, that little distinction.] Or rather, the Dalai Lama. The one that gets reincarnated. I thought you all didn't have Avatars on your Earth?

[Meanwhile Korra tried to chew over the term Baguazhang.]

[raptorcanaria]

We don't. At least, no one who calls themselves 'The Avatar.'

[Hey, Dinah's happy to talk about anything.] But we've got plenty of gods and people with a lot of power that call themselves gods. One of my best friends was sculpted out of clay and is on first name terms with a whole pantheon.

[She takes a few more steps while thinking.] You're reincarnated? That sounds close enough to the Dalai Lama. Which fits, as he's from the approximate part of the world associated with these martial arts and the language you can read.

[alphatar]

From clay? [Korra actually stops and just stares at Dinah, unsure if she's joking. Hard to tell since just about anything's possible.]

Hm, so Jim was right. Huh. [Maybe he wasn't drunk and/or making things up after all. Korra had been expecting Tony to be the one who had the right comparison.]

So the Dalai Lama protects the people and knows martial arts?

[raptorcanaria]

[Dinah is forced to stop so she can give that the laugh it deserves.]

No. No, there the comparison falls down. The Dalai Lama is the spiritual leader of a group the people who live in a land called Tibet. He's a pacifist: their religion places a lot of emphasis on the power of compassion.

So no, you're not a direct analogy.

[alphatar]

Wow, thanks. [The sarcasm is heavily laced with a humored grin.] But he sounds like a nice guy. I don't know how he gets anything done, but he does sound a lot like my airbending master Tenzin.

So why are there so many religions on your Earth? I mean I the Avatar is the spiritual leader I guess. [When they're older and have better control over their powers and temperament.] Seems to be good process.

[raptorcanaria]

I don't know.

[Well, that's not exactly true. What she doesn't know is why there appears to be only one on Korra's.]

Because there's so many people, I guess. There's a lot of room for different belief systems to come up and flourish in different societies. Even when we have people like the Dalai Lama, he doesn't have superpowers that no one else has.

[She pauses, wondering if she's jumped to the wrong conclusion.]

That's how it works, right? Your bending is an Avatar thing?

[alphatar]

[A lot of people doesn't sound like a strong enough reason, after all her world had a massive population too, but Dinah's question reminds Korra that she had never told Dinah fully about the Avatar back at the hydroponics garden.]

Well, the bending part is a world wide thing, but being able to bend more than one element is only something the Avatar can do. It's probably the most useful tools the Avatar can use to maintain balance in the world and protect the people that live on it. More than just the people. The Avatar is the bridge to the Spirit World, it's like in the same space as the physical world, but on it's separate plane. Only the Avatar can see spirits on that plane.

[Korra sighs and places her hands on her hips.] There's a lot to learn, but so far the Avatar has done their job over the past...I have no idea what's longer than thousands of years. Since forever I guess.

[She shrugs.] I mean, it is cool to be able to call on the spirits of the past Avatars for advice, but I only just learned how to do that. And I'd rather try to figure things out on my own first.

[raptorcanaria]

[Dinah grins, and shifts herself into horse pose, gesturing to Korra to come join her for some T'ai Chi, because that seemed to be where she was most comfortable.]

I know what that's like. [Not to the same extent, of course.] Needing to figure things out on your own. I was maybe a couple of years younger than you when I stole my Mom's superhero costume and went out crimefighting, despite the fact that she told me she never wanted me in the life.

[alphatar]

[Not one to turn down some training, even without her bending, Korra adopted the stance as well. Water was perfect since the slow motions gave plenty of time to talk.]

Your mom had a costume? [Korra does her best to keep her amusement out of her voice as she pictures a fifteen year old girl running around in a suit similar to Spider-Man’s, since his was the most outrageous one she had seen.]

I don’t why she’d get mad. I mean you’ve been learning to since you were a kid, right?

[raptorcanaria]

I'd been learning self defense.

[It's not quite the same thing.] Yes, what she was teaching me through training and by example was to stand up for what was right and do everything I cold to help people. But she didn't see it that way. The job she did - the one I do - is dangerous.

I lost my Dad to it.

[alphatar]

[Korra’s voice softens from her previously upbeat tone.] I’m- I’m sorry to hear that.

I’m teaching a young boy self-defense right now too. We both live in the Metal Sector and the gangs there aren’t really picky when it comes to harassing someone. I don’t want him to have to use it, but it’s good to have just in case.

[raptorcanaria]

It's okay.

[It was a long time ago, and Dinah has lost people since. It's just... how it goes. The world is filled with pain to your core, and then you live on.]

That's kind of you. You're teaching him your bending forms?

[alphatar]

Yeah, just the basics for right now. How to block and evade so he can run away, but we're starting to get into close quarters and he's picking up how to use elbows and knees pretty fast. Honestly I've never seen anyone pick it up so quickly.

[That boy was a prodigy, which was a lot to Korra since she's considered of the ilk back home. Even for the Avatar.]

It's convenient since we live close to each other, so I can walk him home if we end up training too late.

[raptorcanaria]

What's his name?

[Dinah will look out for him if it comes to it, but for now she's happy with the kids she appears to have picked up. With the not-the-Titans and now Korra, she's going to have her hands full.]

[alphatar]

His name’s Bean and he’s smart. Seriously. [The intelligence that Korra saw when she looked Bean’s eyes was incredible.]

There’s also his friend, but I haven’t met him yet. Oh yeah, and I’m teaching him to cook Southern Water Tribe food. He’s picking up on that. [Korra has been giving him a steady supply of food and fish when they do their lessons as well. She’s practically about adopt him.]

[raptorcanaria]

Food.

[Dinah, obviously, latches on to the most important thing.]

What do you say we get some food after this? After we've worked up a decent sweat?

[alphatar]

[Korra smiled, she associated food with Dinah because that was when she met her. First impressions were a lasting thing.]

I’d like that. I’ve got some noodles, bean buns, and dumplings left over. [Korra remembered Dinah’s reaction to sea prune stew and didn’t even bother to mention it. Not as a guest in her house.]

[raptorcanaria]

[Get used to that impression, Korra. Dinah's love of good food is going to come up a lot.]

Alright, sounds good.

But first, let's see how you fight against an opponent.

[They can spend the rest of the afternoon sparring, as far as Dinah is concerned.]