route_1065 | So Time Is Stolen...

Current Location: Ecruteak City

Entry tags:

So Time Is Stolen...

Who: Korra and OPEN
Where: Ecruteak
When: Oct 18th
Summary: Korra arrives in the city!
Rating: PG, probably!
Log:

There it was.

Ecruteak. She'd known she was getting close, but now it loomed directly ahead of her and she was almost there.

Korra took a deep breath and pedaled faster, Iqniq bouncing happily in the basket on the handlebar of her bike. It had taken way too long to get here. After the first few days, the gloss of shiny newness wore off and the need to get to Asami had only grown. The days were filled with travel and battling wild Pokemon, but the nights...

Dozens of different thoughts ran through her head as she lay in her sleeping bag and stared at unfamiliar skies. She'd lost memories again. Asami had been here over a year. There were so many things still fresh and raw for Korra that were now over a year gone for the other woman. And there was Elsa. Who Korra was excited to meet face to face, but she kept going back to what Asami had told her. She hoped it wasn't awkward. She really liked Elsa, and she knew what it was like to be in her position.

Now she was here. After weeks of only seeing Asami through the gear thing, she'd finally made it. Her heart was racing in her chest as she pulled up to the inn, her bike wheels skidding as she slammed the brakes. The bike swung low and Iqniq leaped out of the basket with a bark.

"Here we are, guys." Her still-unnamed Sentret chirped from her backpack and buried deeper down into it. That had been a little too much quick zipping through city streets for the little Pokemon's tastes. Korra took a deep breath and pulled out her 'gear, to let Asami know she was here.

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Korra was probably able to hear the thumpathumpathumpa of feet zipping down the stairs within moments of her texting Asami. Then the door was ripped open, and out sprung-

"Korra!"

Something very tall and very emotional and smelling faintly of jasmine perfume practically launched into a hug.

Korra was barely off of her bike when the door of the hotel flew open. It clattered to the ground, forgotten and ignored. The grin that split her face at hearing Asami call her name was so wide it nearly hurt her cheeks. For a moment, everything else was completely irrelevant.

There was no hollow under-sound to Asami's voice now, like there always was on the video talks. She was right there and Korra lunged forward to meet her hug, sweeping Asami into her arms and lifting her right off the ground.

She'd been waiting to do this for weeks.

Asami didn't even bother to contain herself. She laughed openly when Korra scooped her straight off the ground. Her solid strength had become so familiar; it was one of the things Asami had missed the most. It was another moment before she spoke, voice muted with emotion as she hung on.

"I can't believe you're here."

"That took way too long."

Korra just held Asami, burying her face in her hair with her heart beating rapidly in her throat. It had been a lonely trip from New Bark to Ecruteak, and it was suddenly hitting her just how lonely it had been.

Finally, she lowered Asami back to the ground and drew back slightly, enough to breathe and actually look at the other woman. But she didn't let go. Not yet.

Asami stood still, smiling down at Korra. It was one thing to talk to her over the gear, another entirely to actually see her and... hold onto her.

It was a little weird to think about, that she'd forgotten. Asami had to consider a lot of things. Normally, 'hello's came with a quick kiss. Right now...

"I missed you so much."

"I didn't think two weeks could go by that slowly."

And growing up in an isolated compound in the middle of a frozen tundra, Korra knew a thing or two about sluggish time.

She beamed up at Asami, anxious and oddly hesitant at once. Would it be weird to kiss her? It shouldn't be, she didn't think. Korra'd quickly slipped into the habit of kissing her fingertips and pressing them to the gear screen when saying goodnight. But there was that missing time...

Her hands were on the small of Asami's back and she let them drift up, her forearms pressing against the other woman.

"I'm so glad you're here." In this world, in her arms, in her life at all...

"You too." Asami's arms fell naturally around Korra's shoulders, but she reached up to gently tuck Korra's hair behind her ear.

She gave into dipping her head, bringing her face close and keeping her eyes on Korra's as she silently asked permission. This was the first one, for Korra.

That sealed it. Not weird at all. The exact opposite, as they fell into a stance that just felt natural.

Korra brought her face up and brought her lips right up to Asami's, still smiling wide enough to break her face. She'd thought about this, so many times. Not just in the last two weeks, either.

Her own eyes didn't leave Asami's when she closed that fraction of space between them.

Asami had told herself that she would be careful and slow, but she couldn't contain a sigh as she sank into the kiss a touch more deeply than she had told herself she would. She had waited so long for Korra to come back the first time, then it had felt like they had no time at all before she was gone again. Republic City hadn't been the same. Johto hadn't been the same.

Her hands came to rest flat on Korra's back as she held on. It would dawn on her eventually that they were in public, but just... give her a moment.

Korra didn't care at all that they were right out front of the Ecruteak hotel. This place probably saw all kinds of emotional reunions, and she'd been waiting half a month to finally kiss her girlfriend. A little thing like passersby wasn't going to make any difference.

She held Asami close, returning the kiss with equal enthusiasm. She'd missed so many little things she hadn't realized, like the way Asami smelled - slightly different here, a new shampoo or soap or something, but it was like a nice little surprise.

Now that she was here, she really didn't want to let go.

It was a bit of a while before Asami backed away, resting her forehead lightly on Korra's and still remaining close.

"I missed you." She couldn't quite remember if she was repeating herself.

Korra nodded once and her throat felt a little too tight all of a sudden. It hadn't even been that long for her, but it still felt like ages. And the thought of Asami, on her own, missing her...

"You don't have to anymore." She couldn't exactly promise she wasn't going anywhere this time, but for the moment, she was right here. They were right here.

"And we even get our magical trip to a whole new world."

"This time, I know how it all works," she said with a playful smirk.

"Don't eat the berries." A chuckle, at that.

"I think I might have heard something about that..." Korra laughed. It just felt so good to be standing here with Asami in her arms. It felt right. That wasn't something she'd felt with someone else before. It was more than just feeling good, or nice, or satisfying. It felt natural - like breathing or bending.

"You'll have to show me everything. Where's your favorite place to go here in Ecruteak?"

"I definitely will. There's a pretty big theater district in town. A lot... higher brow than Varrick Industries movers, anyway," she said with a little laugh.

She couldn't believe it had been so long since being in Republic City.

"I'd like to see that!" Still, Korra couldn't bring herself to actually let go of Asami. "Why don't we go see something? Tonight, after I settle in and meet everybody and everything."

Because while she did want to slip off for some much needed one-on-one time with Asami, she didn't want to immediately show up and steal her away. Or start jumping right into serious topics that would definitely need to be brought up before too much longer as soon as they had a chance. There were things that needed to be talked about, but... a few more days wasn't going to make any difference.

"I think we're way overdue a date."

"We definitely are," Asami agreed. She dipped to press a quick kiss to the corner of Korra's mouth before straightening back to full height.

"You want me to let you go so you can go meet everyone?"

Some time after the reunion with Asami, someone else approaches Korra. A rather familiar someone.

Elsa had heard more than seen Asami bolt out - she's sure those excited thumping footfalls could be heard all throughout and below their floor of the inn - and something about it had caused an uncomfortable weight to settle in her gut. She was happy that Asami was happy, and she was happy that Korra was happy, but...

There was still a bittersweet feeling to that happiness. And she hated herself a bit for even feeling that. Her feelings shouldn't matter here - just her friends! And that's what she would focus on now. Not herself. Them. So after giving them time to catch up, Elsa heads down to the lobby and then outside, waving at Korra and smiling.

Conceal, don't feel.

"Korra, hello!"

"Elsa! Hi!"

Korra's been waiting for this. By the time Elsa comes down, she's crouched in the grass with Iqniq, but she stands as soon as the woman approaches. She dusts off her pants and tucks her hair back behind her ears, returning the smile.

At least they were friends, even if she didn't remember. From talking to Elsa over the video, she could tell they'd been good friends. It made this all less awkward, at least for Korra. She just hopes that she doesn't do or say anything to make Elsa uncomfortable. She already really likes her.

"It's so great to finally see you in person."

Well, if there's one good(?) thing about all of this, it's that nothing Korra can do would really make Elsa uncomfortable. It's all her own feelings and actions doing that to her, and if there's one thing Elsa's good at, it's focusing on her faults over the faults of others.

Oh boy.

It's easy to hide any discomfort she might have, though, because she genuinely is happy to see Korra again after so long.

"It really is," she wants to add it's been TOO long, but she doesn't want to weird Korra out again. "Did you enjoy your journey to Ecruteak?"

"I did! There was a lot to see, and I had some time to kind of get used to this world."

It had just taken too long, as far as Korra was concerned. But she's here now and that's all that matters. She's looking forward to not traveling for a little bit, and just relaxing in Ecruteak and catching up with Asami. And getting to know her other friends - or re-know, in some cases.

She gestures to Iqniq and her Sentret, who's following after the Growlithe cautiously as he sniffs in circles in the hotel yard.

"Plus, Pokemon! I'm putting together a pretty impressive little team already."

Elsa laughs a little as she watches the two pokemon explore the yard.

"Oh, you better be careful, though. If that Sentret is anything like Anna's is, you'll have quite an active little critter on your hands."

It was like the creature could not sit still. Not that she doesn't have confidence that Korra could handle it, but... well. A warning is always appreciated, right?

"That's what I'm hoping for!" Korra grins, proud of her little circle of Pokemon friends already.

"Actually, I've got to thank your sister, she gave me some advice on Pokemon I should try and catch, and she was totally right."

And also requested to meet said Pokemon, which Korra was sure there'd be plenty of time for. It's obvious no one's actually in any rush, and any hanging around isn't just for her benefit.

"Oh, really?"

Elsa raises an eyebrow as a curious look crosses her face. There's something else in there too; hearing that her sister, who's so talented at training and battling, is helping out the newbies makes Elsa even more proud of her, indeed.

"which Pokemon did she recommend?"

"She sold me on Magikarp! I probably never would have thought twice about the little guy, but Anna really talked them up and...I'm glad she did. I caught one the next day. I think she likes me."

And immediately set to leveling her up. If attention's what they need, Korra can definitely give that. And now she's got fire and water, at least in some capacity.

"She was really great, when I first got here. Your sister." Not her Magikarp. "Both you guys were."

"I should have known!" Elsa said with a laugh. Oh, she really should've expected that... "Marlin is Anna's baby. I admit, I was a little skeptical when I first arrived here and she showed him to me, but... seeing all the effort that she put into training him was admirable, really. And seeing him evolve... wow."

It was not the first time she was so proud of her sister, but it was just... something else. Seeing how well Anna had adjusted to life in this place, and how she developed the skills she had now.

"That's just... how she is. She helps people, even if they don't want her to," She laughs, softer this time, and a slight hint of red crosses her cheeks. "I'm glad I was able to help you, as well."

"Who would have thought funny little fish grew up into dragons?" Korra laughs. "Mine doesn't have a name yet, but I'll figure it out."

Granted, neither does her Sentret and she's just been calling her Wooper Woop-Woop. Maybe Anna can help out there, too.

"So, speaking of helping...what do I have to see here in Ecruteak? I didn't take much time to explore anywhere...I'd love to see some sights now that I'm here."

And Elsa seems like the kind of woman who knows about culture and sights and all of that. And it's a good chance for them to spend some time together in person.

"Well, it depends on the sort of things you like."

Elsa's a little unsure as she speaks. The last time Korra was here, they only really had that big heart-to-heart. They never talked much about themselves outside of their similarities growing up, so Elsa isn't really sure of what sort of things Korra likes.

"The theatre performances here are very good - I went to see a few with Anna when we first arrived. The town is also very active in talking about the legends of this reason."

She turns and points to the north of the city - in the distance, the two sacred towers can be seen.

"There's a lot to learn about those towers in particular. It's fascinating, but a bit sad as well."

"Yeah?"

Korra turns to look toward the towers Elsa points to. She hasn't been able to learn much about the culture or lore of this place yet, but she'd noticed the spires when she came into the city.

"I like legends. Those were the kinds of stories my dad liked to tell when I was growing up. This place probably has a whole lot, huh?"

It just seems like that kind of place.

"I loved reading about them when I was a child too," Of course, she did it on her own, but... no need to put a sad twist on that. "It was fascinating. And I always thought they were just stories, but when my powers kept growing, and I could see the things that I could do... the idea of gods and supernatural creatures seemed much more believable."

After all, if she could do all that she could as a regular human... who's to say that those sorts of things don't exist?

"I think that's what's so appealing about this land. There's a legend for everything."

"You'll have to tell me some of them!"

Korra chuckles. "I know what you mean, about thinking things are just stories until seeing something right out of one of them." She's had some experience with that, herself.

"My world has a lot of legends and stories, too. Way more than I know." And she knew a whole lot. "I've heard and read so many, for fun and because of Avatar stuff. If you ever want to hear Avatar stories, I've got you covered!"

She assumes Elsa knows all about the Avatar stuff.

Elsa knew a little bit about the Avatar. Not really the duties involved with being the Avatar, or just how important to her world Korra was... all she knew were the similarities between them. She knew that Korra was important enough to be protected and schooled in many different subjects for most of her life, away from others.

It would definitely be nice to hear some good things about Korra's life as the Avatar!

"I don't even know where to begin asking! The way you and Asami talk about the things you've gone through... you must have enough stories to fill a book."

"Yeah, we've sure seen a whole lot." And in hundreds of years, that would probably all be legend and stories, too. It's kind of strange to think about, that someday kids will be sitting at their grandparents knees and hearing about the things she's done the same way she heard all the stories of Avatars past.

"And there's even better stories from past Avatars." Which, Korra realizes, she'd really like to share. Her own link to her past incarnations has been severed, the stories and legends are all she has left of most of them. It's the connection that's still left to her.

"Really? Are there any you're particularly fond of?"

Elsa doesn't know about the whole reincarnation thing, just the importance of the title. But if the past Avatars were anything like Korra is now, they must have quite the colorful histories...!

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So Time Is Stolen...

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