[She has successfully confused him. Also, he is doing his best to pull her shirt down over her belly. He is not succeeding because it keeps slipping back up.]
I dunno! They were talking about bending last time, so I showed them my bending! I thought daddy wanted to train me, but he and mommy got really confused and then they started going into the other room to talk a lot.
[Wan was still confused over why they'd spend a lot of time talking about that. It wasn't like she-
oh.
Oh.
Oooh.
Right. Her parents were Water Tribe. Fire was not something the Water Tribe did.
Wan suddenly felt very bad for her parents.]
No... no. You didn't do that wrong. But um... that's why they left you with me. So I can show you how to control it better. No one in the Water Tribe really knows how to firebend. But I'm a firebender and they trust me so, I'm going to watch you for a while and be your teacher. You're going to be here for several days. Maybe even a couple weeks.
[He tried putting this in a very nice and friendly tone.]
It's a training camp! It'll be a lot of fun and when you go back home, you'll know all about firebending. And they're going to be so proud of you.
[Wan wasn't sure he could keep Korra in his sights at all times, but he could probably put some boundaries on where she explored.]
First, our training camp is in the middle of a big ruined city. Because... It's a secret training camp. Only the most special and important people get to come here for training. And you're one of the most important and special people ever. But, you to help keep it secret, you can't go outside the numbered houses. They go from 1 to 40. If you go outside that you could draw attention to this place and that's not good. Then everyone would have to go home and no one would get to learn anything.
There are, yes. Nearly two hundred. It's a small village hidden away. Many of the people are bigger adults and they go out into the ruins around us to hunt for food. I do it, too. But we all know how to keep ourselves hidden when we do that, so just because we do, it doesn't mean you get to. You only just go here and your lessons aren't supposed to keep you here long enough to learn that.
So promise me you won't go past the houses, okay? And if you can, you need to stay close to this one. We're in house twenty.
[Hunt for food? That’s pretty different from what she was imagining for a training camp, but she can go along with it. She does feel a little sad that she can’t join him and the other adults, though.]
What if I want to talk to the other people? [She wants to meet everybody else, too!]
It's okay if you talk to other people, but be careful you don't end up talking to them too long. They're here to learn and train as much as you are. And since I'm your teacher, you need to stay close to me for lessons.
And if any of the people out there make you feel scared or unsure of anything, I need you to promise you won't try to fight them or yell at them. You come find me, instead and I'll take care of it. I know you can do a lot, but your parents have entrusted me with your safety and part of that is not taking risks you don't need to. Not yet, away. Maybe after you've learned enough about fire we can go find a cliff to jump off of. Maybe.
[Mrrrr. Jumping off of cliffs doesn’t sound as fun as meeting other people, but since Wan said it’s okay… Korra nods, already thinking of all the people she might make friends with! Some of them might even want to play!]
Okay! I’ll be extra, extra careful. I don’t want to mess up my friends’ training!
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no subject
Is that why mom and dad brought me here? How come you're wearing those clothes and not blue and furs like everybody else?
[She leans down further, poking at his chin scruff.]
What's your name?
no subject
Um... yes. I'm wearing these because I'm not from the Water Tribe. And my name is Wan.
[Wan frowned. He didn't like that she'd forgotten everything. Including him. This was not good. It was, quite possibly, very dangerous.]
We've met before. But you were a lot um... You weren't so big.
[Small white lies. He could do this.]
no subject
I bet they're gonna go and talk again when I'm not there with them.
no subject
[She has successfully confused him. Also, he is doing his best to pull her shirt down over her belly. He is not succeeding because it keeps slipping back up.]
no subject
I dunno! They were talking about bending last time, so I showed them my bending! I thought daddy wanted to train me, but he and mommy got really confused and then they started going into the other room to talk a lot.
[She stops to finally take a breath.]
Lots and lots of talking.
no subject
Maybe they were just really impressed! What did you show them?
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[Korra holds her hands out in front of her and calls up a small flame, before letting it flicker out.
She fidgets with her hands after that.]
Do you think I did it wrong?
no subject
oh.
Oh.
Oooh.
Right. Her parents were Water Tribe. Fire was not something the Water Tribe did.
Wan suddenly felt very bad for her parents.]
No... no. You didn't do that wrong. But um... that's why they left you with me. So I can show you how to control it better. No one in the Water Tribe really knows how to firebend. But I'm a firebender and they trust me so, I'm going to watch you for a while and be your teacher. You're going to be here for several days. Maybe even a couple weeks.
[He tried putting this in a very nice and friendly tone.]
It's a training camp! It'll be a lot of fun and when you go back home, you'll know all about firebending. And they're going to be so proud of you.
[yay.]
no subject
So you show me how to fire bend and then I can show mom and dad after?
[There is literally nothing wrong with this arrangement at all. Korra beams up at him, now that she's figured out what's going on.]
My name is Korra!
no subject
[He reached out to tug atone of her side-tails in a playful manner.]
But before we get to that, you need to know the rules. There are a lot of them and you need to follow all of them. It's very important.
no subject
What kind of rules? Are there a lot of them?
this is breaking his heart to tell her. why did we pick haven setting?
[Wan wasn't sure he could keep Korra in his sights at all times, but he could probably put some boundaries on where she explored.]
First, our training camp is in the middle of a big ruined city. Because... It's a secret training camp. Only the most special and important people get to come here for training. And you're one of the most important and special people ever. But, you to help keep it secret, you can't go outside the numbered houses. They go from 1 to 40. If you go outside that you could draw attention to this place and that's not good. Then everyone would have to go home and no one would get to learn anything.
because we are masochists
The compliments seem to at least take the sting off of the boundaries he's setting, though. Good job, Wan.]
Are there lots and lots of people here?
[There has to be if there's 40 houses, right?]
no subject
So promise me you won't go past the houses, okay? And if you can, you need to stay close to this one. We're in house twenty.
no subject
What if I want to talk to the other people? [She wants to meet everybody else, too!]
no subject
It's okay if you talk to other people, but be careful you don't end up talking to them too long. They're here to learn and train as much as you are. And since I'm your teacher, you need to stay close to me for lessons.
And if any of the people out there make you feel scared or unsure of anything, I need you to promise you won't try to fight them or yell at them. You come find me, instead and I'll take care of it. I know you can do a lot, but your parents have entrusted me with your safety and part of that is not taking risks you don't need to. Not yet, away. Maybe after you've learned enough about fire we can go find a cliff to jump off of. Maybe.
no subject
Okay! I’ll be extra, extra careful. I don’t want to mess up my friends’ training!
no subject
Good. Now. That bunk above me that you woke up on? That's your bunk. But, if you want, you can come down and sleep with me. I don't mind the company.
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I sleep with mom and dad sometimes, but they’re not here… Is it really okay if I sleep here?
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