Prompt Post 2.0
With the season finale behind us I figure we'll have an explosion of prompts soon. So, new prompt post. Please post any new prompts in this post. But you can always find fic or fill more prompts in the original prompt post.
Rules!1) One prompt per post, please! If you have multiple prompts, no worries, just make separate posts for each. Please ( Read more... )
Rules!1) One prompt per post, please! If you have multiple prompts, no worries, just make separate posts for each. Please ( Read more... )
The Leopard-Dogs had been forced back to zone two by their opponents, and the firebender whose name Noatok couldn't bother to remember was in three. As the next round began, Lalam went on the immediate attack, sending a stone disk at each, and Tarrlok followed his lead with a few well-placed bursts of water. The firebender was a slower to the game.
His attention was torn between watching the match and Korra. The girl whooped and cheered as loud as the other fans. She ordered her brother's firebender to 'grow a pair' and to 'fire dropkick their faces in', but he seemed not to hear her. Noatok was sure that she'd forgotten he was here at all.
She was not what he’d expected the Avatar to be. She was not how his father had described. A heartless, self-righteous being totally consumed with its own selfish agenda. Noatok had later come to find it an ironic description.
He’d been watching her longer than he’d realized. The Tigerdillos had all been knocked back to the second zone, and the Leopard-Dogs were split between the first and second zones by the end of round two. Korra was leaning so far over the rail, he thought she’d just might fall over.
Noatok never invited anyone into the Leopard-Dogs' box. His brother was the only reason he was allowed in himself. But he'd been curious, to see what a real, breathing Avatar was like, how one measured up to his father's stories.
So far, he’d found this one to be only a girl. A loud, excitable girl who was a little too trusting of the goodwill of stranger's with a bad sense of direction, but a girl nonetheless.
His father would want him to destroy her, the way the Avatar had done to him. Like a specter over his shoulder, Yakone's voice seemed to whisper encouragement to his son, his favored child.
He could feel the blood in her veins as easily as his own. Flowing warm and fast and alive, his heart raced to match it as the crowd climaxed at the Leopard-Dogs’ final victory. He could crush her, seize the blood in her heart, freeze it in her veins. Korra released a triumphant cry, throwing up her hands.
Noatok looked down at his brother, saw the joy and pride on his face and look up at him. Tarrlok waved up at him, and he returned the gesture. He could crush the Avatar, and the life they’d made in Republic City at the same time.
He let out a breath and forced his blood to calm, to ease the rushing in his ears. His father's voice died down with it.
"Whoo, that so was intense! The Leopard-Dogs are awesome."
"Stick around, and you can tell them yourself."
Noatok made a split decision. Befriending the Avatar - oh. That would put the old man in his grave and send him spinning.
"Get outta town!" she shoved him, hardly budging him. "You're kidding me...right? Are they coming here? Like, in here, right now, where I am? I mean, seriously?"
"Seriously."
Korra made an odd noise that was a squeal and a gasp and a laugh. Noatok looked at her, thought of his father, and smiled.
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Love it! I think could read a whole novel about Noatak and Tarrlok dealing with Yakone's legacy.
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Korra was going to have a heart attack. Her head was going to explode from sheer adrenaline and excitement from not only seeing her first Pro-bending match in a super exclusive box, but she was going to meet an actual team. She felt as if she could fall dead at this moment, and her life would be perfect.
“Are you alright?” Noatok asked, looking at her strangely.
She supposed her smile was a little wide, but she couldn’t stop herself, and she felt like a huge dork, but she didn’t care.
“Great! Just a little…kinda anxious. But in a good way. A totally good way.”
He was still looking at her as she were slightly deranged and offered a placating grin. His eyes darted to door a moment before they opened, and the Leopard-Dogs walked in. Well, Tarrlok sort of sauntered ahead of the other two. As soon as they were through the door, Lalam slammed it and whirled to Yukio, jabbing a finger at his chest.
“What is your problem?”
“You want it alphabetical or chronological?” Yukio responded coolly.
Korra’s smile slid off. As an expert at causing trouble, flying off of the handle, and poor impulse control, she clearly recognized when stuff was about to go down. Her anxiety fluttered between the good and bad.
“We almost lost,” Lalam bit out.
“But we didn’t.”
Yukio shoved the earthbender who stepped aside to let him pass but followed him to the lockers. Yukio seemed to all but ignore Lalam’s continued tirade as he removed his gear.
“It’s like you can’t function without a direct order, and even then you don’t listen. I told you to volley Isi, keep him off me. Do you not understand what a volley is? Because that was not what you were doing. You were…were…peppering! Sprinkling! How are we supposed to win the tournament with fire sprinkles?”
Korra bit her lip, eyes trailing the two benders. If this went on, she had a feeling she’d be seeing a close-up Pro-bending demonstration between them. Tarrlok edged around them toward Noatok and Korra. She wasn’t sure whether she should be excited about meeting him or taking her eyes off Lalam and Yukio and missing who threw the first punch.
“I didn’t think you’d make it,” she heard Tarrlok say.
“Wouldn’t have missed this for the world, little brother.”
The last part snapped Korra’s attention toward the two at her side. She examined them both under narrowed eyes. When looking, she could see similarities between the two that she hadn’t noticed before.
“Tarrlok’s your brother?” she asked Noatok, for her confirmation but feeling a little silly for repeating him.
“Yes. Why else would I be allowed in here?”
Korra drew a blank, but then she hadn’t really been thinking about Noatok at all in light of the match. She felt herself flush a little at how little she’d thought of him in fact. Had she thanked him for letting her watch from here? She couldn’t remember or think how to without sounding like an idiot if she already had.
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“Avatar Korra was telling me how much she enjoyed the match,” Noatok continued.
Tarrlok’s grasp went slack, and his eyes grew wide. He dropped her arm like she’d burned him and glared at Noatok.
“Not funny.”
“No joke,” Korra said, propping her hands on her hips. “You guys were amazing. Best I’ve ever seen.”
Her attempt at humor didn’t even register. With the way they were staring at each, she assumed they were doing that silent communication thing, like she sometimes did with Naga. It seemed fairly obvious that she’d said something wrong, but she wasn’t sure what.
Lalam slamming a fist into one of the lockers broke an otherwise uncomfortable tension with a violent one as the three turned their attention to the lecture that was finally winding down.
“ - least you could do is pull your own weight! I, for one, am sick and tired of carrying you. So’s Tarrlok.”
Tarrlok raised his hands and shook his head. “Did not say that.”
Cool as before, Yukio was straightening his jacket at that point. Lalam seemed less inclined to hit him than she’d previously thought now that he’d worn himself out yelling. She distantly wondered if the rooms were sound-proof.
“Are you done?” the firebender asked in a show of nonchalance as his hands clenched before sliding into his pockets. “Great. I quit. Good luck in the tournament.”
Leaving everyone’s jaw on the floor, Yukio stepped around the shell-shocked Lalam and sauntered out the door. The earthbender sat down stiffly onto the bench. Tarrlok eventually blinked. Korra herself was hesitant to breathe while Noatok looked thoughtful.
“Well…” Lalam said at length.
That was all the prompt Tarrlok needed to start.
“Wonderful talk, Lalam. Very uplifting,” the waterbender said in a hard tone.
“Hey, you told me to be nice. That was my nice. I tried. Next time, you do the pep talks.”
“Well, that’s great. I’ll have until next season to come up with something because our firebender just quit! Plenty of time.”
“Man…” Lalum “Where are we gonna get a firebender before the next match?”
“Hey, Lalum. Have you met the Avatar?” Noatok said suddenly, loudly.
Lalum’s eyes jumped from Noatok to Korra. He smiled.
“You firebend?”
“Yeah.”
“Welcome to the team.”
It took all of five seconds for it to hit Korra, and when it did, she lunged at Lalam, grabbing him by the front of his uniform.
“Boy, don’t play with me. I’m really on the team? I’m a Leopard-Dog?”
“You are a Leopard-Dog.”
“Whoo!”
She wrapped her newest team member in a bear hug who enthusiastically returned the gesture. Riding a jubilant high, Korra completely missed the panicked, confused look Tarrlok shot at Noatok. When she released Lalam and latched onto Tarrlok next, she didn’t notice Noatok smother a laugh with his hand either.
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Note: Gah, there’s a short piece missing between 3 and 4 because the parts kept exceeding the character limit. It’s ok though because it doesn’t really interrupt the story.
“All right then,” Lalam said. “How about you show me what you can do, Avatar.”
Tarrlok visibly relaxed when Korra gave an exultant shout of agreement and let him go and backed toward the railing. Noatok watched him, mindful of his brother’s racing heart and paled face. As much fun as petrifying his brother was, he decided to have mercy. Korra and Lalam were halfway out the door as Noatok pinched his brother slightly, drawing him out of his daze.
“Well, you two have fun,” he said.
“You’re not coming?” Korra asked, mild surprise coloring her tone.
“I don’t bend,” he shrugged, a truth and a lie. His technique was…entirely untraditional; he barely had to move at all. He wasn’t sure if he remembered the proper movements anymore and did not feel up to explaining his clear advancement. He jerked a thumb at Tarrlok, “and it’s past this one’s bed time. Another time maybe.”
“But -“ Korra started only to be cut off by Lalam.
“Ah, forget them. Once Noatok decides something, there’s no changing his mind. You and me, we’ll get everything sorted out. Unless you’re backing out too?”
“No way. Later, boys.”
The Avatar and earthbender departed, and Tarrlok eyed his brother warily. A short shake of Noatok’s head halted any questions. Korra and Lalam’s presence faded from Noatok’s awareness. He sat down on the bench and waved towards the lockers.
“Not here,” he said. “Get dressed, and we’ll talk at home.”
The younger waterbender glared stubbornly for a moment with the elder returning his gaze coolly. Tarrlok looked away first, sighing heavily. He opened the locker, stripping and throwing his clothes inside more roughly than necessary, but Noatok had gotten his way.
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He only ever relaxed once he was within these walls. Tarrlok hadn’t given him one moment though, barely allowing him to force the door closed before starting.
"The Avatar, Noatok? Are you crazy?"
“What does one question have to do with the other?”
Noatok walked to the kitchen-like area three steps to the right of the door. Fruit sat in a bowl, and he chose an apple. Noatok drew a stream of water from the sink faucet, formed an ice knife, and cut it into six, perfect slices. He didn’t once use his hands. Tarrlok paced, ten steps back and forth.
“Don’t play dumb and don’t be smart. You know what’d happen to us if she found out who we were.”
Bloodbenders.
Criminals.
Yakone’s sons.
The humidity lessened slightly as Tarrlok’s distress grew. Droplets solidified into ice crystals, lingering in the air. The lights reflected rainbow shades across the room.
“Pay attention to what you’re doing,” Noatok said, dissolving the ice crystals with a twitch of his fingers. Tarrlok’s control was normally perfect, but when he was upset, he didn’t think; he reacted. “And of course I know, little brother. The city’ll come after us, we’ll bring it down around their ears, and escape. Kyoshi Island might be interesting.”
Tarrlok stared at him, wide eyed and gaping. “You are crazy. Completely ‘round the bend, and you are going to get us killed or thrown in prison, or he might hear about us and come down here and -“
“You’re doing it again,” Noatok warned. There was a fine sheet of ice on everything. “Calm down. I’ve always protected you, haven’t I?”
Tarrlok worked to calm his breathing, halted in the center of the room. “When you could.”
Noatok didn’t flinch at the jab. He ignored the waspish tone as well and took a bite of apple. He waited until the younger bender’s heart rate had evened out, until he sagged against the counter top next to him.
“I didn’t mean it like that.”
Like he’d ever shied away from Father’s attention, like he’d never pushed himself to exhaustion training with Yakone to keep him away from Tarrlok. Like he didn’t lose pieces of himself becoming who he was.
But Noatok didn’t care about that, not as much as some other things. In a way, their father had prepared them for life, taught them more than just bending and revenge. Noatok still wasn’t sure what he should be doing with everything he’d learned.
No, he hated Yakone for what he did to Tarrlok, for taking his sweet, innocent little brother and breaking him down for years. He hated him because he remembered when Tarrlok used to smile, and they played together and then Noatok showed him how to bend snowmen, and Yakone put a stop to all of that.
Anywhere else, Tarrlok would have been a prodigy. In another family, Tarrlok would have been happy.
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Noatok accepted his apology by handing him a slice of apple.
“And that’s what I’m doing now. There’s a risk that this could end not so great, but if we pull this off right, we won’t have to worry. We could show her that bloodbending is just another form; it isn’t evil. We aren’t evil.”
"...that's such a weak plan."
Tarrlok began peeling the green skin off of his apple peel.
“Whatever the Avatar does or says is right. If she’s on our side, then so are we. Even if it never gets to that point, then at least we’d get leniency if she finds out. Besides, you needed a firebender.”
“I wouldn’t do well in prison.”
“You are so negative. If you’re really so worried, try wooing her. She wouldn’t let her lover go to prison.”
“That is not happening.”
“Why not? She’s cute.”
Tarrlok looked at horrified, and Noatok fought down a smile. “Have you forgotten the stories he told us? I had nightmares. And you want me to date her.”
“Oh, please. I doubt she’d feed you to the Ocean Spirit or throw you into a volcano or anything like that.”
“I’d just really like some notice before you have these breaks with reality. So I can mentally prep for them. Trying to catch up with you is just too exhausting.”
“Stop being a crybaby and eat your apple.”
Tarrlok obeyed. Noatok did smile then. His little brother was such a good kid.
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