[Video]

[kyasdaughter]

I know I'm supposed to forgive - that that's what Aang would want. And that's probably what he'll tell me, too, when he comes back. But right now, I don't care. I really don't.

[The background is dark, and the only thing visible in-frame is Katara's face, illuminated by the glow of the PCD screen. She hasn't slept much.]Aang is sweet, and pure

Comments

[video]

[scarysnakelady]

Sweet kids die all the time. Get over it.

I mean, unless you really want to keep this whole fun cycle of violence going, then be my guest.

[video]

[kyasdaughter]

I was supposed to protect him!

[Katara is near shouting.]

As far as I can tell, the cycle of violence is going to keep going whether or not I put my hand into the ring, too, and I'm tired of just rolling over and dealing with it when people die!

[video]

[scarysnakelady]

Then protect him!

[Anko can almost-shout with the best of them]

But I don't see how revenge is going to do anything but fail to mend your bruised ego. Because that's what it is. And revenge is well and fine, but don't go trying to pretend it's some noble bullshit.

You want to protect him? Then fine, protect him. You want revenge? Fine, but at least be honest about it.

[video]

[kyasdaughter]

[She's unfazed by the almost-shouting. In fact, if anything? She's glad for it. She's glad that someone is incensed about something as she is instead of just sympathetic, even if the anger is coming from a different source.]

Fine. I want revenge for what happened to him, but I also want to make the person who did it think twice before doing it again!

We don't let people get away with murder back home, so I don't understand why we do it here!

[video]

[scarysnakelady]

You think killing them is gonna do that? Really?

[Her laugh is short and mirthless]]

Even if you manage to find out and kill the person who did this they will think nothing of turning right back around and killing you, him, and anyone them damn well please.

Because people don't fucking stay dead here. Because killing someone is a revenge that doesn't fucking stick, here. Find me a revenge that sticks, then we'll talk.

[video]

[kyasdaughter]

You're the one who said kill - not me. There are ways to punish people without bringing murder into the equation.

[But her voice is still cold, uncomfortably hard.]

[video]

[scarysnakelady]

Because that's all you people ever think of, have ever thought of here.

If you think of something new and interesting, let me know. I'll believe it when I see it.

[And hers is cynical in the extreme.]

[video]

[kyasdaughter]

Why haven't we built a prison? There are a lot of us here. We're strong. We could build something to hold these - people.

[video]

[scarysnakelady]

Are you strong enough to hold them, all of them? Is anyone? For how long, forever? And who gets to determine who we lock up, huh? Killing someone is wrong... unless you agree with it. And if they go home and come back, are they innocent, or do we lock them up again? If they die and come back elsewhere, do we capture them again? Some of them have been in prisons better than anything we could scrape together here. They escaped those, why can't they escape these?

I've got people I've love to lock up and throw away the key too.