[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]

[daath_vader]

[...Death is a pain too severe to face without anger. What had Guy said? The greater the loss, the more you need someone to hate for it. It seemed to be true.]

[Anything Ion said would be the empty platitudes of a stranger. Even knowing that... Even knowing that apologies sometimes made it worse...]

I'm sorry for your loss.

[It was better to reach out, than to let others be alone with their pain.]

[Video]

[kyasdaughter]

[The empty platitudes are something. New faces in Adstring -- the cycle never really stops, does it? But not everyone is out to hurt someone else.

No, that just seems to be the rare handful, though they do enough damage despite their small numbers.]

I'm Katara. I'm sorry that we had to meet this way.

[Video]

[daath_vader]

I am Ion. It's nice to meet you Katara, even under these circumstances.

[Video]

[kyasdaughter]

You haven't been here very long, have you?

[There's an uneven sort of hardness in her voice. She's struggling to remain polite.]

[Video]

[homo_exanimus]

I am not good at being comforting, but your reaction is understandable.

Have you any clues as to what has been happening?

[Video]

[kyasdaughter]

Very few.

[Katara's expression is shuttered, wary, as she regards Alexia. As far as she knows, it could have been anyone who murdered Aang.]

Have you heard anything?

[Video]

[homo_exanimus]

I have not, though Juliet was attacked and marked.

[Her voice softens.]

Death has informed me that it is not a permanent state. Your friend may return.

[Video]

[kyasdaughter]

It still -- the Animus still take something from you. A price, for bringing you back. And whether or not you come back, it's still death. [Face still guarded, there is no hiding the rawness in her voice.] It hurts, and you're gone, and it's not a pain you can just forget. It's not something he's going to be able to just - push away. It's going to change him.

[It changed her.]

What do you mean by marked?

[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!

[offline]

[fn_rebel]

[Slowly he'll walk up to her. Anger. Sadness. It can all be seen on her tired face. Jet just looks exhausted. With both hands stuffed in his pockets, he gives her a very weak, worn-down smile.]

...it'll be alright, Katara.

[offline]

[kyasdaughter]

Don't be dumb, Jet. [She can't force herself to look at him.] Of course it isn't.

[offline]

[fn_rebel]

I'm not being dumb.

[He'll just sigh. It's been a long night, but he will move so he's in front of her.]

He'll be back. You know he will.

[He also knew that didn't take away any of the hurt or anger she felt. But leave the being irrational to him. Once he got his energy back he was bound to let it loose.]

[offline]

[kyasdaughter]

I came back, too.

[Katara's voice is clipped, harsh as she looks up at Jet, fighting off tears.]

Does that make what happened to me okay?

[Video]

[supermistfrog]

Ah, I know how this is going to go.

[Yes, you told him to never talk to you again. Does he care right now? No.]

You'll make that person pay, if you're able to even touch him. Aang will come back and say you don't have to. Everyone gets forgiven because people are just too oblivious and naive to the fact that some of the people here are irreversibly evil. How surprising.

And then it happens again and again.

[Video]

[kyasdaughter]

[That irritates her more than she can possibly put into words, one hand balling into an angry fist at her side as she grabs the PCD a little violently with the other.]

I'm tired of forgiving people. I'm tired people getting away with the things that they've done just because we can't think of a way to subdue them or because we're afraid of them fighting back. I'm sick of it - so don't pretend to know me, or who I am, or what my motivations are going to be. Understand?

[Video]

[supermistfrog]

Your motivation is blind rage, obviously. You don't need to tell me.

Or actually, do you wish to be a martyr against the "evil"?

[Video]

[kyasdaughter]

I don't care about good or evil right now. Not in this place. [Adstring has a way of blurring the lines.] But I won't stand for people that hurt others for sport.

Quit trying to lecture me. I'm not in the mood.