re_alignment | WATER [Open to all players!]

Entry tags:

✘ legend of korra | korra

WATER [Open to all players!]

(OOC: Let me know if I'm doing this wrong--like, if this is the incorrect format for this re-aligned comm or something, I know there's more than one, and I'm sorta a little confused on which is for which? Anyway, here goes....)

Is this thing on?

[Korra lightly bangs at something, frowning--the screen shakes. She gives a big exaggerated sigh, then continues.]

Okay, I heard there were some other humans like me out here, so given that, I wanted to ask if any of you guys have found water? Like, any water at all, a pool, a river, even a freakin' flask of it? And y'know, same question to anyone, Cybertronians or spirits or whatever--have you seen water?

[Korra blinked, then added in a rush.]

And in case there's anyone who doesn't realize, water's a big deal for humans like me, we need it to survive.

[Korra moves to turn off the screen.]

Okay, that's it, hopefully someone gets in touch with me about this--

[Korra stretched too far or too fast, because she flinches, irritating the wound on her back. No way is she going to ask aloud for medical help. If she can find water, she can heal herself, thank you very much. But then the thought occurred to her--if there were other humans like her, were there like any other healers among them? What if there...weren't? A panicked expression suddenly flashes across Korra's face.]

Um, actually, quick head count--are there any human healers out there that can, y'know, heal...humans?

[Korra's expression distinctly reads without words, 'That sounded lame.']

Well, I'll, uh, raise my head first--or is it hand--?

[Korra shakes her head, raises a hand.]

Whatever, I can heal as long as I have water--it's a bending thing--uh, and that's a thing where I manipulate the water to like do whatever I want including heal the human body. So if there's a human out there who's hurt and has water or can find water, you can come to me for help.

[Korra paused, trying to think of anything else to add. She slowly shrugged.]

Okay, that's definitely it now...so, um, bye, hope to see someone with info on water soon.

[End transmission.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

((ooc: that would be awesome!))

It's slowed, at least. I think. Not sure. Maybe I had a hallucination out there.

[Really. Vector Prime? He was down with some pretty weird theories, but that was a big one. Had he really run into some descendant of Primus? Ratchet hadn't mentioned hallucinations as part of the illness, but, well...Ratchet wasn't really close buddies with Drift.]

[He recognizes that look, at least in part.] What matters is now. Trust me. The past is the past. You can't let it define you.

[...easier said than done, though. As he knows all too well.]

[He turns the sword over, proud and embarrassed at the same time. It's his most valued possession. Until her question.]

[Erk!]

I....found my way after being lost.

(OOC: Yeah! Let's try that somehow!)

Have you found any healers of your kind yet?

[Korra suddenly scowls.] You don't know anything about my situation, what I was just pulled from--!

[Then she pauses, and looks somewhat regretful. Says lowly.] And I don't know anything about yours. [She slumps down, holds one of her cut arms.] Sorry I snapped, when you just trying to be--I think you were trying to be helpful, it sounded like that....

[Korra blinks.]

Um...maybe my so-called translator's glitching, but I didn't understand what you just said, like at all....

((ooc: woot!))

I'm looking for one. I have coordinates to find him. [He's not sure what he's going to do, exactly, when he does, and he's trying not to get his hopes up that he can be saved. He's thinking 'call in a proper rescue mission from a distance'.]

[He blinks. That was a little...wounded of her.] No. I don't. I'm sorry. I was probably talking more about myself. I just know how hard it can be sometimes.

[A sigh. Right. Well, all that flowery language worked when writing Rodimus's speeches, but apparently not with humans. Damn.]

Right. Look. Long story short. I did the wrong thing--lots of wrong things--for a very long time. And this [he lifts the sword] is all I have of the first time I didn't.

(OOC: Yeah!)

Are you able to reach those, uh, coordinates by yourself? I mean, if you're sick, shouldn't you be taking it easy? Those I guess with these phone...link...things, you can just call the guy up and get him to come to you, right? Pay like a house call?

[Korra nods.]

[Given what Drift just said and his sword, a small smile comes over Korra's face.]

One of my world's greatest heroes did some bad some stuff before, but--well, like I said, he's a celebrated hero now. He helped end a war and lead his country in peacetime and everything! He also had these really cool dual swords that he used while in the Blue Spirit disguise when helping Avatar Aang.

I can do it.

[He gives a confident nod. Nothing stops Drift when he's on a mission. Especially not anything silly like exhaustion.]

I would if I had a comm freq for him. But even that wouldn't matter--my job is to keep him safe.

[He nods.] It's what I'm hoping for...eventually. To make up for all the things I've done. I'm glad to hear your world does forgive.

[Sometimes, he had his doubts of his own.]

[And now it is her turn to be speaking all the words that make no sense.] What's an Avatarang?

[Is it a weapon? Like a boomerang but with more...avatar...ness?]

(OOC: LOL, boomerang, Sokka would be proud.)

[Korra notes his confident nod...seems just a little bit tired.]

Hmmm...maybe I've met the guy? I've met a couple of people that seem like your people already, though I didn't ask if they were healers. Let me know if any of those names ring a bell for you--Knock Out, Wing, Ratchet?

['I'm glad to hear your world does forgive'--Korra twitches at that. Her predecessor Avatar Aang was all about forgiveness and peace, he couldn't even kill the Fire Lord about to commit genocide. And she was about to kill Tarrlok without giving him any chance of surrender, and as far as she knew, he was not genocidal, as horrible as he was.]

[Her mood lightens when Drift mispronounces her predecessor's name. She laughs.]

Avatar Aang. Two words. A title and a name. He's my predecessor....

[Oh, now Korra would have to explain. This could be a mouthful. How to make it short.]

See, in my world, there are four elements to bend, and only one person can bend them all--and that's the Avatar. He or she is a figure that is always supposed to master all the elements and protect the world, keep it in balance, and act as a bridge between the mortal and spirit worlds, also balancing them out. The Avatar's always born in the mortal world...actually, the story says the Avatar is supposed to be like this living embodiment of the entire planet's spirit...and anyway, the Avatar's like eternal because the Avatar is constantly reborn. Avatar Aang was the last Avatar, and he was like the greatest one ever...but then he died, and I was born, and became the new Avatar.

[Korra frowns.]

Don't ask me why I'm the Avatar, I'm not really sure. I mean, the cycle has an order, it's like Air, Water, Earth, Fire, the Avatar is born through each of those nations in turn, and it was Water's turn...but why me, specifically--no clue.

[Funny, Korra had never thought about it that way before. Why her? Especially after she's done such a crappy job so far.]

"I....Wing. Yes. I know Wing." He sounds dissatisfied. He'd run into the jet and...it hadn't gone as he'd always imagined running into him.

He would give quite a bit to see Ratchet here. The mech might not like Drift, but he knew his job. "Ratchet? Big, white and red. Chevron here? Does he have symptoms? Like mine?"

Frag he hoped not. Last he knew the medics were somehow immune or resistant. That was a place to start.

[He listens to her explanation. Some of it makes sense. Some...not so much.] So it's like being a Prime. You're the leader?

[He tilts his head. Try to ignore the slow red leak from his optics.] You mean why you, as opposed to someone you think better?

Have you seen Wing already?

[Korra's turn to be confused.]

What's a Prime--is that a leader.

I...well, Aang was a leader, but...but I don't know if that's the only thing the Avatar's supposed to do. [Korra snorted.] Hope not--I can't lead anyone anywhere good.

[Korra jerks, eyes dart around nervously.] My track record as the Avatar's just...it's not so great. Whoever or whatever chooses the next Avatar must be regretting picking me. Or maybe it is all random.

[Korra frowns. That's not a comforting thought either.]

Yeah, I just met Ratchet--what symptoms--your eyes--!

[Korra looks horrified.]

You're bleeding! [She blinks.] You're bleeding red, I thought you guys bled blue--

[Korra shakes herself.]

Look, Wing, Ratchet and I are supposed to meet outside Megatronus Prime's temple, do you know where that is? Can you make it there and see us? Or I can ask Ratchet to come to you when I see him? Can you staunch the bleeding at all? Where are you? I can come over and probably stop the bleeding, blood is--blood is essentially water, I can bend that too--

[Don't think of Tarrlok, don't think of Tarrlok]

Yes. We...ran into each other.

[He has that very definitive tone that he doesn't want to talk about it any further. Wing had gone off with Annie, possibly contaminated with the same disease that was plaguing Drift. Not a great reunion when you transmit a fatal disease. He's more than a little relieved to have a change of topic.]

Prime... it depends. It's supposed to be the sort of chosen leader, the one who carried the Matrix. But before the war, it was more like...just a political title. The Primes before the war were power hungry and corrupt.

And...now there won't be any more Primes. [Mixed feelings about that. Loss of a grand tradition, but a tradition that had led to countless deaths and suffering.]

I think. [Who is he kidding: no one cares what he thinks?] I think that the fact you have those doubts means you'll be a good one, in time. If you felt perfectly comfortable with all that power, well...I've seen where that leads.

[He shakes his head.] I need to find Pharma. I promised I'd find him, protect him. [Plus he's...not all that eager to run into Wing again.]

...maybe later. Another time. I appreciate the offer.

[OOC: I just realized I called you 'Wing.' Sorry!]

'Power hungry and corrupt...' [Korra grunted.] Yeah, those types suck. [Freakin' Tarrlok!]

What's the Matrix, though?

['If you felt perfectly comfortable with all that power, well...I've seen where that leads'--Korra flinches at that. She feels worse. Because it seems like a confirmation. Becausee she confesses.]

But I did feel super comfortable with all that power before. But now--spirits, things are a mess now and nothing's been going right, my power's done nothing good. [Korra sighed, then asked in a small voice.] Mind if I ask where that does lead to, from what you've seen? I guess I can use all the pointers I can get right now.

[Korra ponders. Considers Drift's reaction to Wing. She knew that was a 'drop-it-and-leave-it-alone' thing--she'd done it a lot too. But she remembered her words--]

Um, I think I screwed up my words again, sorry. I should be seeing Ratchet--and Ratchet alone. No Wing. My mouth tends to run away with me into places that make no sense. So, if you just want to see Ratchet...would Ratchet know this Pharma guy you're looking for?

((ooc: Eep! Hey we can play it off this way, too. No worries))

The one, the Prime, right before the war got started, had a superweapon. It bled off the energies of mechs' sparks, to create a blast that could destroy half a city.

[That's the standard he's holding as 'bad'. He's pretty sure you've not managed that. You know, double genocide, basically. ]

And they wondered why we started fighting. [But no, that had been the wrong path, the wrong way. ]

Then maybe 'power' isn't the resource you need to call on. I mean. All I did for four million years was fight. Because a weapon was all I had. Every question...the answer was always a gun. Or a sword. But...that doesn't work when there's peace. You have to--I have to--use something else. Not just power.

[Oh, well, oops. That was embarrassing. Someone had Wing on the brain module. The way they'd parted still rankled, apparently.]

I don't know. If he's my Ratchet, he would. But...not even sure he's the Pharma I know. [Frag this place was confusing.]

[That reminds Korra of the Avatar State. Which she has yet to enter or even try to controlling. An out of control Avatar State? Korra is not reassured.]

That's...horrible. Did it...did it work. You said 'could.' Did it really destroy half a city.

[Korra blinked. Smiles slowly.]

Now you're sounding like my teacher, Tenzin. He's all about adaptation and finding another way. Ways other than power.

'Your' Ratchet? Isn't there only one Ratch--oh, I guess you guys can share the same names too, huh? I remember my old neighbor was named after 'Sokka.'

[Zeta Prime was just a corrupt, power hungry aristocrat. No mysticism required. Which was scary in its own way--how it could have been almost anyone in his position, making the same awful decisions.]

The citizens blew their own city up rather than let Zeta use it to fuel his weapon.

[It was the stuff of history, and though the names were muddled and lost to him, he knew that much.]

Thousands, hundreds of thousands had died before that, so they knew it wasn't an idle threat.

[He flashes a rare, almost shy smile. Please don't notice the rust ooze.]

I've been called worse than a 'teacher'. But if power is not working, there are other things you can try.

[Drift shrugs.] I ran across a mech named Blurr. Who was not the Blurr I'd fought alongside, but he looked kind of like him. And I've been to Earth and seen humans, but nothing about any of this 'bending' or Water Tribes.

I think we're from different worlds, all of us.

[Korra closes her eyes at that.]

I'm so sorry.

[Surely nothing like that could happen in Republic City. Things weren't close to getting that bad. Surely.]

Like what?

Blurr...is--is that name like really appropriate? Because I just met a guy talking about ice and he spoke really super fast.

Whole different worlds--I just had trouble wrapping my head around the mortal world and the spirit worlds. But more than on earth?

[Korra pinches her nose.] Gives me a migraine.

It was just a bigger example of what had been happening for years. Thousands of us starved in the gutters, and no one cared. We died, a few every day. But over the years...it added up.

[And now the smile flickers.]

Traitor, for one. But I'd earned it.

[A bit of release of tension around the shoulders.] That sounds like Blurr, the one I met.

[Drift nods.] Dozens, at least, planets we'd conquered, or tried to. Beings made entirely of silicates. And, where I'm from, we had another dimension, the Void, bleeding into ours.

This is just...more. [He tips his head up at the Lambda, visible in the sky.] And that's what brought us here.

[Korra's reminded of the street urchins and vagabonds sleeping in the park in Republic City. She'd thought everyone was living it up there. Weren't the streets supposed to be paved with jade?]

[Korra's eyes widen at another misunderstanding. She's really not good with words.]

Oh no, I didn't mean--I meant, 'like what,' like what other things are there that I can pull from besides power, what other things I can try....

[Korra trails off, looking very awkward and rather wishing she could sink into the floor and vanish.]

But not your Blurr, right? [Korra frowns, curious.] But he's similar to your Blurr, right?

[Korra looks up at the Lambda too.]

Reminds me of the southern lights back home...but, not, of course.

Oh.

Sorry.

[Yeah, now you tell the nice human what a bad mech you are. Great first impression.]

[Actually, the great first impression involved the rust melting out from behind your optics down your face, so this was really more like a bad second impression. So, if she wants to sink into the floor, yeah, he's already there. ]

Yeah. That. Right.

[Back on topics OTHER than your grim and angsty past, Drift.]

Like justice, fairness, or compassion. Believing in others. Helping others. Lots of things than just power for its own sake.

Similar to my Blurr. An Autobot. Blue. A fast runner. Smart.

[A whole lot smarter than Drift currently feels, at any rate.]

The mech who spoke to me told me it was just...here. They couldn't control it. It just dumped things--us--here.

There has to be a reason. Vector Prime said it was random, but maybe he's wrong.

[Korra gives a faint smile.]

Sounds like Avatar Aang. Now he had a great track record.

[Korra blinked.]

An Autobot? What are the Autobots like? I was talking to Slipstream, and she was telling me about the Autobots and the Decepticons. Actually, do you know Slipstream?

Prima thought Primus at least marked us as not monsters out to kill everyone. So that's sorta less random. But Prima said he didn't know if Primus made us come here or not--just that he identified us as 'safe.'

Who's Vector Prime?

Edited 2012-06-28 05:13 (UTC)

[Drift frowns.]

No. You shouldn't compare yourself to someone else. You will only fail if your measure of success is how well you're someone else.

[Well, all right! That came out sounding pretty good. Whew.]

[Errrrrrrk.]

Autobots. We're the ones who stand for good. At least...we're supposed to. It gets hard in a million-years war to keep the lines clean.

I used to be a Decepticon. We--they--were the ones who started the war.

...it's complicated.

And I've met Slipstream. She's...also complicated.

[He gave a wry shrug.] It's a place to start. There's a time when I wouldn't have earned that label.

Vector found me. A descendant of Primus.

[Korra shook her head.]

How can I not? Whether anyone says it or not, everyone else does--compare me to Aang, I mean. He literally saved the world, ended a 100 year war! I can't protect one city....

...The Fire Nation started that 100 year war I mentioned. They've been at peace with the rest of the world for my entire life.

[Korra bit her lip? What was her point? That things can get better, factions can reconcile?]

...How long has your war been going on?

Slipstream's...interesting. Convincing. She's very opinionated. [Korra smirked. Not unlike herself, she supposed.]

So...like, a sibling to Prima and Megatronus? 'Cause I think Prima said they all came from Primus.

That's their problem, if they compare you to someone else. You don't have to follow along.

[Oh great, you're going to get another story, half-afted as it is. He's not Kup, okay?]

[Then again, you should feel lucky he's not Kup otherwise this story would last about a week.]

We have this thing. A condition. It's called 'primus apotheosis'. Mechs idolize Optimus Prime. They want to be just like him. They change their color, behavior, everything. To try to be someone they're not.

Because they think there's one way to be a hero, to be valuable, and that's to be him.

They're wrong.

[He nods. End of story.]

Our war? Four million years. It was over and we...are still struggling to make peace. In a way, leading in peace is harder than leading in war. But it's better.

Four million years of believing in this [he taps the insignia on his chassis] above all else is hard to let go of.

I wish we succeed as well as your people, Korra.

I'm...not sure. That's what he told me, a descendant of Primus.

...do you have Primus in your world?

Yeah, well, not listening to anyone hasn't gotten me anywhere either.

[Korra's still downcast. Though she considers.]

Which I guess includes you-- [Korra bows.] Thanks for the advice, Drift. [She smirks.] Especially to a total stranger that probably can't even reach your knee standing up.

[Korra looks a little wigged out.]

'Kay, that does sound sorta...creepy. No offense.

[Korra glances away.]

I don't know, I think I'm getting to get the...weird issues in peacetime. I thought everything was pretty good, everyone was living it up--but a lot of people are saying things are so bad, they have to revolt...and I did see things go pretty bad. Give people a reason to revolt.

[Korra sighs. That cost a lot to admit that. Being in a weird world and feeling super vulnerable and talking to all these people's given her a lot of time to think and reconsider things.]

[Korra shook her head.]

Nope, no Primus in our world. The closest I think we have are the spirits--stories say they created our world.

(OOC: Abrupt headcanon time--the canon's never given an origin story for the whole world, but spirits are important, so I'm just gonna say that a lot of stories say the spirits made Korra's world.)

Then maybe a balance. Listening to some. But that means, also, listening to yourself.

[You know, sometimes, hearing Drift talk, you'd think he's got this all figured out. Then you'd see his brain module is leaking out of his face.]

It is 'creepy', yes. And a lot of mechs have died because of primus apotheosis.

[He winces, feeling a bit guilty for bringing up an uncomfortable topic.] For what it's worth, peace seems a lot harder than war. Things, little things, start happening and it all builds.

But what matters is that someone at the top notices, and cares, and tries to help.

[What would have happened if the Senate had done that, instead of the Clampdown?]

Spirits? [Drift perks up.] Do you know what they look like? Are they beings of pure energy? [Because if the legends are true, the Knights of Cybertron left their planet and spread civilization to other worlds. Could they be....?]

Balance...within myself?

...Makes sense.

Um...y'know, I'm not sure if I just saw a guy with primus apothewatever, or a different Optimus Prime? But yeah, I saw on Optimus Prime on our phone link thing, and he...he wasn't what I was expecting. Have you seen this guy?

[That makes Korra pause. Starts to really think.]

Why does it have to be the 'top?' Shouldn't the 'low' be able to help--?

[Korra paused. That really sounded like Amon there, didn't it?]

I thought you guys were spirits--I've never seen ones from my world before, even though I am supposed to be a bridge to the spirit world....

[Korra pauses on 'energy.' Tries to remember.]

Well, I think the Avatar Spirit's supposed to be like pure energy, or at least the Avatar State is.

Edited 2012-06-28 18:23 (UTC)

It's probably a lot easier to say than do.

[Because Drift's been struggling with it for a while. And all this advice he's giving you? Wow he sure should try himself. ]

Hmmmm. [He's no psychologist, but he's heard stories. ] Did he seem fixated on dying gloriously in battle?

[He shrugs.] Maybe your world is different. In mine, before the war, the Senate and the Prime held all the power. The 'low'--people like me--couldn't even get ourselves heard. When you can't even do that, you can't help.

It's why we followed Megatron. He got us listened to. At least at first.

[And that is the start of another long and twisty story Drift really doesn't want to tell.]

[He laughs, wondering what it would have been like for him if the first time he'd seen humans was here.] It's probably more than a little strange, all of us, to you.

And you are the Avatar? But you...have...a body? [How does that work?]

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[video] If only Drift had a sense of humor...!

Re: [video] If only Drift had a sense of humor...!

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[video] lol the miscommunications these two have are hilarious

Re: [video] it is LULZY, I'm just rolling with it now

[video] Drift is actually sort of socially inept XD

Re: [video] So is Korra! They can be socially inept dorks together ;)

[video] *highfive*

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[video] highfive

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