H-hey Chekov. [A smile is the last thing Korra expects to see on Chekov's face. Not after everything that's happened. It throws her off. She stutters silently, struggling for what to say.]
[He stops shy of greeting Korra with the customary hug, the initial excitement of seeing his best friend--or the person who was his best friend--vanishing as his mind catches up with his emotions. Pavel changes course to hug Naga instead. There's still some happiness there, but it's tempered by the memories of their last two encounters and warnings to be cautious, trust less.]
Well, thank you.
[It's a stilted conversation and a stock reply. Chekov wants everything to be over and for them to go back to doing silly things like wearing fake mustaches. He wants to go back to trusting Korra completely--to trusting all of his friends completely. But Uhura and Isaak and Meyer and everyone else he spoke to about trust... there's no way to forgive and forget entirely without being hideously naive.
Chekov has never done anything halfway, and that extends to his relationships. The notion of holding back, of being slightly cautious, isn't one that fits with his definition of friendship. All or nothing. Black or white. Good or evil.
What is the City doing to him?
There's little pause between his response to Korra's question and his own, but he's clearly apprehensive.]
Have you been well? Jinora tells me so. [But Korra wouldn't tell anyone if she wasn't doing well, especially not the ten year-old.]
[She sees the almost hug, and how he directs it to Naga, how scared he is to be around her. It hurts, but she can't blame him.]
I'm -- [She stops herself from saying "okay." She owes Chekov the truth.] Terrible. Chekov, I am so sorry for what happened. For what I did. I never wanted to hurt you.
[He would never admit to being scared (not to Korra, at least), but he's definitely unsure about what he should do or what he should be acting on: emotion or logic.
Hearing the truth from Korra makes the decision for him. He leaves Naga to give Korra a crushing hug.]
You wouldn't have done that without the curse, not to anyone. I don't believe you're a killer.
[Says the kid who is friends with two known killers, but this is slightly more personal. He wants to add that he forgives her and that he trusts that she won't hurt him in the future. It only takes a moment of introspection to realize that only one of those things is true.]
[He does notice that that's not a normal Korra hug. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to come to the conclusion that she's afraid of breaking him; now that she has seen how delicate he is, what are the odds that they'll train together anymore?
Chekov puts aside his disappointment and forces another smile.]
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action - Tuesday 4/2
How are you?
[Ugh. Good job, Korra.]
action - Tuesday 4/2
Well, thank you.
[It's a stilted conversation and a stock reply. Chekov wants everything to be over and for them to go back to doing silly things like wearing fake mustaches. He wants to go back to trusting Korra completely--to trusting all of his friends completely. But Uhura and Isaak and Meyer and everyone else he spoke to about trust... there's no way to forgive and forget entirely without being hideously naive.
Chekov has never done anything halfway, and that extends to his relationships. The notion of holding back, of being slightly cautious, isn't one that fits with his definition of friendship. All or nothing. Black or white. Good or evil.
What is the City doing to him?
There's little pause between his response to Korra's question and his own, but he's clearly apprehensive.]
Have you been well? Jinora tells me so. [But Korra wouldn't tell anyone if she wasn't doing well, especially not the ten year-old.]
action - Tuesday 4/2
I'm -- [She stops herself from saying "okay." She owes Chekov the truth.] Terrible. Chekov, I am so sorry for what happened. For what I did. I never wanted to hurt you.
action - Tuesday 4/2
Hearing the truth from Korra makes the decision for him. He leaves Naga to give Korra a crushing hug.]
You wouldn't have done that without the curse, not to anyone. I don't believe you're a killer.
[Says the kid who is friends with two known killers, but this is slightly more personal. He wants to add that he forgives her and that he trusts that she won't hurt him in the future. It only takes a moment of introspection to realize that only one of those things is true.]
And I forgive you, if that is important.
action - Tuesday 4/2
Of course it is. Thank you.
[The harder part will be forgiving herself.]
action - Tuesday 4/2
Chekov puts aside his disappointment and forces another smile.]
Then we're friends still?
action - Tuesday 4/2
For as long as you'll have me.