Disclaimer: Nope, just a fanfiction writer. I would be richer, if I did.
Story: He doesn't tolerate failure and he knows he failed the Avatar. He's too prideful to admit it to anyone else, but he offers recompense in the dark of the night. Korra is allowed to use him, but they just end up being more messed up.
Set after episode 1x05 "The Spirit of Competition", but is a playback to 1x04 "The Voice in the Night".
Spoilers: Up to episode 1x07 "The Aftermath."
Warnings: Just in case…Cursing and violence for now…hm, just in case since I'm usually writing it, bit of crazy humor, perverted humor, morbid or sarcastic humor, and maybe some sexual situations…
Pairings: Korrlok, one-sided Makkorra, one-sided Borra, and Pemzin with mentions of past Linzin. Amorra stalking, Korrasami sisterhood, Makoralin tension, and Tahno pushes his way in here (but also big on Tahnorra friendship). Aang calls BFF.

To lantur, whose messages encouraged me to keep going with this fic, even when I contemplated actually giving up on it. Even when I was writing this chapter and got discouraged or irritated with it, I looked back to those messages.

I Don't Have to Exist Outside Here
Chapter Three: I'll Be Glad to Save You From My Misery I

He awoke to a really bad stiff neck. And his clothes were still soaking wet, and clinging uncomfortably to him. And he was pretty sure that his back was going to be sore from lying on the cold, hard ground.

But he had a nice, warm body in his arms, and better –it was Korra, who had willingly spoken to him and confided in him.

It was one of the most contented moments in his life he ever remembered having. And he held her like he remembered his mother would have held him –how even Noatak had held him once upon a time.

He mentally shook his head from thoughts of his brother and focused on the girl in his arms. He was tempted to just stay there the entire time, so long as he was able to stay with her…but he was also restless about the situation and understood he had to do some damage control.

"You're thinking too much too early in the morning," Korra muttered against his chest and she grumbled before slowly pushing herself up, tilting her head so she could look at him lazily. One glance told her all she needed to know and she sighed. "…Right. I get it. Damage control."

"You read me too well," Tarrlok's lips tugged upwards and he absentmindedly started brushing his fingers through her hair as he mentally went over what he needed to address and began setting up a speech already in his head. He missed the slight blush on her face, as well as the minute flash of confusion and intrigue that went through her powder blue eyes, before they went neutral.

"I'll have to head to City Hall and call up an emergency press conference," Tarrlok mused aloud. "We can't let things sit or else everyone else will draw their own conclusions, the public will become more agitated and things might escalate into violence if they start to panic and become overly upset, as a result of last night's events."

"I see," Korra hmmed, reluctantly sitting up so that he could try to get up himself.

"…Chief Beifong?" she narrowed her eyes at him, the question making the air between them slightly tense. But she already knew, even before he looked at her apologetically, what he was going to do. "You're really going to go through with making her your scapegoat," Korra grumbled, glaring at him.

"Yes," Tarrlok answered bluntly, which she inwardly thought was rather way too similar to how she was most times. "I didn't force her to take full responsibility. She made that choice on her own. Whether or not this move is ethical, though I prefer to think of it as morally gray, is irreverent. If we were to look at this unbiased, with just cool logic and just the facts, then we will see what an upset and panicking public will see –she chose to take on the responsibility of protecting the arena and the people in it. The cold, hard fact was that she failed. And if we don't address that, if we don't immediately take an action and speak to the people, after last night we might get a full out riot. Benders or non-benders."

It still bothered her, but she could see his point of view. That didn't, however, mean she had to like it, as evidenced by her continued glare. He continued on unfazed.

"Besides…I really need Chief Beifong on my side and doing something, which she won't in either case as she dislikes me on principle, and she would never work with me in any circumstance. Not unless it was a life or death thing," he ended wryly. "And maybe not even that."

Korra sighed deeply, nostrils slightly flaring and letting a little bit of fire out to show her agitation.

"Maybe I could talk to her?" she offered, but Tarrlok gave her a disbelieving look and she's heard enough of the others' talk against Tarrlok to know that they would rather be oppositions. "At least let me hear your speech and try to edit it a little. Try to not smear Chief Beifong's name too much, won't you?"

He started reciting what he had so far and she scrunched up her nose. They spent a good fifteen minutes at least, arguing back and forth and changing details to it. In the end, it wasn't as inflammatory as she'd thought it'd be, and she had spent more time simply just trying to soften up the references to Lin's mistakes.

"I need to call Tenzin," she took a deep breath, rubbing at her eyes tiredly. "Mako and Bolin, my teammates. They live here. Or had, until the arena became shambles. I was gonna ask if they could stay at Air Temple Island."

"I see. You can use the phone in my office to call him, while I get ready and set up the press conference," he offered. Mentally though, he cringed at the idea of having two infantile boys potentially catching him in such a state of disarray, and never mind with Korra. "I'll drive you over and after the conference, I can drive you back here to inform them of the news. Tenzin wouldn't refuse after all."

"Thanks," she smiled slightly at him and he couldn't help returning it.

He helped her up and they bent the water out of their clothes, heading out after to his car. She eyed it, remembering the one he'd bought her to entice her into the Task Force, and wondered how it worked. She'd never been in one and therefore had never learned to drive one (hence her confusion and blankness upon receiving it, and then wondering what in the world was she going to do with it after that reaction).

He caught her staring at his car. "So how do you like the Satomobile I bought you?" he grinned at her.

Korra blinked. "I haven't touched it."

Tarrlok stopped short, unable to hide his shock and dismay. "But…it's the latest and most expensive model…why would you…"

"Is it? Huh. Good thing I didn't touch it after all. I don't know how to drive," she informed him. "That would've been a waste of money, if I'd just wrecked it. Still kinda is, since I can't use it."

"No, no. It's still usable for you," he reassured her, opening her door and letting her in. "I'll teach you to drive," he promised.

Her eyebrows flew up in surprise, but before she could say or do anything, he'd already shut her door and moved over to his side of the car, getting in and starting the engine. Then they were driving to the City Hall at a pretty even pace that almost lulled her back to sleep.

She'd almost been sleeping when Tarrlok gently shook her awake, and then she was following him up the steps and into City Hall without delay. When he led her to his office, her jaw nearly drop and she looked around in awe. Besides the spaciousness and strangely sparse furnishings, there was a gorgeous wall of water behind his desk that helped highlight the whole room in a bluish light. There was also an impressive embossing of La and Tui behind him, and though she knew he was a fellow waterbender and probably respectful of the two spirits, she hadn't thought he would be as inclined towards the old ways and traditions and be as spiritual because of them. She'd assumed so, as most people in Republic City didn't seem so.

"Let me arrange things first, and then I'll let you call Tenzin," he told her and she nodded inattentively, focused on looking around his office. It felt rather peaceful in there…

In the background, as she stared at the embossing of La and Tui and felt the almost silent rush of the waterfall of the wall, she vaguely heard the sound of Tarrlok's voice as he spoke on his phone. At certain intervals, it was sharp and at others a bit more patient. She couldn't hear any indistinguishable words, feeling caught up in her intense gazing of the wall and the embossed spirits. If she stared long enough, it almost looked like La and Tui were encircling, just like they were said to in the spirit oasis…

"Korra? Are you alright?" Tarrlok's voice interrupted her thoughts and she blinked in confusion, looking around her and then at him strangely. What had happened? "You can call Tenzin now, if you want."

She nodded distractedly and took the phone from him, clumsily dialing Tenzin's phone unfamiliarly because she wasn't used to the device. She spoke quickly with him and then got off, eyes gazing off into space afterwards.

Korra felt the cool and refreshing feel of water touch her hands and she glanced down bemusedly, seeing a small water model of a bird dancing on them. She felt a smile tug at her lips before she relented and smiled outright, looking up to see a softly smiling Tarrlok. She got the feeling that it was rare for him to act and look this way, and that she was the only one able to catch him like this.

"You really okay?" he asked her again and Korra smiled vaguely at him, glancing quickly at his wall once more.

"Yeah…it's actually really…peaceful and relaxing in here," she answered mysteriously, inwardly baffling him.

However, he just continued to smile and manipulate the water bird on her hands, entertaining and delighting her. She took water from his water wall and made a similar bird to interact with his.

"We can wait in here a bit," he murmured. "Until the press conference. We have time to enjoy the water."

She nodded dreamily, already entranced by the water again. He'd never seen her like this. It was strange and befuddled him, but he couldn't get the image of the water's reflective light casting a bluish tint to her dark skin, the odd enthralled look to her eyes that actually seemed glazed over as she stared at his wall of water, and if he wasn't imagining it…the almost unnoticeable swaying of her body. And yet, a part of him understood and was the same to a lesser degree whenever he was near the water here, feeling the water rush through him in the same echo as it fell from the top of his ceiling to the floor, hear it roar quietly in the back of his head, and the calm and yet excitability of it in his soul.

What was it like for her then?

In the time it took for the press to gather and become time for the conference, the two of them were entirely caught in the almost spiritual and yet playful movements of their water birds and their fluid movements of their arms and hands. Some of the enchantment that had gotten into Korra seemed to have seeped into him, and when it was time to stop the two of them had to take a moment to catch themselves and bring themselves back to reality.

They stared at each other for a moment before chuckling nervously, both inwardly shrugging it off.

"I'm going to go out and start the conference now. You can stay here if you'd like," Tarrlok muttered.

She nodded and gave him at least a nod, and then soon enough she was left alone in his office. She turned on the radio to the right station, and wandered around the room as she waited for the press conference to begin. She didn't even bother to hide her nosing around, knowing that Tarrlok would notice and call her out on it in exasperation anyways. She might as well not have to take any care at trying to be subtle, and make more work for herself.

Her hands brushed against seal skin bindings, and she grabbed hold and started pulling out a notebook. No, a sketchbook, she realized as she opened it. She flipped through the pages, barely tuning into the conference.

"Although the Hundred Year War has long passed, we are not living in a time of peace."

There was a lot of a handsome boy with a similar hairstyle to hers in the beginning of the sketchbook.

"These revolutionaries who call themselves 'Equalists' are not interested in equality at all."

There were a few with the same boy and a younger one that was shorter and smaller, but was utterly adorable. Involuntarily, she felt her lips tugging upwards again.

"They just want to wage war against benders. Chief Beifong was supposed to protect Republic City, but she was powerless to stop Amon's attack on the arena. She has failed us all."

Her lips went to an immediate scowl as she caught that last line, huffing inwardly. Hadn't she told him not to put that line in there? Stubborn ox goat. However, her smile came back when she saw the next picture of the two boys penguin sledding. It reminded her of Aang as well…

The next page made her nearly drop the book in surprise, being that it was a sketch of her in her dress at the gala he'd thrown for her. She looked pensive in the sketch, looking off to the side.

Thumbing through some more pages, she realized that the rest was of her and she felt a jolt in her stomach she couldn't explain and an uneasiness that wasn't uncomfortable or wary, but wasn't sure of what to make of it either.

"If we are to survive these dire times, our law enforcement needs new leadership."

There. That should be the end of the speech. She hurriedly snapped the sketchbook to a close and took special care in putting it back and making sure it looked like it was never touched. Then she rushed over to his desk and sat in his chair, swiveling it so that she was facing his wall of water and gazing at it intently, trying to look natural and like she'd been there the entire time after snooping everywhere else.

The door to his office opened and he slipped in, his eyes immediately searching her out.

"Ready to head back to the arena to inform your friends?" though she could tell it was the last thing he wanted to do, if only because he didn't approve of them.

She just got that feeling.

Feeling mischievous, she decided she'd drag him along anyway. So she nodded and followed him out to his car, where he proceeded to drive back. She didn't bother to say anything to Tarrlok as she practically jumped out of his car, darted through the arena and up the staircase to where the brothers lived.

"Hey guys! Great news! You don't have to live on the streets. I talked to Tenzin and made all the arrangements. You can come live with me on the island!" Excited was the understatement, describing her. She was nearly buzzing with energy and in a really good mood.

Mako looked awkward, starting to speak. "Oh, we'd love to, but…"

"Asami's already invited us to live in her dad's giant mansion! For now on, it'll be a lap of luxury for us!" Bolin exclaimed, just as excited as Korra had been a moment ago.

Right now, she felt like a deflated balloon.

She quickly hid her disappointed expression and smiled weakly.

"That's…that's great, guys!"

"Hey, Korra. I was hoping you'd stop by," Asami appeared behind her, and she turned to see the pretty girl smiling at her and putting Pabu to the floor.

She tried not to let her already weak smile falter. "It's okay. I have to go actually. Sorry, guys!"

"How about tomorrow? I'd love to have you around the estate," Asami's voice sounded so hopeful and Korra didn't want to seem rude or something.

But she really didn't want to. "I don't know. I've got some...Avatar stuff to do." The excuse sounded pitiful to her, but luckily the others didn't seem to think much about that.

"Aw, come on, Korra! We all need some rest and re-lax-ation~ If ya know what I mean," Bolin winked playfully at her. "After the craziness, a little R&R is called for. And we can take a swim in Asami's pool! Come on, Water Girl –you'd like that, won't you?"

In the background, Mako stayed quiet in awkwardness, not knowing what to say or add in, and just letting his brother speak and be charming. Still, he wanted to say something…

"Come on, come on, come on," Bolin started chanting. "It'll be fun!" He then held up Pabu, who mimicked a swimming stroke and Korra finally let out a loud laugh, unable to stand it.

"Oh, alright. If Pabu says so," Korra winked at the fire ferret.

Bolin pouted. "Just Pabu?"

"Hmm, I suppose also on the advice of a very knowledgeable earthbender," Korra played along and had a genuine smile on her face as Bolin whooped.

"Great! We'll see you tomorrow," Asami said, practically beaming at her as she walked closer and stood in between Mako and Bolin.

Korra's smile turned awkward and she nodded at the girl, trying not to show her pace was hurried as she left them behind. She slowed down the closer she got to the exit, her smile dropping and her dejectedness showing.

She wasted no time reaching Tarrlok's waiting car, surprised he actually had waited for her. She took her seat without another word.

He fake yawned, leaning back in his seat. "So…do I have to order some grunts to come in and help your little friends move their things to the island or what?"

"No, it's fine. They're going to stay with Asami in her big mansion," she couldn't help the bitterness that crept into her tone.

He didn't say anything to that, for which she was grateful, having already started berating herself on her childish attitude.

It was only after she looked out the windows that she realized they weren't anywhere near the docks.

"Hey, where are we going –?"

"So I was thinking," he interrupted her, though he didn't look her way. "We woke up and we didn't have breakfast. It's not yet lunch, so how about a late breakfast or brunch in the Pole District? Aside from Narook's, there are authentic Water Tribe cuisine in that area."

She blinked back the tiny tears that had been clinging in her eyes and stared at him. Still, he didn't look over at her. Her stomach growled.

"…You know, that sounds awesome. In fact, I'm famished!" her mood lifted up slightly and she was kind of glad Tarrlok and she were both Water Tribe and could bond over something like this.

They spent lunch comparing the North and South.

"So, I've got to go to the station and check in with Chief Beifong to see how the investigation is going on," Korra told Tarrlok as he drove away from the restaurant. "You heard the radio in the restaurant too. She managed to crack down on that Cabbage Corporation. That's good news for us, right?"

Tarrlok frowned, fingers tapping against the wheel in thought. "It should be, especially on how fast she managed to get the intel and act on it. And that's even better and quick a response to the press conference, which served as a good prodding towards her to act, like I'd wanted. And there was the evidence…but if we're not careful and something trips us up, we might be setting in for a trap. We'll keep an eye on things. Give me a report after you're done?"

Korra snorted. "Want me spying on them?"

He rolled his eyes. "It's not like they don't know I'm asking you for information. And I'm only asking you because they wouldn't want to deal or work with me, so I'm not going to bother asking anything from them. And I don't trust secondhand information from sources I don't trust, therefore you're it."

She cleared her throat, trying to hide the embarrassment that strangely popped up. Like she had anything to be embarrassed about…

"So yeah. Okay, I'll make sure to tell you what's going on so you're not left out of the loop," she teased. "I'll be meeting up with Tenzin there anyways, so you can just drop me off front. Make sure they do their sets."

"Stop torturing them."

"It's tough love."

"It's torture."

He'd still tell the other Task Force members to do the sets anyways.

She was dropped off and for a second, sort of loitered around outside before forcing herself to buckle down and just walk in. Inside, she couldn't stop staring at the floor, watching her reflection in thought.

"Hey, Korra," a familiar voice greeted her.

Her head snapped up in surprise, seeing Tahno sitting dejectedly on a bench. There were bags under his eyes and his hair wasn't styled as usual. He was sitting hunched over and it didn't look like the Tahno she'd distantly known.

She was surprised that he addressed her so familiarly as just Korra.

"Tahno?" She sat beside him on the bench. "Listen, I know we're not exactly the best of friends, but I'm sorry Amon took your bending."

"I've been to the best healers in the city. Whatever Amon did to me, it was permanent. You gotta get him for me," he looked at her determinedly, just a brief glimpse of the old Tahno back.

She nodded at him. She also saw Tenzin, Lin, and Hiroshi Sato coming towards them, so she blurted out the thought that crossed her mind for just a second after seeing this new Tahno.

"Hey, you wanna hang out and get some noodles at Narook's? I had Water Tribe cuisine earlier, so I was thinking of making a theme of it today," she offered the ex-probender.

He blinked. "You offering lunch?"

"Yeah. So?"

His lips were twitching suspiciously. "Sounds good to me. After I'm done here?"

She nodded and raised her eyebrow cockily in question. He smirked back.

"Mr. Sato, if you remember anything else about what you saw during Amon's attack, please let us know," the two of them heard Lin speak to the wealthy industrialist.

"I'm happy to help any way I can. I want these Equalists to pay for what they've done," Hiroshi exclaimed heartily.

Tenzin looked towards her. "Korra, I'll talk to you at home with Lin. We'll be here awhile, so it might be best that you roam around the city instead of waiting up for me."

Korra gestured an okay, glad she'd made plans for lunch with Tahno then. It worked out and her impulsiveness didn't end up causing problems.

"We're ready for you now," Tenzin directed towards Tahno this time.

Tahno stood up, starting to follow after Tenzin and Lin. He stopped and turned towards Korra, waving.

"See you around..Ahvatar," he smiled slightly before leaving.

Korra watched his back for a bit before letting out a loud sigh and flopping back onto the bench, sprawled all over it.

"Tired?"

Her eyes snapped open and she saw Hiroshi smiling in amusement. She straightened up and scratched the back of her head in embarrassment.

"Yeah," she admitted, giving an awkward grin at the older man, not sure how to approach him.

He chuckled and sat down next to her. "I understand. What with all your Avatar duties and everything, you surely must be exhausted having to keep up with it. I myself deal with the stress of managing frustrating affairs of my enterprise. I don't regret it a bit...but the work can be tiresome. Not that anything of the sort can compare with what you're responsible for, Avatar Korra! I'm or what I do is hardly that important!"

Korra shook her head earnestly. "Not at all, Mr. Sato. What you do is important –you help the world improve, not only in innovation but your charity. I mean, without your goodwill and help, the Fire Ferrets would never have been able to come so far! And the people who work for you, Mr. Sato. They have steady, good-paying jobs because of you. In the same way that people look to me as the Avatar, they look to you because you're in charge of them."

Hiroshi chuckled, looking a little embarrassed himself. "Well, I can see the likeness, but I hardly doubt my situation with my workers is on the same level as the Avatar. I'm hardly worthy of such a comparison."

"And that's where you're wrong," Korra grinned. "Without you, they could be living on the streets and/or starving. You pay them and they're able to live life at least as comfortably as they can. As far as I'm concerned, you are doing more to help the world now than I am."

Hiroshi was looking at her in surprise, but she really thought that. What had she really been doing to help the world out anyhow? She couldn't even get Amon…

He clapped a hand on her shoulder heavily and startled her out of her thoughts.

"That is very high praise, coming from the Avatar herself. And perhaps we'll just have to agree to disagree, Avatar Korra. But I will also say those very same workers, have had grown more hope in the time you have come to this city than in a Republic City where you had still not come. They may look up to me because I am their boss, but they look to you because you are their Avatar. I am just an industrialist. My importance does not outweigh that of the world's savior."

He looked up at the ceiling with a frown. "You are young, Avatar Korra. You have the weight of the world on your shoulders. You have burdens others do not. Do not dwell on thoughts and opinions of others, or of worries that plague you. You have done well and quite a bit for your age. That is something to be proud of. You are still a teenage girl, after all. You should take time to enjoy life every once and awhile."

It might be just her imagination, but she could've sworn she heard him speak with such a strange tone, especially near the end…

Hiroshi clapped his hand on her shoulder again and offered a small smile.

"I hear Asami invited you over to our home. She's looking very forward to it, and I must say you are welcome to visit anytime. Goodbye, Avatar Korra."

He stood up and walked away, but even when he was gone his words still lingered in the air and she contemplated and repeated them in her head long after. She was still thinking about them when Tahno was coming towards her, raising an eyebrow at her inattentiveness and odd demeanor. Still, he inwardly shrugged and waved a hand in front of her face carelessly, startling her.

"So, ready to go, Ahvatar?"

She rolled her eyes, but got up and walked with him out the police station. They were walking all the way to Narook's at a leisure pace, with Tahno actually moving them through shortcuts she had never been through and that he was teaching her now. She was surprised, that as they walked, that they were having a pretty easy-going conversation and that it was actually kind of cool talking to him.

Having been born in Republic City as half and half of an already mixed waterbender and of a non-bender (hence his odd coloring), he was curious to know of the traditions and culture of his Water Tribe heritage, inquiring after her and also shooting question after question when he could. She also asked about life and growing up in the city, trying to compare in her head between his stories and her experiences.

Then they were in the restaurant and they sat at a table, where their talk turned to pro-bending. They traded banter about it, at the same time as she was able to ask him questions about the sport, before she became involved in it, ones that she'd had as a fan. She got to ask him about how he'd gotten into the sport and also some funny or interesting stories, before they started in on the technical aspects of it. She was surprised when he actually even gave her a few pointers, or even outright advice.

"You know, you aren't as cocky as you play yourself up to be," she grinned, stealing a noodle before he could notice and stop her.

He didn't even blink as his chopsticks shot out and stole some in return, doing so without a beat after she'd done it.

"I'm very flattered, my dear, and I still extend an invitation to some private lessons," Tahno smirked widely and leaned closer.

She yanked on his disheveled hair, drawing a mild shout of pain from him.

Not as cocky as she thought he was, but still a cocky son of a…Still, she was pretty sure that losing his bending actually humbled him quite a bit as well.

"You know, those don't actually sound too bad. I might take you up on them sometime," she said nonchalantly, inwardly crowing in amusement when he actually looked flabbergasted at her. "From what I just heard now, you have some crazy awesome knowledge on pro-bending waterbending. And you know…just 'cause you don't have your bending, doesn't mean you're still not a great waterbender."

Even though he didn't say anything and he was still sort of staring at her in surprise, there was a sort of appreciative gleam in his eyes that said what he wouldn't out loud.

Afterwards, the two of them went about to leave when they saw the owner being harassed. Korra's shackles were raised and she was ready to stomp over and give the guy a thrashing. Well…she stomped over, but she didn't start beating him up. Instead, she stopped short when she saw the guy bending some water out of the owner's flower vase and hold it threateningly to the man's neck.

Narook was a nice guy. Even though some talks seemed a bit stilted whenever she talked to him, he was polite and mostly kind. He made the greatest noodles in Republic City and he had a great sense of humor.

He didn't deserve this harassment.

She instinctively lashed out and bent the water out of the other waterbender's hands, turning it against the attacker and almost smashing him against the wall and just barely remembering to lower her strength in time.

"Disgrace," she hissed, though inwardly she thought she'd been hanging around Tarrlok too long. Her choice of words were starting to get a little too…big for ordinary conversations. "Using your bending like this. It's a crime against the very nature of the world. Corrupting your bending is a corruption of your soul –bending is an extension of your soul!" Korra was too into her anger to realize that her voice had slightly morphed at the end, sometimes sounding like there were a multitude of other voices joining hers.

But Tahno didn't, and he sort of stood there, forgotten, staring at her and feeling a little nervous.

This was the Avatar. Hanging around Korra made it easy to forget the undeniable fact that she was also a supreme spiritual and otherworldly being, but it was nevertheless the truth.

However…

Tahno glanced over at the mesmerized Narook. The owner of the restaurant was a non-bender and also harbored, while not hate, rather slight resentment towards benders. Korra didn't know this and only seemed to be aware of the stiltedness Narook had towards her, while unaware of the actual resentment and reason why.

"Why defend a non-bender?" he spoke up, making sure his tone was neutral. "He doesn't bend. Neither do I, so what makes you want to defend us anyway? You're not our Avatar."

Korra growled, her demeanor and voice still slightly a little more "Avatar" than the girl he was getting to know. But when she irritatedly, but gently, tossed some of the water his way and splashed it against his face, he knew for certain that she was really Korra right then.

"Shut up, Tahno. Stop being annoying. Besides –I'm everyone's Avatar. So you gotta deal with it, understand?" she stuck her tongue out at him. "And you!" she turned back to the offending waterbender. "So you think it's okay to spit on your soul, do you? Do you think just anyone is given bending? It's not passed down in the family! Who knows why some can bend and others can't, but you better damn respect the gift that you've been given and make one hell of a show in life regarding that treasure and using it in ways that should honor it, not shame it and the Spirits!"

"Hey, you're kind of old school," Tahno blurted out, noticing that Korra seemed really into campaigning for the Spirits and the old ways of bending.

Korra stared at him in confusion and he reluctantly elaborated. Her face scrunched up before she pursed her lips and glared out in front of her.

"You know, there's something wrong with this city. Why is everyone so materially-obsessed? You'd think there'd be some who remember the good ol' days, where Aang and them used to run into spiritual people and respect everywhere. Sheesh, no wonder Spirits don't show up in the physical plane anymore…" she grumbled near the end. She knew was practically spiritually handicapped, but despite her reluctance towards it, she did know and understand the importance of spirituality.

"Come on, Korra. Let's just go," Tahno interrupted and it surprised Korra enough that he'd used her name that she ended up letting go of the guy and staring at him.

"Uh, okay. But first –you! You better help Narook out with whatever today, because of your actions, or else I'll come back and bend your butt back to the Poles! And I don't mean the district," Korra glared at the attacker, who was now shuffling shamefully.

Tahno bit back the comment of Korra acting like a nagging mother, knowing it would just turn her ire at him.

"You know, saying that doesn't work here, Korra," Tahno snarked. "What with what's going on in Republic City and all. You know –bender and non-benders, and that oppression by bending stuff?"

Korra blinked before blowing a huff of fire in irritation. "Spirits, this just sucks! Why can't you all just take the words and fire back? Back in the South Pole, we'd scream threats at each other all the time. I thought that was normal! My friends there just roll their eyes or come up with a comeback. Even my non-bending friends would be like 'I'll push you into ice-cold waters' or something."

Tahno almost burst out into laughter, but refrained. It wasn't in his nature and he was pretty sure Korra was being serious and would get all hurt, thinking he was making fun of her.

"…Well, tensions are a bit different here, remember Korra?" he asked gently, knowing he'd surprise her with his tone enough that she would be calming down and hopefully become less upset. "Besides –I thought I heard those dork-bending brothers you hang around with, that you didn't have any friends before them?" he switched to teasing immediately.

She turned slightly red. "Um…yeah. I mean…they don't really count as regular friends, you know…"

He raised an eyebrow in question, and even Narook and the former attacker leaned closer curiously.

"…I, uh, counted my White Lotus guards as friends."

Well, that was just sad.

Not that the other three were going to say that to her face. Other than it would probably hurt her feelings, she was the Avatar. They weren't suicidal.

"Then you got three more friends right here, right?" he grinned widely at her, eyes closing instinctively. Then Tahno turned slightly to the other two, his smile freezing a bit and his eyes faintly opening and giving them a sly threatening look. So, yeah he just said that benders threatening others wouldn't help the matter in that city…but he'd make an exception on this situation, considering he was actually growing fond of the girl by his side and he couldn't really bend anymore.

"Sure," Narook blinked and the still nameless waterbender nodded quickly.

Korra clapped her hands loudly once and then hollered happily, running over and grabbing all three of them, lifting them into a tight hug where their feet actually left the ground.

"Where the hell did you get this strength from, Korra?" Tahno muttered.

"Jerk," Korra just said squeezing him tighter, but managing to avoid squeezing the other two.

Then the two were leaving and Narook sort of scratched his head at the odd scene.

"'Everyone's Avatar,' huh? And bending as some soul extension…" he shrugged lightly, though he briefly narrowed his eyes at where they'd exited, before turning to his former attacker. "And you –you heard her. Into the kitchen!"

He was only slightly amused that the nameless man actually did listen to him. Slightly. Very slightly.

Wholeheartedly amused.

Korra frowned to herself as she walked through the street, looking around. There was so much poverty all around her…and she cringed inwardly, seeing that some of those people actually were benders also. She wasn't sure why she was so surprised. She knew Mako and Bolin were, though she hated to acknowledge it, very poor themselves and were still benders.

But with this whole benders versus non-benders problem, she had looked to the cause of the non-bending side and heard (unfortunately especially from the gravelly tones of Amon) that a huge part of the problem of this so-called oppression was that benders held more rights, they lived a better life with more luxuries, etc.

It was proof here that benders were suffering also.

Amon was just generalizing the problem, and making the fight black and white. It wasn't a matter of bending; it was of those who she now knew abused it. Mostly the gangs…

And money. The better lives of people were of the rich versus the poor. Hiroshi Sato was a non-bender, but he was rich. He could live that better life that most people couldn't, because of their lack of money. The poor consisted of everyone, she could now see. Not all benders were rich and not all non-benders could say they were oppressed.

It all boiled down to the benders who abused their gifts.

From there, she understood that there were some who were just plain cruel and heartless. But she could see that money could also once again play into it. The whole issue of poverty and the poor could lead some benders into a life of crime, as she gleamed from the hints from Bolin and Mako. There could be some who could be taking advantage of business to gain the wealth they lack, to avoid being with the rest of the poor and having to live that life. And it could only get more worse and more dangerous, with the ones who are more lax and uncaring of their use of their bending against others. She still remembered the gang members that attacked her on her first day in the city. They'd attack injudiciously, not caring she was a bender.

And it would just be scarier with those who were desperate and the ones who were like cornered wild animals.

Those are the ones that start to care less and become too apathetic to hold and have any sort of mercy or feeling left to them.

If she needed to start helping this city, she knew that she would have to put in a lot of focus on the gangs and finding some way to provide some kind of relief to the poor. And she was sure there were probably more issues in the city beyond that, but this was what was staring her right in the face right now and what she saw.

She turned the corner and nearly screamed.

A whole building was on fire.

Started 7/15/12 – Completed 7/31/12

A/n: We have this pain in the ass chapter that was stubborn to write. Anyways, I decided to split episode 7, because what I wanted to do with it would make this chapter too long and I wanted to get something out already. Next chapter should have riots, Task Force missions, Korrasami friendship bonding, and the rest of episode 7. And then I'm going to deviate from canon somewhat by making there be more time between episodes 7 and 8, because pacing in the show has always been a bit weird to me and I wanted to give more time to flesh everyone, their relationship, and stuff going on more than it had in the show.

To anne192: Thank so much! I'm really going for a lot of emotion, and especially exploring Tarrlok as an individual. I'm going to give a lot more detail to his life, along with the canon bits, and keep on having him interact and grow closer with Korra. From his past to the present, simple little details I want to add and give a little detail to the man. And no worries –I am definitely continuing.