why did it have to be YOU?

[anatural]

WHO: Korra & Ishida
WHAT: Korra’s started training with Toph in the swamp, but her sifu’s other student doesn’t seem to like her much.

[When given the choice between meditating on the nature of the swamp and finding mushrooms for dinner, Korra immediately volunteered to find dinner. Not because she hates meditating — she's actually quite eager to learn how to really listen to the energy in the swamp — but because ANYTHING is better than spending one more minute in Mr. Know-It-All's company.

Mr. Know-It-All, aka Ishida Uryuu, a young man already training with Toph in the swamp, even though he's not a bender. Korra still hasn't figured out why; he just glares when she asks, and Toph tells her to mind her own business. Korra doesn't get why it's such a weird question. But evidently not only is it a dumb question, it's downright offensive. From pretty much the first moment Korra asked him, Ishida has been curt, almost rude, and frigidly cold. Also super judgey. If Korra didn't need Toph's help so much, she'd leave. She has better things to do than deal with jerks.

Unfortunately, she does need Toph's help, and so she has to content herself with mushrooms.]

Comments

gasp!

[anatural]

[Oh GREAT. Korra can already feel a headache building up in her temples as she tries not to bite his head off. He's just SUCH a pain in the everywhere.]

I'm perfectly capable of gathering mushrooms.

[shiro_megane_kun]

Neither of us came here to be trained in how to gather mushrooms, then. I'm glad we've cleared that up.

We're both perfectly capable, so this should go more quickly, and we can both go back to what we actually came here to do. [Not even going to wait for her to answer before turning back to the mushrooms.]

[anatural]

Or you can go away and I can do this myself. Don't you have something else you could be doing? [Like being somewhere else entirely?]

[shiro_megane_kun]

I could be explaining to our teacher why I disobeyed her when she asked me to do this. [This being speeding up the process of gathering mushrooms.]

I would have thought someone capable of bending not just one element but all four would be capable of talking and picking mushrooms simultaneously. Was I mistaken?

[anatural]

[SCREAM.]

WHAT IS YOUR PROBLEM?!

[shiro_megane_kun]

Your concern is appreciated, but I wouldn't want to trouble the Avatar with the problems of a non-bender. I'm sure you have more serious concerns and responsibilities.

[anatural]

[....she really, deeply hates sarcastic people.]

What did I ever do to you to make you act like such a jerk?! [Though that "non-bender" thing certainly gave her a clue... she just hopes it's wrong. She's not emotionally ready to deal with Equalist crap. That whole thing was supposed to be over and done with years ago.]

[shiro_megane_kun]

It isn't anything that you've done, Avatar Korra.

It's what you haven't done.

For instance, you haven't been helping with these mushrooms, despite being perfectly capable.

[anatural]

Oh no. Don't try to blame this on the mushrooms. Your attitude's been terrible from the beginning. So please explain what I haven’t done that has pissed you off so much.

[shiro_megane_kun]

Well, since you said please...

You haven't been living up to your potential. I can't even say you're failing to live up to your potential, because that would imply you're actually putting in effort, that you're actually trying.