#When overwhelmed Asami goes quiet in canon and in my fic au

[thatonebirdwrites]

BOOK 3.5: Chapter 29: in which Katara Reassesses Asami

Asami is still dealing with the consequences of her actions. This chapter focuses more on that and the physical therapy the two still need. Also shows the impact of Asami's suit on her body.

A lot of the physical therapy I describe is stuff I did in my own recovery from my right side being partially paralyzed. I had to relearn my right side and how to walk. So I pull from that for this scene.

EXCERPT:

Before Asami met Korra, before her father turned out to be a terrorist, Asami Sato’s dreams were relatively tame. It was simply to find a friend that she could be herself with, that wouldn’t mind her more nerdy side. That would listen to her ramble about engineering, that would hike with her up a mountain just to smell the mountain air. 

A rather huge ask for those in the higher echelons of society. It was one of the many reasons Asami had loved going to Pro-bending matches. She could disappear at them, where she wasn’t seen as the daughter of Hiroshi Sato, but as just another spectator. There she would draw her designs, sometimes draw the players and their positions, and speculate using math and physics on different ways to improve the game. 

Running into Mako after a fight with her father had shifted her life into a new lane. Choosing to side with Korra had altered it yet again. Each decision made, each alteration to her life’s path — she’d walked it in the Beyond. How she’d fallen into the role of the Avatar’s Mirror, became her girlfriend, and walked a path so far removed from her original dreams that she felt like an entirely different person. 

And yet, here she stood with crutches outside Katara’s home, quietly panicking about the check-up. She wasn’t sure she wanted to know how badly she’d backslid in her recovery. She’d fought against the likes of Amon, her own father, Unalaq, and Zaheer -- yet, entering a healer’s hut was what defeated her finally. 

“You’ll freeze to death if you stand there much longer,” Korra said. She tilted her head to study Asami, a slight frown on her face. “Thought you hated the cold.” 

Asami managed a weak smile. She did actually. Even with all her layers, she was still cold. 

Senna had driven them to the healer’s hut, and she’d pushed Korra up to the door. “Are you all right?” She scanned Asami’s body as a trained healer. “Any pain?”

Asami shrugged, not yet trusting her voice.