[ Hei's lips twitch as she grips his sleeve. Korra's energy is a warm sensation, the color and temperature of a burnt orange conflagration. It matches that of the crowd -- but without the acrid shades of greed and voyeurism. He places his hands on her hips and brings them around, fingers knitting over her bellybutton. In the ring, the first succession of the fast, vicious shin strikes begins. The music ratchets up as the fighters clinch and tug at each other's necks, trying to force their opponents' head lower. Sharp knees jab to connect with ribcages and the vulnerable points of kidneys. Torsos flex and protect just before impact. Around the stage, the air shimmers, shards of filigreed luminescence from the spotlights raining down like shiny foil in a tickertape parade. ]
[ He watches the boxer in red dry-gulch the blue, a hard sucker punch glancing off the high ridge of cheek, splitting bone. The blow drops him to his knees, blood dribbling -- but he's back on his feet in a twinkling. Hei admires the resilience, the finesse, the blind dedication. But this isn't his field of interest. Combat is about treachery and deceit as much as about courage and skill. ]
[ Still, part of him is envious. Reach a certain experience level, and you can tell who fights for a reason -- and who fights because he has nothing to lose. These men are dedicated to something. It's beyond the money or the rush or the fifteen minutes of fame. It's something much more intangible. Something almost fiercely serene. ]
[ Glancing at Korra, Hei feels, dimly, like she has the same emotion glowing in her eyes. ]
no subject
[ He watches the boxer in red dry-gulch the blue, a hard sucker punch glancing off the high ridge of cheek, splitting bone. The blow drops him to his knees, blood dribbling -- but he's back on his feet in a twinkling. Hei admires the resilience, the finesse, the blind dedication. But this isn't his field of interest. Combat is about treachery and deceit as much as about courage and skill. ]
[ Still, part of him is envious. Reach a certain experience level, and you can tell who fights for a reason -- and who fights because he has nothing to lose. These men are dedicated to something. It's beyond the money or the rush or the fifteen minutes of fame. It's something much more intangible. Something almost fiercely serene. ]
[ Glancing at Korra, Hei feels, dimly, like she has the same emotion glowing in her eyes. ]