1. The Journey Begins

Chapter 1:

My hands were trembling as I reached out for Korra’s side, in between her breast and hip, touching lightly as if asking with ambivalence, yet for embrace. Korra eagerly accepted my hands to offer her solace. Looking into my eyes, she could feel my distress.

  

I had never imagined standing on the orbital transport dock. Overlooking the hangar I glanced around the lower levels, trying to spot our ship. Being so close to the beginning of our journey, the thoughts overtook me. Nerves emerged from what could only be described as euphoria weighed down by suspense and anxiety. 

Korra’s outreach drew further, wrapping around my back to draw me closer. She looked deeper into my eyes as if to alleviate the tension that was building in the bottom of my stomach. Korra’s eyes gave off an empathetic feeling that made you anticipate the surrender of every ounce of selfishness in her soul. The deepest of blues surrounded her pupils, creating a landscape that meant to soothe. 

I could feel the nerves begin to recess, leaving my mind in a somewhat blank state. Korra drew even closer, tightening her grip. The soft yet cold skin of her cheek brushed mine, creating a spark of intimacy that forced me to tremble. She now began to whisper, with earnest passion her words manifested themselves, breaking down my mental incarceration. “Gabriel,” in an absolutely innocent and fragile tone of voice Korra began to speak. “My fallen angel. Dwelling on this existence any longer is useless. This journey is ours now...”

I broke eye contact with Korra and gazed into the distance, focusing on what seemed to be our transport ship on the hangar’s ground level. Scanning the ship I could see the engine’s thrusters give off a subtle bluish-green hue that illuminated with a dramatic intensity. The vessel instilled a sense of bewilderment as I continued to lose myself in the magnificent subtleties of the illuminations brilliance.

The beacon of light further distanced my focus from Korra. At this point my hand had fallen away. Suddenly the distress I had previously experienced had infected Korra’s being. She stepped back cautiously, trying to not shift my already shattered mental focus. 

Korra began the motions of turning around to face the rail, overlooking the lower dock. Before finishing the motion I returned to conscious thought, passionately I grasped her arm and began to face her towards me. Upon facing my darkened features she shook off the feelings I had instilled to begin with.

With subtle eloquence I began to express my painful and disheartening tendencies, “I’m sorry, Korra. Forgive me for wandering from your gaze. As easy as I’ve lost myself in your beauty I’ve begun to lose myself in this world’s beauty. When we leave today the seemingly meaningless occurrences we experience every day will be all too foreign. What I mean is that I don’t want to change the way I think about our reality and how cold it has already been to me.”

Korra lowered her head and lost eye contact. She realized the seriousness embedded in my words and understood. For understanding was all that we ever wished of one another. I knew who Korra was and she knew who I was, as a person and as a partner. With this soft realization I collected myself and confidently proposed that we move along...

Shaken in my imminent reality, I drifted down the levels of the dock. 

Taking in the aural confusion that amassed itself, I slowly drifted into a pseudo-sub-conscience realm. A deep and dark shroud laid itself upon me and I was frozen in the haze. Time had manifested itself into nothingness and all was still.

A world of my own creation urged my approval to continue. The noise and discomfort had ceased now, allowing my thoughts to proceed into the darkest corners of my mind.

For what seemed like a split-second, the thought of Korra had pierced the absence of conscience. The imagery of sleek black hair and an icy complexion stole away the serenity that temporarily confined me. 

A glass case presented itself. The woman faded into its transparent internment almost willingly. My concentration razed and broke, shifting the mood further... (More to come)

Author's Note

Still in progress. More to come.