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Scars of the Past
Short piece written Korra Week 2024: https://x.com/korranator
Prompt: Past Lives
Avatar Korra reflects on the scars she has acquired through her many battles. She has visions of her predecessors Aang and Kyoshi reflected on their old wounds with their loved ones.
You I have watched one of your arts with kyoshi Rangi and Koko and I really liked it Wich have me an idea for this question how do you think kyoshi and Rangi would react if One day Koko asked them who Yun is, because she keeps hearing people around her talking about him. Would Kyoshi and Rangi try to avoid the question and just say that he's an old friend. Maybe one day Atuat pull her aside and explains the "Yun situation" to her after Hei-ran asked her or Hei-ran would rat Koko out to Rangi. and then Kyoshi and Rangi would tell her Wich might let to kyoshi showing her Yun's grave in a visit what do you think?
hiiiiiii thanks for asking i loved writing this
That's purelly my headcannons so im sorry if it ends up feeling too oc
(Long answer warning)
I think Kyoshi would be both completely honestly if Koko ever asked anything "unconfortable" (only toneing down for the age koko is in if she feels the need to) because i believe thats how Kelsang raised her, but also be extremerely avoident when it comes to any questions involving her past
(Quick side headcannon: i believe Kelsang raised Kyoshi focusing in giving her hope/beliefs and good childhood memories without "beating around the bush" in sensitive/unconfortable topics (first because it wouldn't work on her, and also so Kyoshi could feel she could open up to him, even if chosen not to) and that helped his lessons/conffort get to her better, so she grew up to be the same way)
But when it comes to Yun (and Jesa, and the deaths of Kelsang and Lek) she would change the topic until she could distract her way out of that particular conversation
It would work when Koko was little (headcannon they adopted her when she was around toddler/small child years) but as she grew up it she started noticing and getting progressively annoyed, so she would look for Rangi
I think Rangi, Because of the whole situation with her mother, would (acidentally) deal with this questions/talks (in general) the worse, she wouldn't get angry or anything like that, she just wouldn't like to repeat what repened in the academy and she can see how similar those situations can look, (her mother kill someone of her family and Koko's mother(s) killed their best friend, because he tried to kill them) and she dosent want Koko viewing them, or Yun, in that way, or passing through what she did
(That could open a door for Rangi and Hei-Ran to talk about it in a different ligth tho)
She would reason with herself (and with Kyoshi) to not hide Yun from her, but to wait to tell the complicaded parts at least until she's older
I do think Rangi would be more open to answer some questions more than Kyoshi, but she would still be carefully to not say anything to harsh to Koko's age, and try to stay in somewhat the same ground as Kyoshi
So when Koko goes to her, sometime around pre-teen years, where she's already been noticing the lack of responses for some time and geting sick of it) she kinda "snaps", I feel it would be a mix of feeling "treated like a child" and long build frustation from her moms continuesly "lying" and keeping things from her (which based on what i theorised before, it would be uncomon behavior)
By than she also knows more than her mothers vague answers, as she grows curious and asks/listens around she found a lot of pieces and versions she can put together alone
Some noble (visitors) people aparently ether hate him or hate talking about him, Hei-Ran would tell little, more than Kyoshi and Rangi, but ultimally respecting their decision to wait, she believes she dosent have the right to go over them and talk to Koko about Yun, especialy with her hole in the situation, even Kirima and Wong (who would talk loud and proud of "uncle Lek" and more "secretly" about Jesa, Hark and etc.) told her they beraly met him and couldnt tell much, Atuat was the most blunt about it, i dont think she would push Koko aside and randomly tell her everything, but when she came asking frustated, Atuat would gave a brief and surficed run down of things, and advise her to talk with her mothers for the details
At that point, Kyoshi and Rangi would have only talked about the good memories/parts of Yun, would sometimes bring her to visit his grave like they did with Kelsang, Lek, and Rangi's dad memorials, and talk about their old friendship before "a tragety"
But the others rumors she heard dont make any sense and when she can't figure out alone she goes confront her mothers
Now i think this could go down three ways
-> where Kyoshi and Rangi notice Koko's curiosity/frustation growing and decides to plan for the next time she ask it, and when she does, they take her to Yun's grave, explain why they felt it was better to wait until shes older and then tell the entire history
-> where is a fight/argument (probably with Kyoshi) when Koko's angry and frustated about it and Kyoshi (feeling nether of them are ready for this talk, and scare of how her daugther would view her after) its being stuborn about it
(Just to be clear when i say "fight" i mean normal, non abused arguments that inevitably happends to any family)
It would end without a resolve and they both would take a time to calm down, eventually ether Kyoshi goes apologise and decides to be honesty and laid the truth to Koko when she asks afterwards, or Rangi convincing Kyoshi that its time to tell Koko (and they do it togheter) or to let her do it (less probable in my opinion but still interenting scenario)
(You could swap the roles in my opinion too, depends on the internal confict you pic for the scenario)
-> or where their is a fight (this one could be ether/both Kyoshi and Rangi) because Koko started insulting Yun in on of their arguments because of how many differents rumors/vesions/theories she keeps listening from everyone, and that she could trust them saying he was a good person if they keep hidden things from her, and once they all calm down Rangish see their mistake and explain (at the moment or promessing to do it after in a calmer way)
____
After it, i think Koko's feeling about the whole situation would be at the bare minimal complicated, but shes not disapointed or disgusted by her moms like they (unadmiting) were afraid of
She understood better their reluctence to talk about it now, and drop the matter for a while, only after some time going back to poking question (now less harshly) at the two again, that were trying their best to respond more honestly and openly, and slowly with time it got easier to do so
(Koko also started defending Yun in the (rare) ocasion someone badmouth/lied about him in her presence)
kyoshi being turned into a theatre kid by wong and lecturing koko at every opportunity about love in the time of dragons and the daofei charm and whatever
Personal Head-cannon of mine is when Koko is upset Kyoshi asks her if she wants to be the tallest girl in the world and then puts her up on her shoulders.
