"That entire segment of history actually really bothers me. I think it deserved, like, a better class of villain, if that makes sense. The nonbenders had legitimate grievances but they had to wait thirty years to make any progress on them because of Amon and the fallout from the mess he made of things."

"...yeah, I see what you mean."

"Korra didn't handle it that well, either. She had every opportunity to play that whole situation but she got pushed around by politics and scare tactics. I mean, I'd be terrified if someone were threatening to de-bend me, but the solution to that situation is not to throw in with the ass who's curfewing random nonbenders. I disavow identity with her," Beila adds, nodding to herself.

"Can you even do that? I mean, she was the Avatar, you're the Avatar, you're not the same person but you're... kind of the same person."

"I dunno. I inherited her powers, but, I'm really not seeing any personal similarity. Between me and her, or her and Aang, or any of the three of us and Meixing or Tendo or Roku or Kyoshi, or - we're different people. We're all lined up neatly and we have this particular relationship to each other, but the parts of people that make them people aren't the same between us. I mean, there are animals that bend, having the same bending powers does not make me Korra any more than it makes me a skybisondragonbadgermolemoonspirit."

"...I'm just gonna take a moment to appreciate that mental image," giggles Dao.

"I don't really know what a moon spirit looks like, so I'm just imagining something... long and undulatey with big whiskers and a lot of limbs. And very fluffy. But with a scaly underbelly. I might have to carve this," he snorts.

"That," says Beila, "would be hilarious, and you should totally do it."

He giggles some more.

"I've never seen a badgermole. I've seen sky bison, and once I saw a dragon, but never a badgermole. Should probably arrange to do that sometime when I get to earthbending."

"I've seen, like, pictures of all those things!"

"Have you not even seen a sky bison? People fly them to and from the city sometimes. The folks who came to tell me I was the Avatar showed up on one."

"Not up close. I might've caught sight of one off in the distance once or twice."

"I could take you to the nearest air temple sometime and you could meet a bunch. They might lick you, though."

"I think I'll pass."

"You don't want a gigantic sky bison to slurp you? I'm astonished."

"Astonishingly, I am not into being slurped by large animals! Actually, make that any size animals!"

"Not even cute little puppykittens?"

"No!" he says firmly. "No slurping."

"Awwww, I can't believe you wouldn't let a fluffy little puppykitten lick your hand."

He covers his face with his hands and giggles.

"Or a goatpuppy, those also lick people," Beila says. "Ranyi sometimes goes through phases of wanting a goatpuppy."

"I have never wanted a goatpuppy in my life."