"Mmhm."

But that all boils down to more amateur psychological assessment by someone who's known this guy for less than a day.

So much amateur psychological assessment.

Jun's betting his life on it, Dao's survived this long -

- and they're volunteering, which none of the previous dead people may be assumed to have done, which future victims are not doing.

What does she want?

Sora, here, forfeited his stranger's place in line as far as her seeking his welfare is concerned. She doesn't actively wish him harm, but she doesn't wish to trade anybody else's well-being in for his even at very favorable exchange rates and uncertain price except where those others can volunteer. If she could be sure that he were safe, if she de-bent him and de-psychopathed him to boot all in one motion, then she'd be willing to pay for his freedom with collective nervousness about a serial killer yet uncaught, her volunteering firebending teacher, and her track record of honesty with her dad. She wants Dao not to look at her like she killed his pet, but she really needs to set that aside; it is swamped by other concerns.

What does she have?

Not that much certainty. Lots of amateur psychological assessment. It points all in one direction, from... two sources, one of whom is her boyfriend with questionable personal sympathies and one of whom is the guy's brother. Who are being awfully convinced by short-term signals like and timid body language and the ever-reliable "saying so".

She could de-bend him. He'd rather die, and that's his prerogative, and nobody will think twice about writing it off as self-defense.

She'd feel heroic about it forever if he went away and quietly healed people in a suburb on an island and never hurt anyone again.

And if he recidivized - if he went through Jun, after another twenty years of timid covert practice or whatever it took, and then he killed another half a dozen people or even just one - she'd feel like shit, and it would be wrong for anyone to trust her again whether or not they actually did through a carefully sown string of lies -

Is this all awfully self-centered? Yes it is, and why shouldn't it be, because on her own head be it either way.

How can she use what she has to get what she wants?

She can't.

How can she get close?

"If he'd rather die," she says softly, tucking her chordpress back into her bag, "that's his prerogative. I can't turn a bloodbending serial killer loose. Couldn't do it even if I weren't answerable to Chali about it."

Spider hugs Dao.

Beila wouldn't vouch for her opinion having more sway over her boyfriend than the bloodbending serial killer's, at this point.

Dao... lets go of Spider.

"I don't, I don't, there are a lot of smart people in this room can't we think of something..."

Spider hugs Dao again.

"Thank you. For helping. It's because of you that I got to be okay for good reasons. Even if it was only twice. Okay?"

"Not really," says Dao. But he doesn't resume desperately clinging to Spider.

And he doesn't tell anyone that this is, and has been since he let go, the result of bloodbending as opposed to his own actual decisions. If Spider is really that sure, then - fuck it, Dao is out of arguments.

Spider stands up and walks away from the couch.

He looks at Jun.

(He stops bloodbending Dao. His point seems to have been made.)

Jun laughs softly.

"Yeah," he says. "Same to you."

And he breathes lightning. No warning, no extraneous movement of any kind. It's bright and loud, but over very quickly.

Dao bursts into tears and runs out of the room, toward the back door.

A few minutes later there's a siren, and a swarm of cops and a medical examiner and a lot of fuss and questions.

Beila and Jun get to walk away.