( he hesitates. straightens up out of the waterbending stance, and then looks down at his left hand. flexes his fingers, rolls his wrist. his tone is faintly bemused when he speaks, )

It looks a lot worse than it is. ( that is a lie. what electricity does to meat is not pretty or inconsequential. ) I just can't bend with it anymore.

( maybe not ever. that was what master katara had mentioned to him back home when she'd tried to heal him. it sucks, but. it's not being dead. it's not kuvira ruling the world. and it's certainly not losing korra or bolin or asami or even beifong. he'd been prepared to die to save them. any damage done to him was just... incidental. he'd do it again in a heartbeat with twice the consequences if he had to.

but it's also not. really something he expected someone else to care about, because republic city certainly doesn't breed that kind of care for one's neighbor. he looks genuinely surprised that lance protested at all, like anyone would put someone eles's wellbeing — or even their mild physical discomfort — over the acquisition of knowledge and power. he reaches up to rub at his shoulder, fingers catching on the shoulder seam of his tanktop. )

I try to move it a bit every day so it doesn't stiffen up. Waterbending's a really gentle martial art, it's actually what I've been doing for physical therapy.