(no subject)

[markofthebrave]

[Action: Locked to Nephry]
[It makes no sense for a known and proud waterbender to step out of the fountain in the middle of winter and remain soaking wet. But yet, that is exactly what she is doing: getting out of the fountain, her arms wrapped around herself, shivering, and looking both confused and frightened... and younger. About three years younger, to be exact.]

[Open action.]

Katara, properly attired to face the winter thanks to your friendly neighborhood Clothing Shop, can be seen:

a) Stopping and staring at the snow, as if she hasn't seen any in a very, very long time
b) Entering the Welcome Center to get the maps/layout of the place
c) Stalking House 56. She will not enter. She will likely not be seen, as she is administering a frightening amount of skill at sticking to the shadows, but you might catch her as she starts to walk away...
d) Checking out a Community Building for a spare room.

((Katara, returned from her mallynap, is experiencing this AU. Feel free to bump into her anywhere, but don't be too surprised if she doesn't respond to her name. It's been a long time since she's called herself anything Water Tribe.))

Comments

a

[savedtheworld]

[It had been a struggle to look upbeat ever since Katara was kidnapped. And today looked no different - he had spent most of it in solitude in the forest.

And on his way back, suddenly... there she was. He couldn't pick up on the differences yet. But it was unmistakably Katara. And his face was brightening up like those lights sometimes do at the South Pole.

He's rushing towards her.]

Katara!

[markofthebrave]

[And Katara tenses, but she just keeps walking away. Surely he's talking about someone else.

At least, that's what she hopes is coming across.]

[savedtheworld]

[He feels some strange pang when she walks off. There are many possibilities... but mabe she didn't hear him. That's what Aang will choose to believe.]

Katara, it's me! Aang!

[And he speeds up, too, to try to catch up with her, ready to skid to a halt if/when he passes her.]

[bloodbending]

[She doesn't know any Aang. And she hasn't gone by Katara in a long, long time. But if this place is what that lady said it was...

She paused and looked at him.]

Are you talking to me?

[savedtheworld]

[He looks down at her, his smile starting to fade. He doesn't yet realize the significance of having to look down to face her... and he doesn't quite notice all the physical changes yet. Trying to focus on just her being here, being back. And maybe trying not to see the truth on some level.]

O-of course, silly. Who else would I be...?

[markofthebrave]

Somebody named 'Katara,' I guess. You've got the wrong girl. Excuse me.

[And she made to hurry past him.]

1/2

[savedtheworld]

[He spends a moment looking after her in stunned silence, taking some shallow breaths as he took in what just happened.

She didn't know him.

She... Did she even know herself?

A sense of fear and dread settled over him. A chill in his heart.]

[savedtheworld]

[But he couldn't let her go like that. He knew that she wouldn't. If she were... herself.

So he quickly hurried back towards.]

Wait, please don't go! Something's wrong!

[markofthebrave]

[Of course something's wrong. Everything's wrong.]

Listen, I don't want to bother anyone. I just need to find a place to stay for a little while.

[savedtheworld]

But... You have a place. You live with us. And - and you're not bothering me. [He tries to focus.] I just want to know... what's going on. Please.

[markofthebrave]

I've never seen you before in my life. [Though she STARED at that arrow on his head.] You've got me confused with someone else.

[savedtheworld]

[He looked her in the eyes as she spoke. They were the same eyes alright. The first things he saw both times he woke from a type of slumber. But they weren't the same. There was no recognition... and he felt like there was some light missing in her eyes. And it hurt.

She doesn't know me.]

I don't understand. You can't be anyone else. The Malnosso... they did something to you. [She looked young... around the same age as they first met. Maybe...] Maybe... maybe they made you earlier. Before we met.

[bloodbending]

No. I know who I am. You're the one who's confused. Now I asked you once to leave me alone. Don't make me ask again.

[savedtheworld]

[He flinched at hearing these words in Katara's voice. Something was wrong... she couldn't have been this angry just before meeting him. It had to be something more.]

I don't understand. If that's what you want... I'll leave you alone. [He pauses and frets, trying to think of the right words, anything, to keep her from leaving.] But I'd rather help you. And be your friend. Even- even if it's just as strangers.

[markofthebrave]

If you really mean that, then prove it. Leave. Me. Alone.

[She turned to go.]

[savedtheworld]

I-

[His words fail him. His world's spinning around inside him. Sometimes she had been changed, mostly in small ways, but this was too much. He couldn't stand to this hostility. And he couldn't defy something Katara said so harshly. So Aang halted as she moved on and looked down at the ground, trying to contemplate what had just happened.

She'll be back, right? She'll always be. He remembered those words, from so long ago. "Aang, you're never without me. I'll always be your friend, even if Luceti finds a way to separate us. No matter where I am, or what they do to us, I will always, always care about you." He tried not to remember that even when she had that, she had been a different "her" in some way.

What happened to her? What could make Katara... this way?]

I'm sorry.

[He stayed still there for some time, thinking it over, trying to process it. Remembering those words over and over again, when it was filled with kindness and acceptance. And trying to decide whether those words comforted it more than it made him so, so afraid of her current state.]