[ Action, Voice ] .028

[markofthebrave]

[So today? Katara cuts short her usual routine with a cheerful wave and ducks out on her housemates. Aang showing up pushed so many things out of her mind, and now they were all crowding back in, along with the strangeness of Zuko's return.

She misses the Straw Hats. Going camping right now sounds wonderful. And she really wants Aang to meet them! She thought about trying to contact them over the journals, but... didn't really want to interrupt. Besides, it was better... to get used to people being gone.

She can handle this by herself. Katara is not given to introspection, but at her favorite spot by the South bridge, Katara has gathered a fair amount of smooth stones, and is alternating between stone-skipping and staring at her conversation with Nephry. She only knows one way to deal with this, and that's facing it straight on and adapting.

Water is the element of change. Water adapts.

And so, to find some way to remind herself of this and gather up the courage and mental clarity to sort things out, Katara will eventually step off the bridge and walk a ways beside the river. Once there, she closes her eyes and very slowly begins to practice basic forms, the water streaming about her in constant change and accompaniment to her thoughts, until she can almost see it in her mind's eye, overwhelming the flames.

Much, much later, she takes a seat, and makes a filter. She only hopes that she truly means what she says.]


Nephry, it's Katara. If you'd like to meet sometime today, or later this week... I'm ready now.

Comments

[same filter]

[silversnowfall]

...Well, of course. Any time.

[But 'ready for what?' is definitely going through her thoughts]

[same filter]

[markofthebrave]

Would you like to meet someplace in town? By the fountain maybe?

[same filter]

[silversnowfall]

Sure. I would love to.

[same filter]

[markofthebrave]

All right. In about an hour then?

[bamfing]

[One of the nice things about Luceti is all the nice tall buildings that he can teleport to and from without fear. So while he's hanging out on Building Five, he can't help but see Katara... in the middle of using her mutant power. Well that's awesome.

Which is why he feels no shame suddenly appearing in front of her, crouched on the railing with extraordinary balance, sporting a big grin.]

Katara, that's amazing!

[markofthebrave]

Gah! [It is not a good idea to startle a practicing warrior Kurt. With her eyes closed Katara has been concentrating very hard on sensing the water around her. But she didn't hear you or sense you and with her eyes closed her response is pure instinct. Fast, even faster than if her eyes had been opened, she whirls to shoot a hard jet of water at the unfamiliar voice, opening her eyes as she did so and recognizing Kurt in time to release the water and let it fall, gravity taking control of it as she relinquishes hers. All this takes place in the space of five seconds.]

[bamfing]

[Stopping it or not, Kurt panics and immediately vanishes in a puff of smoke, reappearing behind her, holding up his hands to show he means no ill will.]

Whoa, easy! It's just me!

1/2

[markofthebrave]

[It's a good thing he did teleport because, dropping the water or not he still would have gotten wet if he'd been sitting there.

As it is, his sudden reappearance behind her startles her so much that she whirls and pulls more water from the river before she knows what she's doing.]

[actiony goodness]

[no-use-running.livejournal.com]

[It's Mercury, a very different Mercury.]

You're working hard.

[actiony goodness]

[markofthebrave]

[Assuming that Mercury's not flying, Katara gradually becomes aware of her approach before she speaks. But she had no idea of the other's identity or destination and so does not open her eyes until she's addressed. She turns to regard Mercury, wary and curious.]

Not really. These forms are pretty basic and... I enjoy it.

Re: [actiony goodness]

[no-use-running.livejournal.com]

I wonder if I could do it, too.

[Truth? Probably not. Maybe with instruction, but her control usually isn't nearly that precise.]

[orchidsandfire.livejournal.com]

[Diana approaches her from a distance.]

[markofthebrave]

[Katara's eyes are closed as she is losing herself in blissful concentration. If Diana is flying, Katara has no way of knowing she's approaching, if she is on foot, she would still get within several yards before Katara senses her.]

[orchidsandfire.livejournal.com]

[She's on foot. But she doesn't say anything, preferring to just observe Katara for now.]

[wildconqueror.livejournal.com]

[.....

8O!! Is she making that water move?!

(Where did Sapphire hear something like that before...?)

/watching]

[markofthebrave]

[Since this is the first time Katara is practicing with her eyes closed, the movements are quite simple, slow and exagerated. She is doing little more than streaming the water around her, causing it to follow her hands like a scarf.

If Saphire is not very close and is quiet, Katara will remain focused on her task.]

[wildconqueror.livejournal.com]

[Sapphire knows not to creep up on a Pokemon when it's focused...and humans with powers can't be that much different about it.

So she'll just sit over on the bank quietly, watching with wide eyes.]

action; which is kind of a placeholder .__.

[savethelastchip.livejournal.com]

[ Chouji- complete with chip bag- will be happening by to chill on that bridge before the waterbending starts up today. Don't mind the large armored young man taking a seat nearby.

He'll probably smile at you at least once, though. That's how he rolls. ]

action; it's OK, bb, you're worth the wait

[markofthebrave]

[Katara skips another stone before glancing over at the young man who's joined her. Someone she doesn't recognize...

A sigh. Well. If she meant to be completely on her own, she shouldn't have chosen a bridge to brood.] Hey.

action; You're too good to me.

[savethelastchip.livejournal.com]

[ His bad. ]

Hi. Was I interrupting you?

[aciton]

[forestpride.livejournal.com]

[You know if there's waterbending involved San is going to find it and watch it. ...Besides, she might kind of linger around the Avatar house now, some days]

[aciton]

[markofthebrave]

[Katara's eyes are closed, her focus on the water in her hands. She's not so much moving now as she is concentrating on 'seeing' the water without seeing it as she attempts to bend it into a perfect ball.

...it's actually going extremely well. She'll probably open her eyes in a few minutes.]

[restoremyhonour.livejournal.com]

[Zuko will walk past Katara later in the day and will stop and watch her water bend for a while. Bending with your eyes closed isn't the normal way of doing it, so he'll be staying watching until she lets the water drop and opens her eyes. No sense in totally surprising her.]

That's a different way of practicing.

[markofthebrave]

[She glances over her shoulder at him, not the slightest bit surprised that someone was there - she had thought she felt something - but a bit surprised at who it is.]

I was trying out a theory. How long were you standing there?

[restoremyhonour.livejournal.com]

A while.

What's the theory?